The Washington union., 1858-02-19
WHERE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY STANDS.

We who are not for having this Lecompton instru
ment create State under the sanction of Congress
cused of departure from the democratic doctrine of
Intervention. This charge is untrue and unjust. Hon
Thos. l.. HARRIS Letter 10 the NJ r. anti LecOnpton Maing
There are in the Senate and House Of Representa-
tives one hundred and sixty-five men who were
elected as democrats OF these one hundred and
forty have pronounced in favor Of the Lecompton
constitution, and insist that refusal to admit Kan
sas as State under that instrument would be "a de-
parure from the democratic doctrine of non-inter-
vcntion;' whilst the remainder, twenty-five in num-
ber insist, it their votes upon the question of
reference be considered test that to admit
her would be equally departure from that doc
trine Here, then, is wide difference of opinion
between members Of the same party upon ques-
ton of vital importance in the policy Of that party.
One or the other of these positions must be wrong.
If the first is democratic the last must be antideo-
cratic and pioe and this being So one class or
the other of the dispuants is necessarily acting in
opposition to the democratic party and outside of
the democratic organization 1t is unnecessary for
to repeat here for believing that those
who advocate the immediate admission of Kansas
under the Lecompton constitution are carrying out
Ol iCtIIlS
accordance with the true policy of the democratic
party. II we had not other good and sufficient
sons for this belief the fact that majority both of
the northern and southern democrats in Congress,
making together one hundred and forty out of the
one hundred and sixty-iye democratic members, had
decided in favor Of this policy wond be prtma tace
evidence to our minds that it the true democratic
to- ,,1v 10 think
it viii strike the country that the twenty-five demo
Gratis who it is said will oppose the admission of Kan
under the LecoRpton constitution are far more like
ly to be in than the hundred and forty who
are known to favor it and this view OF the question
will be greatly strengthened think, when it is re-
membered that the latter are sustained in their posi-
ton by the President of the United States, who has
devoted near forty years of his life to the service of
the democratic party and long been considered
among the ablest and safest expounders of its doc
rines and its principles by the entire cabinet each
member of which by reason Of his great abilities and
long services in the cause Of democracy, is well fit
ted to be am interpreter Of ts measures and its policy
and last though not least, BY large majority OF the
democratic people, whose clear heads and honestin-
st;ncs always teach them the right, and lead them to
pursue it.
We do not presume to sit in judgment upon the
motives of those democrats who have seen proper
to oppose Mr.. Buchanan's Kansas policy nor do we
arrogate to ourselves the right to read them out Of
the party because Of such opposition We, howev-
er do not hesitate to declare that the admission OF
Kansas into the Union under the Lecompton consti-
tuition is now the recognised and welldefned policy
Of the democratic party; that it is so considered by
very large majority Of that party, both in and out