Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-08-07
Fraternization with the Democracy.

FrateInizatlon with the Democracy
Some of the more eager and jealous of the
Republican journals were inclined to view the
late detection of Senator Douglas, in his refusal
TO Join the administration in the support of the
Lccompton swindlc, as the first step towards his
becoming leader in the Republican ranks
Even portion of the metropolitan press went so
far as to censure the Republicans of Illinois for
not taking to their embraces their most power
full as well as most viruent enemy The Tri- |
b,ne besought them to make their peace with
Douglas, and the Times, an independent jour
nal, declared the omission of this opportunity
to conciliate and make terms with the Little
Giant" stupid blunder. Even the penny Or
gan of the radical abolitonists in this State re-
commended the formation of the State ticket so
as to embrace zone Wing, one free soiler, and
one ant-Lecompton democrat"
The haste which was evinced in this desire
for determination is now demonstrated mis-
take. The course of Senator Douglas at Chi
cago and on the stump elsewhere must satisfy
the weakest Republican that he is entirely UNI
worthy the confidence or favor of the Republican |
party. In the plainest terms he has declared
over and over again his continued loyalty to
the democratic party-his determination 'to
stand by the democratic organization, yield
obedience to its usages, and support its regular
nominees He specially endorsed the Cincin-
natl platform; declared in the strongest Ian
guage that he remained what he always had been,
and left nothing undone to attest his right to
be still regarded an out-and-out thorough faced |
democrat. Now it is not for us to say whether
Mr.. Douglas will recover his former status in
his party or not. Nor is it for US to reconcile |
his present sense of party allegiance with his
detection IN the most momentous act his party
has yet undertaken. Still less is it our province
to explain the course some of the leading dem
ocratic journals see fit to pursue in reading him
out of the patty, and branding him as an apes
tate and hereto. With his fortunes among his
own party or his practical inconsistencies we
have nothing to do. 1t is enough that he has
at no time given adherence to the Republican
faith, and that he still processes to be as abso-
lutte democrat as ever Our solemn conyic-
ton being that the present democratic party is
indissolubly bound to the slave-powcr, and that
this unnatural connections fatally warping every
fundamental principle of the Constitution, and
bringing to naught the large and generous pol
icy of our fathers, we of course, can know no
difference between Mr.. Douglas and his sup
porters on the one hand and James Buchanan
and Robert Toombs on the other, all of whom
profess the same party principles, and claim to
be members of the same party organization
Mr.. Douglas claims that he opposed the Le-
compton iniquity. In this he separated himself
from the majority of his party and acted as did
all the Republican members of Congress. But
when we look at thesubjeot carefully we shall
find in this no special reason why the Republi-
cans should support Mr.. Douglas or any of his
partizans, certainly where they have strength
enough to elect their own men. Mr.. Douglas
has not shown himself one whit less sefyile than
the other members of the democratic party who
are now in good odor with the powers that be-
1t is certain that his taking ground against the
Lecompton Constitution afforded the only pos
sible chance of his being returned to the United
States Senate. Illinois detested that piece of
infamy, and would have doomed every servant
of hers that gave consent to it. Mr.. Douglas
obeyed the instinct Of self preservation when he
resisted this party exaction. lie was devoted
enough to his party, but did not happan to be
Of the stuff martyrs are made of. Nor was he
disposed to fall back one inch further than he
could help. He at one time was disposed to
favor the English bill but the more resoute of
his associates prevented this surrender. His
opposition to that measure was feeble in the ex-
IRENE, and it was carried by the detection of
some who had no such supports as bolstered
Mr.. Douglas
We like the spirit of the following which we
copy from the New York Courier d. Enquirer.
one the most sterling Republican journals in
the country:
We are as much in favor as any one of lib
eral and conciatory policy. We are against
any narrowness of either spirit of platform, We
are for clearing away every solitary obstacle that
may hinder any truly national patriot, WHEREBY
er living, from heartily cooperating with U.S.
None were more grati6ed than we at the promp-
titude and generous spirit with which the Re
publican party faliied en- 1a0SSe to the sunnort
of the Crittenden- Montgomery Bill II was n
glorious display of Republican magnanmity.-
But such a cooperation with true men in right
act is one thing, and q positive amalgamation
with enemies is quite another. To have acted
with John j. Crittenden in the support of that
just measure for securing justice to the people
of Kansas involved no sacrifice of principle
To have taken sides with Stephen A. Douglas,
and lent the strength of the party to his sup
port at home and his return to the Senate, would
have been betrayal of every element of the
party's identity. Senator Douglas has always
belonged to party which the Republican party
was specially organized to combat He has new
er disowned his allegiance to that party, and
therefore il would have been the yeriest SOLE