The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-09-23

is unerring, and Of universal application,
and therefore the only one which can be
justly enforced, is an adherence TO the usages
and organization Of the party; because this
always includes adherence TO the principles
on which the party is founded.
The doctrines herein enunciated for the
government Of the Democracy, are as old
as the organization OF the party. They have
gained authority not only by their intrinsic
justice, but through their acquiesccnce in
and support by the party since it assumed
to have and maintain either principles or or.
ganization. They are part Of the com.
mon law Of the party--of its essential es'
sence aud being-deprived Of which the
party Is dissolved, and falls back into its
original elements Of separate, individual sen
tment and action.
II may be matter Of regret that the ap.
plication Of these principles to the conduct
Of the National Administration should tar.
nish its honor and damage its Democracy.
But, however this may be, il is : matter Of
the highest moment that the application
should be made. The integrity ahd dignity
Of the party, no less than the Personal dig.
nifty Of each member, require thai the Ad-
mnistration should faithfully adhere to
Democratic usages as well as principles, and
that the assertion Of either should be visited
by the condemnation Of the masses of the
party.
No platform OF principles was ever adop-
ted by the Democracy in its National Con
ventions which commanded to an equal ex.
tent the hearty and enthusiastic approval
awarded to that Fput forth ut Cincin.
natl in 1856. In that platform was
reafIirmed oil those Democratic doctrines
which had been hallowed by time, and sane
toned by experience. These doctrines, Of
themselves, would have broughtto its sup
port the intelligent, patriotic judgment Of
the country. But that which elected the
enthusiasm Of the party and the people, was
the doctrine Of Popular Sovereignty there
in first announced as a party principle,
which attacked the dangerous dogma OF
Congressional omnipotence, and asserted
the right OF the people Of every community
to regulate their own domestic affairs in
their own way, subject only to the Consttu-
ton of the United States. This doctrine
had been pressed upon the attention, and
argued into the approval of the Democracy,
by the almost unaidcd energy and ability
OF single man. In the face Of prejudices
within the party, and of lanaticisp without,
in the spite OF such oppositio6and ob!Gf
guy as were never before arrayed against .
great principle and its intrepid advocate
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS overcame BOTH pro
cured its incorporation into the laws OF the
land, and obtained its recognition as fun
damental principle Of the Democratic faith
The Kansas \ ebraska act found its endorse.
ment in the Popular Sovereignty plank of
the Cincinnati platform, and both owed their
existence to the wisdom and patriotism o.
Senator DoUGLAs.
The doctrine Of Popular Sovereignty
thus championed by Senator DorGLAs, aud
endorsed by the Democratic party, was az
drmej by the American People in the cleo
ton Of JAMES BUCHANAN. The President
thus elected upon the issue Of this principle
was committed to its preservation and en-
forccment by every consideration OF personal
honor and of political faith. 1t is true, -
was remarked under circumstances which
sharpened its utterance with n most cutting
irony, that during the terrible sectional con-
test which was closed by the passage OF the
Kansas. Nebraska Act, the President was
representing the interests Of the country
with distinguished ability at the court OF
ST. James Ii IL true. too, that the Presi-
dent at that time cherished an old prejudice
against the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise, and deprecated the passage Of the
act that botted out forever line which
marked the boundary between the North
and the South. Bot il is also true, that in
accepting the Cincinnati nomination he sur
rendered. all his prejudjces, and endorsed with
cOmmcndahle warmth those pr Iciples which
insured success TO the Democracy, and the
Presidency to himself,
In view OF these facts. it was with a feel
ing Of painful surprise that the Democracy
Of the country saw the Presideu, Of the
United States so FAR perverting the evident
and well-understood meaning Of the Popular
Sovereignty article OF the Democratic creed,
as to make it shield for forcing the Le-
compton Constitution upon the people Of