Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-08
Judge Douglas and the Democratic
Party. -


We published some days since an article
from the Richmond South deprecatiug the
warfare of the Administration upon Mr..
DoUGLAs. In rs issue of Both ult. the same
paper devOtes a leading article to considera-
tion of the present political sstdt,ts Of Judge
DOUGIAs. 1t takes HIM to task for his oppo-
sition to the application of Kansas under the
Lecompton constitution, and to the English
bill. II says these are fac Only points Of
Judge Douglass position which demand
protest from the Southera democracy. For
while he appears to sanction Squatter Sover-
eighty in affirming the right of territory to
determine its institutions. yet as he expressly
declares his allegiance to the Cincinnati plat
form, we are Obliged to infer that he intends
to maintain that a territory may exert this
prerogative only when in the act of emerging
into thc Independence of a State government.
His language is certainly not susceptible of
the construction that territorial Legislature
may prohibit slavery by an unjust discrimin-
alton against the properly of the South. On
the contrary he expressly afirms the legality
of the bred Scott decision in the sense that it
guarantees the introductian of slavery into
territory, contending only that it is afterwards
subject, like all other property to the local
law of the territory" This reading of
Judge DOUGLASS position is wholly variant
from that of the Washington Union and It's
faithful echoes throughout the South.
The South evidently sees the Importance of
DoUGLAs's continuance with the democratic
party, and especially of the adherence of his
friends recently elected, to the national de-
mocracy, so called, and is laboring to promote
this end. 1t concludes the article to which
we refer by a summary of DOUGLASS opinions
as avowed during his canvass in Illinois, as
follows:
The Office of censor is rarely grateful. and
we turn with satisfaction from this criticism
on certain incidental points in Judge DOUG-
LASS address, to the contemplation of those
essential principles of political philosophy by
which he proposes to determine his future
conduct.
/. Judge DOUGLAS affirms the original and
essential inferiority of the negro.
2. He denies that the negro was intended
to be embraced within the distractions of the
Declaration of Independence, and asserts that
the right of freedom and equality was predi-
Gated only of the dominant race of white
men.
8. He denies the privileges of citizenship
to the negro.
A. He affirms the compatibility of "a con-
federacy of free and slave States, and the pos
sibility of their harmonious cOeXistence un-
der a common Constitution.
s. He affirms the absolute sovereignty of
the States in respect of their domestic insti-
tutions, and denies the authority of the Fe,l-
TO
interests of slavery.
6. He inculcates policy Of non-interven-
ton. as between the free and the slavcholding
States. as well as between the latter and the
Federal Government.
7. He supports the decision of the Supreme
Court, and asserts for slavery the right of col
onizaton in the Territories.
8. He upholds all the guarantees Of the
Federal Constitution in respect to the rights
of the South.
9. He maintains the dignity and independ-
ence of the Senatorial function against the
encroachment of Executive usurpation.
TO- He protests his opposition to Black Re
publicanism at every point and upon every
principle. ..rs
IL. He pledges himself to fidelity to the
organization, principles and nominees of the
Democratic party.
From this summary of the principles
enounced in Judge DoUGLAss exposition of
his opinions. it is obvious that, whatever his
alteration in respect OF past issues, he is
sound on the philosophy of negro slavery,
and is correct in his view of the relations be-
tween the States and the Federal Government.
He may safely defy his enemies to exhibit an
other Northern man with profession OF faith
more acceptable to the South"
These sentences were penned before the
elections of last Tuesday, and since they re-
suited in the triumph of Judge DOUGLAS the
desire OF the South to retain him within the
democratic party, will hardly be diminished
by that circumstance. We scarcely think the
efforts of such organs as the AUaianche. the
Aississ,Ppian, &c, will prevail in effectually
ostracising Judge DOUGLAS from the pale of
Democracy. The impotence of the admins
tration has met with most humiliating ex-
posure. and we think the sham democracy
had well reconcile themselves to the in
evitable fellowship of the Illinois Senator
DOUGLASS star beams in the ascendent