Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-09-04
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

the Illinois papers supporting Senator Douglas
are sndeavoring to mislesd the public with ref
erenee to Southern Democratic opinion con-
corning his course and present political posi-.
ton, 1t behooves us to say that nearly all the
Southern papers that have expressed sympathy
with him are either opposition journals, noto-
riously sympathizing with any and everything
bidding fair to tend to the destruction of the
supremacy of the Democratic party, or Ishmael-
itsh sheets, whose ultraisms hang like mill
stone around the cause of the Democratic
party, tending TO drive from it the conservative
vote of the South; or, again, papers VIGOROUSLY
devoted to the fortunes Of some one public man
Few, indeed, Of those Southern journals known
Is being in full communion with the Southern
Democratic organization take any such posi-
ton. The only two of them in whose columns
We have seen hope Of the reelection of Sena-
tor Douglas expressed. are the South SIDE
Democrat, published at Petersburg, Va, and
the Free Trader, published at Matches, Miss.
Their sympathy with his cause is clearly the
result of q lack Of due information, and is,
moreover, alphabetically expressed. They say,
If Senator Douglas is not doing this or that,
then they desire his election over Lincoln.
1t SO happens, however, that he is doing just
what they hesitate to believe him capable of
and on coming to comprehend precisely where
he stands, they will repudiate him, as he has
already been repudiated by all other real
southern Democratic party journals. Ishmael-
itish papers, like the New Orleans Delta,
whose columns are always devoted to causes
repudiated by the mass of the Democratic
party of the South, may be expected to con-
tinue to stand by his fortunes so long rs he
goes in y for the right to plumber, murder,
and burn, in the territories of weak neighbor-
ing nations; while journals such as the Georgia
CoRstttutiOnaltst and Richmond Enguirsr,
known as organs of some leading public mau,
may be expected to stand by him until the
force of public opinion at home compels the
cue to bout ship to be given to them. The
sympathy of Mr.. Alexander H. Stephens for
Senator Douglas, wholly on account of what
the latter was politically, formerly, is tho
secret of the effort of the Communicated to
stem the torrent of southern reputation of the
latter's course. That sympathy is the result
Of the generosity and geniality of the charac.
ter of Mr.. Stephens. GIL. e..
Our private information leads us to conclude
that it was dissipated, however, by what Mr.
Stephens saw and heard during his late trip to
Chicago. He doubtless went there in the be-
lief that Senator Douglas meant what he said
in declaring, about the end Of the late session Of
Congress, his purpose to be to seek to re-estab-
lish his connection with the Democratic party
On the contrary, we found him bent on
on creating Democratic anti-slavery party,
which. while protesting respect for the rights
of the South under the Constitution shall aim
to secure the northern floating vote by keeping
the promise Of that profession only to the ear;
and which will vote for and sustain the measures
of Abolitionism designed step by step to abro-
gate those rights, while protesting to defend
Thanksgiving, Of course, the ultimate ten
dency of their acts, which are of far more i'm.
portance than their honied phrases uttered but
to deceive such gentlemen as Mr.. Stephens
The public may rely on it that had not Mr..
Stephens become satisfied that the South could
not properly sympathize with Mr. Douglas, he
would have carried out his original intention
Of visiting this city on his return from Illinois.
in order to restore harmony between the chief
Of the Democratic party in the Presidential
chair, and his former political friend.
Knowing well that President Buchanan not
only had nothing whatever to gain by treating
Senator Douglas as bitter enemy of the Dam.
ocratic party, but that he would gladly make
any personal sacrifice to save the party from
the loss Of strength in the West incident to the
desertion of Douglas and his adherents, he (Mr.
Stephens) saw on reaching Illinois, that it is
the deliberate purpose of Douglas to continue
in his position Of hostility to the position of
the majority Of the Democratic party of Con-
gress on the Kansas question-that he DESIGNS
playing next winter the part of the leader of
the combined opposition against the >consum.
nation OF the pledge Of the English bill that
Kansas shall not be admitted into the Un;on
until she has the requisite ratio of population .
and that if Douglas triumphs in November
he will inevitably become the head of a new
Northern antf-slavery organization, which
adopting many of the tenets of the Democracy
upon subjects other than the slavery question.
will seek, by pandering to abolition passions
and prejudices on that subject, to ride into Do
litical power at the North. Or, in other words
Mr.. Stephens saw clearly that if DOUGLAS il
elected in November, his course in the Senate
Oh the United States will soon divide the Dem
ocratic party geographically, and thus iney
itably destroy its nationality As wise and
patriotic man should do under such circum.
stances, Mr.. Stephens, instead Of coming to
Washington to mediate in behalf of Douglas.
washed his hands of the business, and went
straight home. Such, We have every reason
to believe to be the key to the change that
came over the spirit Of Mr.. Stephens's dream
about becoming mediator between the Presi
dent and Senator Douglas.
Appropos of the support which the New Or.
leans Courier gives to Senator Douglas. In
to the last session Of the Louisiana Legisl AZURE
that paper was the recognized organ of the
Democratic party of the State The party in
the Legislature, however, took from it the State
printing, bestowing that on the Baton Rouge
Democratic journal. Such is the milk in the
cocoa-nut of the Corners recent change of
front, from being the recognized chief organ of
the Louisiana Democracy, to become the as
sailant of such gentlemen as Senator Slidell
and the rest of those who are most influential