The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-22
THE loss or ILLINOIS TO TIE DEMOCRACY
prom the rhI'adelpn'. Evening Arss, July aol

From the Philadelphia Evening Afb ~, july VI
However Senator Douglas may denounce all the demo
Gratis in Illinois who oppose his cratic course 40 piack
republican allies how much soeyer his art'sas and
followers may cry out persecution there Is oheview OF
the question which honest and consistent domocrats WI"
not f 10 take and which must relieve the democrac
opponents of Judge Douglas from the imputauon !. rs
sought TO upon them and that is, rs that the de-
fiction was the part of Judge Douglas Who not CON
tent with entertaining and expressing his own views s
senator IN the regular course OF legislation pecipiA
ted the question ia Congress by speech OUT OF e an"
order IN which he put forth his manifesto hot oy ~
onpsition TO the suggestions of the President but ID adj
vance OF any indicated action by his COLLEAGUES uus
taE ing upon himself with ogance unsu,ea 70 demo
cratic principle antAgonistic and dctatona position
from which by every influence IN his power personal anu
o,ca he stroye 10 ortify himself with followers and
thus create discussion IN the democratic ranks In the
second place. the issue having been closed ny
and settlement instead Of lay ing aside his opposition and
seeking 10 heal the wounds of his party and restore To II
i,y e,d barmony az did Hon VIM Montgomery Of
this State which course involved no inconsistency or
surrender of principle find Judge Douglas holding out
in opp,ston and defantly proclaimng himself and Ills
followers to be e demo cratic party Now, under theso
circumstances there but alternative either the
whole democratic party of the nation must bend to Sto
pben A. Douglas and thus establish the precedent that
any bold and reckless politician who has obtained such
influence and popularity in his own State az to De able to
control majority his party there, may set at defiance
The whole prty else cndeayor 70 thwart their
action any great national question lor ms own fiva'c
views and even when defeated in this he may hold ont
and compel the rsrty to to him or those men who
differ with Judge Douglrs in his own State, and are
pesecuted and denounced by him for their fidelity to
democratic ,sagcs must be sustained by tho party, and
Judge Douglas left to the consequences OF his own acts
For ourselves do not think there is much diihcuty
In making the choice does the consequence which
IL held up so thrcaenngly Of the election of blackre
publican senator cyise the slightest alarm No party
Organization will hold together when single member is
allowed to dcf,tc his own terms Inc old stale trick OF
saving s'you must take nobody, has been tried
too often with tho democracy TO succeed even when
played bya bold political gambler Us Stephen A. Doug
las Their traditionay policy is to preserve the moral
strength of the party at the hazard of temporary
defeat rather than yield to dctaon and terrorism which
would crush out and destroy its vital principle.
Thus stands the with Senator Douglas and the
State Of Illinois it is better to sink both in this issue
not of ng but of his, than to suffer denoralz
ton now and certain defeat hereafter the loss we
can survive however it may touch Mr. Douglas vanity
70 hear it the other we could not for it would break
up the very foundations of the democratic party.