Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-05
'RIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 5 1858.
JUDGE DOUGLAS THE ALEXANDRIA SENT

JUDGE DOUGLAS THE ALEXANDRIA SENT
NEL"
The following quotations from the -icXan'
dria Sentinel in regard to Judge Douglas
strike us As having a very remarkable retro
active significance The Sentinel says: lie
douglas chose to differ aS for and not aS \
friend. and that could not be borne Yet in
1853 VIM. Smith ''chosc to differ a. l"r. AMI
not As friend" and that was ''hornc by the
Sentinel" lie douglas denounced the de-
libcratc conclusion of his party hot a> M hon
est error, hut AS kdarery-hc denounced thrir
cherished measure not a mistake, but a. Il
fraud" In 1850 VIM Smith denounced the
deliberate conclusion Of his party" thc nomi-
nation of WiSc) as one not tit To be madc-'he
denounced their cherished ticket as not 10 he
swallowed by his stiff old Democratic throat
"EIc lin 1861 set up his Judgment against
theirs, (his party and bore himself with the
utmost intolerance "llc set himself about
humbling" his party; 'hc determined to tri-
umph over IT." for he even declared that it de.
pended OH circumstances. whether or not he
would accept the Winchester nomination.
Did the Sentinel" in 1865 ask Goycrncr
Smith, as it bow inquiries with regard to Judge
Douglas and the President, 'O"yht rs 10 al-
iOn our Irtdrs 10 he di,h"dorni 7" ".lre rr
wHliRg 10 me our GenFm' 1isyr'ed byn Lien
tfnamt" These pcrtincn; questions, now 50
pointedly asked. when Judge Douglas is Of.
posed by IN Aboitionist, were entirely forgot
ten when defeat was sought for Henry \. Wise,
the accredited leader Of the Democracy, by the
dSorganiscr William Smith.
With what power might The Sentinel" in
ls55, have asked Vim. Smith. ".IhaiimS ~r him
Wise thu, .hout.d and h"mbIci. far .ttHdihg
nhe.r WE Aarr bd him s"ad. "Hi m"int"6i"y
rhatwEharsrnior~i agai1sf "h, rh" r"lisH"
knarcry "Hd trnmdf"
Most sincerely do we wish. that in ls55
the Sentinel had thus appealed to William
Smith: We appeal to YOU, ii Our fidelity as
Democrats. omr honor ns man, does not bid uS
rally about" Henry \. WISE "and sustain him
ous support" Oh, that such had in $50.
been "The Sentincl's' individual view Of the
matter"
I'VE are brought to it by no outside Prciu-
tiircS whatever.
'In firing upon our ilas-bcarcr, Douglas
fires upon our flag, and fires upon us. If he
act a> brother and not a. foe" Substitute
Smith for Douglas, and what a rcbukc the
above would have carried in lsjj toa di>organ-
User who fired upon 'our '.@'g-d'"|er, our
.hi"g and upon rs. '"
We make these quotations in no spirit Of i'll
nature. but merely to remind the Sentinel
that if Douglas does not agree with the Prc>i-
dent, il does not do for Governor Smith nor
his friends t" Use word Of rcll,kc 10
Judge Douglas. For. in lSjj. William Smith
was the archd>organScr of hi- party; he 'ie-
nounccd its candidates, he even hcstated whc-
thcr he woud be the Opposition candidate 10
work the defeat and overthrow ofthc party which
had honorcd and rewarded him with lucrative
Office. Douglas has differed from the President
Smith differed from his party. Douglas has
wagcd q gallant and ncvcr.dic fight upon the
enemies Of his party--but Smith he<itatcd wlc-
thcr he woull become the standard-bearer of
hi, partys cneiny. IT, in 1853, the sentinel
condemns Judge Douglas consistency, it should
have damned William Smith in lSjJ--hut if
private friendship excused Vim. Smith in ls55,
consistency should throw the same mantle OF
forgiveness over Judge Douglas i'll lejs.
The only difference hctwecn Judge Douglas
and William Smith is that Douglas never de-
parted from the principles nor the organization
Of the Democratic party, while once. at least.
in the lifetime Of William Smith, lIc was false
to the organization of his party, and brought
di>crctlit on its principles by declaring that the
Know. Nothing. "jasis" was good enough De-
mocratic doctrine for him
Let the Sentinel mctc To Douglas the same
charity it extended TO WnL Smith. and then its
impartial journalism will receive no rebukr from