Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-11-12
whnt snr. the Mn.blngtop Union.

and on Friday devotes an article 10 tue SUBJECT.
The organ utters its keynote to the faithful
thus:
If the Democratic party have triumphed in Il
linois, it has been at its own expense, in con-
sideration ofjoining in the Black Republican
clamor against the "Lecompton fraud and
swindle" 1t is a triumph barren and ignomin-
ious; it is triumph over which the Black Re-
publicans have reason to exult, and do exult more
than the good and trle Democracy. The plat
form of the party in Illinois on the great slavery
question, in the canvass just ended, differs but
little from the Buffalo platform that Congress
might prohibit slavery in the territories and de-
bar from these common possessions of all the
States the citizens of half the Union. 1t is the
leading tenet of the Illinois platform that the
subordinate agent of Congress, the territorial
legislature, may do this thing-iu the manner
most becoming an underling and tool, by indi-
reCtion, bad faith and perjury.
We repeat, that victory, won upon charge
offraud and delinquency of principle, against the
Democracy-a victory won upon platform of
doctrines differing but a shade from the odious
platform of Buffalo, is not victory over which
we can rejoice, or from which we can expect
any advantage or honor to the great party in
whose service we labor.
It also publishes letter from correspondent
in Illinois, "who has travelled the whole State, :"
in which the writer says;
! twas the impression among the leading Dem
ocrats at Springfield that Douglas will not, un-
der any circumstances, be returned, even though
his friends be in apparent majority in the Le-
| glslature. They believe that among them will
| be found q sufficient number of members elected
to beat Lincoln who will refuse to vote for
Douglas, and thus prevent the election OF either.
| The Union of Saturday has another Anti
Douglas article under the significant caption
of-"The Distracting Question of Is4s revived
in the Democratic Party of 1855 The Union
puts Douglas in the same relation to the Dem
ocratic party now that Mr.. Van Buren, occupied
in lS4s, and holds up to the party the fact that
Hugh L. White, VIM. c. Rives, and Martin
Van Buren,, were unhesitatingly plucked out
and cast from it, when error, ambition, revenge,
OF whatever motive moved them to abandon
the principles of the party" The Union then
inquiries:
"In what does the attitude Of Senator Dou-
glas to day differ from that of Mr.. Van Buren
in lS4Sl Mr.. Van Buren, then took the ground
that Congress might lGgtuly exclude slavery
from the Territories, and ought to do SO. Mr..
Douglas is the inventor and promulgator Of
new way of accomplishing ClaagfuLly, as he says
precisely the same thing by an indirect and less
manly process. He admits that citizens Of
slave holding States have the right under the
Constitution to go into and settle in any of the
Territories, taking with them their property of
all kinds, slave property and all He admits
this to be a Tight-and then invents and pub
fishes to the Black Republicans and others
mode whereby the right to hold slaves in the
Territories may lawfully be rendered nugatory,
barren and worthless. He says the majority
opposed TO slavery in Kansas may refuse to
pass the necessary laws to protect slave proper
4y-that the majority may lawfully and right
fully do this"
1t asserts that ''tho position of Mr.. Van Bu-
rem was more open, consistent, direct, fair, and
manly than that of Mr.. Douglas, but does not
more certainly effect the object of excluding
7,' - g tbo Territories" The Union con-
cludes:
"If nothing should be said by the Charleston
Convention of these gIaring i fierences within
the party, then the principle of the Nebraska
Kansas act, that the people shall be at liberty
to frame their Constitution IN their OWN l0ay,
goes for nothing, and the decision OF the Su-
slaves in the Territories will be worth nothing
"lft.e Charleston Convention should think
proper to notice these differences of opinion, !
what kind Of plank will suit Judge Douglas |
and his friends +! That's the question. The iac
fll1esS of Withholding the police regulations in
dispensable to the protection of the right to
hold slaves, ought to be one, and the perfect |
freedom of the people to form their Constitu- |
ton in their olcR qcay, meaning Mr.. Douglass |
way Of ratification by popular vote, must be
another
at is question worthy of serious consider
alton whether Judge Douglas, right on all the
questions but these two, shall be allowed |
high position in the party by yielding to him on
these two
From these extracts it is evident that the Ad-
intend to defeat the reelection of
Douglas to the Senate, if it can, and compel |
him to abandon the position that the people of
q Territory may rightfully exclude slavery by
police regulations, or drive him from the party.