New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-28
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE GREAT SCHISM IN THE DEMO
CRATIC PARTY.
from Our speoi.I Correspondent


WAsHNGTOS, Feb. "a, 1859.
The debate On tie area. Democratic schism went
on yesterday tail midnight. Some OF the Repuoil'
cans at last took turn at the grndssone. Their
participation in the discussion was not altogether
superfluOus, perhaps, since the occasion enibled
them TO eXpose some Of the fctons of their adver-
salies as vel as their two-laced policy on the
Kansas question generally Yet if the debate had
BEEN wholly left to the schismatcs themselves,
nobody xould have reason to complain.
This debate shows that the question Of the true
Interpretation Of the Kansas. Nebraska blu must
soon be autLogilatiyely determined. The question
is growing hourly more and Doro urgent within tae
ranks vi the dominant party, and cannot much
longer wait It's dehnitlve settlement.
TIE .arious cOmbatarts on the one side ard The
other have declared themselves, and they are seen
10 be IN direct hostility on wel.detned issues.
Somebody is wrong. Who is it Somebody is
not Democratic Who IL it The regular Demo
cratic church sLil stands with It's altar and It's min
isteripg priests But there is fundamental differ
ence Ui sentiment among them on vital article IN
the creed. Somebody is regular, and somebody is
schism,tic. Who shall decide between them
Nothing short Of general council, ofcOurse. That
must be convened. The question must DC there
re.discusstd, ind there finally settled.
That general council will be- held ia Charleston
in Nav, l.60. Then and there will we see the
final disposition Of this dstrsctiug question Mean
time the benches are to be Gled with anxious IN
quir,rs, longing to know whittier they are to go.
Let 10 one imagine he can escspe the necessity oil
choosing bis position He nsy try 20 defer his adj
hesion 10 one or the other side until the great
ecumenica couucil shall GutEOlJatlycly decide what
lie must belieTe 10 order % maintain his regular
standing in the political church.
But this posi.iOn is a trial. Among this great
mauisitorial and opiniOn1ted people, q man who
declines to own ms convictions is almost as badly
OF as the nan " DO takes the side Of schism. Mr.
Green Of Missouri, 10 some remarks made day or
! two hgo seemed 10 imsgne that this difficulty
could be cCmposeG but imagine his hopes were
e.sipated by yesterdsys debate. There il no pos
sible escape from the dccis0l upon the issue, and
my impression is that there is no desire 70 escape
from il among TIE contending parties. Both NJ
Brown ct Mississippi and Mr.. Douglas SID yester-
dsy that they did not desire to "elleal or be
chtaiedr on This question any longer. IL Will
be seen a. once that If this declaration sincere
they have adopted IN entirely new posi-
ton. Il /. an avnwsl OF totally new methods
OF proceeding They certainly never proposed
ANYTHING Of this sort before. And II the deelara-
ton : horest, "a We may Wen suppose II - Dc,
since X is 60 unique, aud announced WIN ~
much apparent s!neeI1i, Lish the! aun 'hei '"i
lowers really desire the Charleston Convention 70
takeup AMI settle the question. But, whether
thew DO OK not, settled j. must ard vii De, then
and there. and tLr consequences Of such disposi
ton of il are ireyitable. Let the world OF the
bogus Democracy take due notice, aud prepare Tor
the 6nal deIoucItLt consequent thereon. 1. is
the mOst pregnant qlr.iiou ~ It's results, tnht
ever before fell tc the lot Of he Democratic orsaH
izs,.on to decide.
II is rot worth while 10 stop to point on. those
results. Trey are palpsbe 10 everybody. II tne
Charleston Convention should adopt ne DOUG
Interpretation OF the Ksnsas-Neorasks bill, then
the South viii leave the Convention in disgust an
reyuGiGte its proceedings. Brown, Mason Jef;;
| DAVIS, and other southern men, distinctly ana
/ ubreserve6ly took ground taltanount 10 tAi'
Yesterday. On lie other hand. if Tia. Convection
should sssert the southern cl'm Tor The lnterTen-
lion or Congressional egi.la ton 70 protect slavery
| in the Territories then tie Douglas Demo
crats vii declare Ver agaiGs. ..sI DOC