Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-15
BENNETT on Douglas and the Demo-
cratic Party.

BENNETT is one OF the most unfinching and
ablest supporters of Mr.. BuoIANAs's Admi-
nistration. OF the Democratic party. how
ever, and of Mr.. DOUGLAS, he thus discourses
in his issue of the 10th inst
From tho extraordinary article on flames
Buchanan" which we transfer to this paper
from the Chicago Times (the home organ OF
Mr.. Douglas our readers will perceive that
orr opinions concerning the irremcdiahle
shipwrnck of the democratic party on the
rock Of the slavery question are fully sustain
ed. With the receipt of the news AT Chicaog
of the reelection Of Mr.. Douglas TO the Senate
the journal in question frankly declares that
an nnwillingness to embarrass political
contest in which onr friends had deep per
sonal interest has for many months restrained
us from ttat free and candid expression of
our Judgment of the acts Of the administra-
ton Of Mr.. Buchanan that we would like to
have gwen our readers:n but that ut length
'.the action of the Legislature yesterday has
removed the last possible excuse for silence
on our part. " and so that hitherto masked
battery is opened in the most spiteful broad
side upon James Buchanan.
We shall not stop to handy words with this
Chicago mouihpiece of Mr.. Douglas in refer
ence to its coarse and vulgar abuse of the
President: but this abuse with the intelligent
reader will serve its purpose in revealing the
impossible chasm which now separates the
administration and the centre and the right
wing Of the democracy from Mr. Douglas and
his followers. The pith and substance of
this Chicago manifesto may be found in these
particular illusions to Mr.. Buchanan. 20 wit:
He has told them Che Illinois people)that
if they reelected Douglas they should not he
represented at Charleston; and Douglas. hav-
ing been reelected, it remains to he seen
whether the royal edict will be carried out
The man who proclaimed it. the men who
instigated it; and those who confirm ii by
their action, may never hope to hear the
appro ting voice of the American people
They my triumph at Charleston IN he Cdlraation,
Tut God heip them Letore tie people."
Dos this look like peace? Is it not the
most unmistakeable declaration. of war
against the administra zion and the party
supporting it, that could be expressed in so
many words Can its meaning he reduced
TO anything less than this-that should Mr..
Douglas be ov'rslaughed at the Charleston
Convention he will bolt. as Van Buren did in
1913. and feat the democratic nomination
by carving off the Northern tail OF the party?
II has all along been supposed among the
hopeful politicians of the party camp that
the remarkable fOrbearance Of Mr.. Douglas
towards the administration during the late
illlii'iN CduNd~S betrayed Il c'ulIollllg ueNTt
for peace. We now see. however, that this
forh arance was simply stroke of policy.
Had Mr.. Douglas been defeated in Illinois,
the way was then left open for comparative
ly easy reconciliation with james Bucha-
uan;' hut the great object of n reelection to
the Senate being fully accomplish d. the
mask is thrown off and the flag OF rebellion
is run mp o this northwest wind. ''There is
no peace and there will be no peace hence
forward among the broken fragments of the
democracy to the end of the chapter.
From the readiness displayed hy the Hi
nOis Legislature to give the earliest possible
confirmation of the success of Douglas before
that people. and from the manifestations of
sympathy in his behalf in his late journey
from Chicago to New Orleans, and from New
York to Washington. il would he folly to deny
that this man has not the controlling balance
of power of the democratic party at his COM
mand. demoraliZed. disorganiZed and reduced
in strength that party has become in these
latter days. But there is a singular spirit of
enthusiasm and devotion apparent SmOng the
followers OF Douglas for which we cannot ac-
count upon any theory of personal popularity.
The secret lies in the fact that Mr. Douglas is
the apostle of a shallow but plausible dogma
which affords convenient shelter for that
anti-slavcry sentiment which, since 1874. has
been sappIug and mining the dcfences of the
Northern democracy.
And then. again, there is host of disap-
pointed offic" seekers and Office expectants
who have found in this rebellion of Mr.. Doug
las very convenient pretcxt for joining in
the movement. There is nothing. then, very
surprising in this declaration of the Chicago
Times that the managers of the national
democracy may triumph at Charleston, bat
God help them before the people, II is bnt
a logical consequence of the course dclibcrat-
ed upon by Mr.. Douglas from the moment of
his failure at Cincinnati; and if in stealing
the anti-slavery thunder Of the republicans.
he has revolted against his previous ultra
Southern pro-slavery policy. and has thus
ruled himself out Of the Charleston Conven-
ton, he has at least. like Van Buren,, secured
the footing OF q great revenge"