Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1859-01-08
Senator Douglas at Petersburg, Va.

- dissenting voices:
Resolved, That we rejoice unfeigl
{ eddy in the late victory so gloriousl
achieved by the loved Democracy Of
linois. Brethren in the sarnc politics
|. faith, we recognize their success as on
! triumph, and in common will, the pair
otto men of all sections and all parties
we find special cause for consratnlatlo'
in the defeat of u dangerous scctiona
organization"
About an hour subsequently, Johr
Braunon and others called for a recon
sidcration of the above resolution.
Mr.. Brannon said he knew of some u
tho Democracy of Virginia who did not
sympatllise with the Democrats of Iii.
nois in then struggle, o endorse theiI
platform. Nor did some of the Virginia
Democrats believe it was necessary to
protect slavery in the Territories by
Congressional legislation; for they be-
lievcd that it existed and was protected
under the Constitution. The right to
maintain slave property was q natural
right and the property itself would be
protected under that right. He feared
that the victory of the Democracy of H.
linois would prove the ultimate ruin of
the Democracy It's position he under
stood to be the necessity of Compression
al legislation to protect slavery in the
Territories. Now, the Democracy of
Virginia believe that slavery can exist
under the Constitution, and does not re-
quire federal Legislation to aid it. He
moved to postpone the question indcf-
nitely.
Mr.. Wise replied to Mr.. Brannon, and
after considerable discussin, pro and
con, the motion was taken, and the
Douglas resolution was indefinitely post
poncd. And thus did the Petersburg
Convention give the cut direct to Stephen
A. Douglas.
Referring to the extraordinary course
of Senator Douglas, on the Kansas ques-
ton, the Blue Ridge Republican says:
"If Kansas had been admitted under
tue Lccompton Constitution, she could
have, Immediately, called a new Con-
vention, and made whatever alterations
she chose in that instrument, or have
adopted a new one, in toto. She has
now to do the very same tfing-that is,
call a Convention, adopt q Constitution,
and take the chances for admission; the
only difference being that she would
have done the first as a sovereign State,
in the Union, while she will have to do
the latter as q Territory, out Of the
Urion. Had she been admitted, all agi-
tation connected with her admission,
would have been over, beyond the pos
sibility Of recuscitation, and she would
have been pursuing the even tenor Of
her way, as one Of the great sistcrhood
of States; whereas, she may now be pre-
scented for admission under efrcumstanc-
es that will reopen the question in its
most angry form. Who did this mis-
Who is responsible for the defeat
of measures that would have brought
peace to Kansas and harmony to the
Union? STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, of
Illinois! He, as we verify believe, to
promote q sclfbs aim, and to pandcr to
an o'er-ripe ambition-promptcd by re-
sentiment, for imaginary wronge-got
up a false issue, thwartcd the Admins
tfation in its honest efforts to still the
tnm,lt Of popular passion, broke it down
IN some Of the Northern States, and pro-
duced the contingency Of a Black Re-
publican majority in the next Congress
Of the United States.
" II is idle to say that the Lecompton
did not represent a majori-
ty Of the people Of Kansas. If it did
not, it was their own fault. The theory
and essence of our Government require
that the voice Of a majority Of those
voting shall be valid, otherwise an arbi-f
trary minority Of the whole may, at any
time, stop the operations of a Govern