Daily national Democrat., 1859-04-02
The Issue.

We design to publish shortly the remarks
Of Nessrs Frederick. Gwin and others, on
the question of slave code IN the territories
in the oreat debate which took place in the
Son ,e Of the United States, on the 23d OF
Fohru,rv It is important to know how Sen
o,ors cl,iming to be Democratic, stand on
This esreat question, for it is the hiuging
question Of the day, and every man must be
prepared to take his position either for or
against Intervention will the subject Of
slavery, in the Territories. at an early day.
The remarks OF senator Douglas we have
already published that is to say his first
speech, and we have no doubt that it has
been thoroughly studied 10y every intelligent
reader. Senator Pugh, of Ohio, thoroughly
agreed with him in his opposition to Con.
gres>ional intervention, and contended with
him that the people of the Territories must
be left perfectly free to regulate all and every
Of their domestic aifoirs. Senators Pugh and
Douglas both proclaimed, without hesitation
or cquivocation, that, in their opinion, not n
solitary Northern State could be carried for
Congressional intervention that it was
enough for the North, entertaining as she did
serious prejudices against slavery, to agree
that tho majority Of the people of Terrific
ry might have slavery if they desired it, but
to require her to say that the people must
have it whether they desire it or not, was
asking little too much, and she would never,
neper agree to it, Such is the language of
Northern Democrats, and it is manly, right,
and lust. True Democrats In the South will
subscribe to the fairness and justice of the
determination Bigots and fanatics will op-
pose it, of course and threaten disunion and
all that kind of thing
Messrs. Hunter Davis. Brown, Mason, and
other Lecompton Senators unhesitatingly de-
clarcd that their construction of Democratic
principles required Congressional interven-
ton to protect property in slaves. As to
everything else the people might do as they
pleased. But slavery was a thing that Con-
gress was bound to protect and maintain.
This is rather queer construction of the
Kansas-Nebraska bill, we must admit. The
masses of the people have always supposed
heretofore, that the question was entirely in
the hands of the citizens of tho Territories
and that Congress had nothing to do with it.
Such was undoubtedly the Democratic doc
trine and is the true Democratic doctrine
now But, when President Buchanan and
his advisers abandoned the Cincinnati Plat
form, in regard to the admission Of Kansas,
refusing to recognize the will of the majority,
it was to bc expected that he and they would
speedily cut loose from all the old landmarks
of the Democracy, and attempt to establish
a new creed and to inaugurate new policy |
in the affairs of the country. They have done
no more than was predicted of them from the
outset They have finally and forever aban-
doned the Democratic faith, and nothing re.
mains bat to reorganize the wide spread
elements of the National Democracy upon
The old faith, and to pronounce ban of ex-
against all those so-caled .
Democrats who have repudiated the doe
rines of PODnlar Sovereitrntv