Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-07-01
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND, FRIDAY MORNING, JULY l, 1859

expected that the Democratic Convention
would reccdo from the principles Hes
cribed in the foregoing quotation from
the letter of Mr.. Douglas 1t is obvi-
Gus, however, that Judge Douglas in
tends to give new reading of the Gin
cinnati platform, by substituting his pc
culiar notions of squatter sovereignty for
the doctrine of popular sovereignty as
held by President Buchanan and the
democratic party of the Union The
language Of the Cincinnati resolutions
which we had occasion to notice some
days ago, is distinct and unequivocal. -
We quote the resolution again:
4" Res9lce3, That we recognize the
right of the people of all the Territories,
including Kansas and Nebraska, acting
through the legally ard fairly expressed
will of majority Of actual residents,
and whenever the number of their in
habitants justifes it, to form constitu.
ton with Or without domestic slavery
and be admitted into the Union upon
terms of perfect equality with the other
States"
This language is in harmony with the
decision Of the Supreme Court, with the
action of the democratic party in the last
Congress, with the Inaugural of Mr..
Buchanan, and with his celebrated Sill
liman letter.
If, therefore, Judge Douglas means
that the democratic party Will retrace its
steps on this subject for the purpose Of
meeting his peculiar views, his expectation
will undoubtedly be disappointed.
In the closing paragraph Of his letter
he states that if it shall become She pol
icy of the party to "interpolate into the
creed of the party such new issues as the
revival of the African slave trade, or a
Congressional slave code for the Terri
tories, or the doctrine that the Constitu-
ton of the United States either estab-
fishes or prohibits slavery in the Terri
torses beyond the power Of the people
legally to control it as other property
it is due to candor TO say that, in such
an event, he could not accept the nomi
nation if rendered to him."
Nobody knows better than Judg,
Douglas that the democratic party are
decidedly opposed to revival of til,
sIave-trade, or TO the enactment of q
Congressional slave code for the Terrific
ries. 1t is rather remarkable that Judg,
Douglas should lend himself to the rep
clifton Of this black republican SANDER
when he must know that the democratic
conventions recently held in severa
Southern States have expressed their dc
termination to adhere implicitly to the
Cincinnati platform.
We regret, therefore, that he has
thought it necessary to introduce the
subject in the form Of defiance to the
convention It would have been moro
becoming to have trusted the conven-
ton on these and other topics. The as
scrtion that, "should the convention de-
clare that the Constitution of the United
States either establishes or prohibits slq-
very in the Territories beyond the power
of the people legally to control it as other
property" he would refuse to permit his
name to be used, amounts to nothing
more than an ambiguous announcement
Of the doctrine which he is understood
to have maintained in Congress and in
lllinois--namely, that the first inhabi-
tants Of Territory have a right "by
unfricndly Legislation" to destroy the
rights of the citizens of the slayeholding
States as guaranteed to them by the Fed
cral Constitution. We have observed
that this doctrine is opposed to the de-
cisions Of the Supreme Court, and the
doctrine Of the democratic party, which
is, that that question can only be deter
minod when the incipient State forms its
constitution and seeks admission into the
Union.
These are our views with regard to
The contents Of this remarkable letter
remarkable not only for the opinions it
enunciatos, but for the peculiar manner
in which il was communicated TO the
public II pprports to have been writ
ten to a gentleman in distant State,
but it was actually written, not for the
benefit Of Mr.. j Il. Dorr, but for the
purpose of being laid before the Amer
lean people in all the newspapers. II
bears date the 22d of June, and on the
23d it appears in the leading opposition
paper Of this city, and in number of
other distant papers to which twas com
municated by telegraph 1T was mani
testify intended as public declaration Of
Mr. Douglass position.
We intend to acquiesce in the decision
of the Charleston Convention, and VIC
have an abiding faith that all true dem
ocrats will do likewise. But VIC cannot
find any single word in Mr. Douglass
letter which indicates n similar purpose
on his part. Indeed, we cannot see how
he can support any other nominee Of the
convention after he has declared that he
could not himself accept the nomination.
It gives US no satisfaction thus to in
terpret Judge Douglass letter. We are
anxious for the harmony and union Of
the entire party, We believe that it will
SUCCEED in 1860, and we should like 10
sec every friend Of democratic principles
support it.
E45- It is announced that Gen. James
II. Lape--better known as jim Lame
is about starting East on a lecturng tour
his subject being the late troubles in Kan
sas, of which he probably has as much per-
sonal knowledge as any other man living,
having been ono of the chief fomcnters
Of those troubles, and the most unscru-
pulous Of tho gang that committed 70
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