The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-06
The Wrangling Democracy-The Slavery
Question and the Charleston Convention.

limited engagements.
The wrnngling Democracy-The Slavery
Question and the Charleston Convention.
viii the democratic party be reunited or
finally broken to pieces at the Charleston Con-
vention? Will the elements of cohesion or of
dissolution there prevail? Has the party &C.
complshed the circle of its destiny and is it now
to 60 down like the old federal party, the old
republican party or the late great whig party,
or will it be reorganized at Charleston for q
new lease of power? We are daily strengthened
in the apprehension that its checkered and tur-
bulent career will be brought to a most igno-
minious end in 1860, upon the most miserable of
agitation.
Mr. Douglas has taken bis position, aud has
declared his ultimatum in reference to the
Charleston nomination. He will not accept it
unless bis favorte doctrine of Territorial popular
sovereignty over the subject of slavery is recog-
nizcd. Upon this ultimatum, too, from all that
we can hear of the intentions of Mr.. Douglas and
the movements of his friends, he is resolved upon
vigorous struggle in the Convention. Indeed,
we have heard it said that he expects to carry
down from the North an absolute majority into
the Convention, and as majority, we believe is
the rule of the party in reference to the platform,
"the Little Giant" will only need majority to
dictate the law upon which the candidate Of the
party will have to stand.
Gov. Wise, with equal emphasis, has taken
bis ground, and in direct opposition to Douglas
The Governor demands the recognition by the
Charleston Convention of the power and the duty
ofCoDgress to protect elave property in the Ter
ritories, and the rights of shareholders as the
owners of such property, wherever ''unfriendly"
local legislation on the part of the squat.ers may
call for tho interpolation nf CnnsrosS-
Occupying the place Of mediator between the
adherents Of Douglas and Wise, Mr.. Senator
Hunter of Virginia proposes an armistice He
believes in the power and duty Of Congress in
the premises as laid down by Chief Justice fancy
in his opinion On the bred Scott case; he never
has shown any very marked degree of respect
for "squatter sovereignty y but still, Mr.. Hunter
thinks that, as it would be dangerous to attempt
to thrust upon the Northern democracy the plat
Southern democracy the ultimatum of Douglas,
the best way ia to shirk the issue to say nothing
about it, but to fall back upon the Cincinnati
platform, which admits of both interpretations.
This game Of cutting in between the two ex-
tremes is no new thing with Mr.. Hunter. As a
sort Of neutral Or compromise man, he was once
elected Speaker Of the House of Representatives
at Washington. But we fear that upon this
present issue the lines between the contesting
factions are too tightly drawn to admit of any
such accommodation.
From the dic!atorial tone of the Douglas
manifesto, and from the latest explana-
tons received concerning 1t, we must
make up our minds to the fact that, instead of
declining the honors of the Charleston Conven-
ton, be feels strong enough to speak as master,
ard intends to exercise over 1t masters au-
thority. On the other hand, no man can uaisan-
derstand the programme Of Governor Wise. Ex-
pecting that in 1860, as heretofore, the Southern
wing Of the party will control the Convention,
the Governor boldly throws himself into the
camp of the winning side; and, as he is not tie
man to play second fiddle even to the beat of
Southern abstractionists, he who was but the
other day the solitary Southern champion of
Douglas ard 'squatter sovereignty" is now the
Southern standard bearer of Congressional legis-
lation for slavery in the Territories.
We spprehen6, too, that in this new Southern
experiment Governor Wise has correctly cam
vassed the prevailing tone and temper of the
fhofn 4aprn Tn oil tl,o
there are only two democratic papers, we be-
leve, that pretend to support the present position
of Senator Douglas-the Louisville Democrat and
the Mobile Regiser-and the editor of the Ps1is,er
has taken this course of late, not from his admira-
ton of "squatter sovereignty" but from his per-
scnal hostility to Mr.. Buchanan Indeed the pre-
vailing Southern democratic sentiment on this
subject of slavery in the Territories is so intensely
hostile to any other doctrine than that of Cover
nor Wise, that Mr. Buchanan in that quarter is
now frequently assailed as faithless to Southern
lights in failing to prosecute the war for the ex
termination Of Douglas and his followers
1t is thus abundantly manifest that between
the Northern democracy aud the Southern de-
mocracy at Charleston, upon this miserable alb
straction touching slavery IN the Territories
there ia every prospect Of a decisive rupture and
dissolution Of the party. Indeed, it is the wish
and the purpose Of not few of the Southern de-
mocratic leaders to bring about this dissolution.
Their programme is-Grst, purely sectional Or
ganization of parties; and secondly, violent
sectional agitation, under cover of which the
excited people Of the South may be hurried
beadlcne into the rash extremities of secession
and Southern confederacy.
Thus &c n9y account for tho i,diFa-er,, All