Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-08-04
The Democratic Party.


Upon tie subiec, Of this strange conglom-
e-stion, The National Intelligencer proceeds
to inform an inquirer as follows:
I'm many Of our Southern Democratic
contemporaries we read af .iSoufhsra Rights
Democrats" as conrradistingushed from
"Aationai d. mocrats;" of "Admin nstrat;on
democrats" in opposition to douglas
Democrats o. Democrats who favor the
leading measures Of Mr.. Buchanan, aud OF
Democrats who denounce them as the of
spring Of worse than 'H1milronisn Feder-
slism." At the North we have Democrat.
Of every variety OF shade, created by the
greater OF less degree in which their COM
plexioD is colored BY what is called "Le-
comptonisn," in the late political parlance
of the day. Democrats who favored the
admission Of Kansas into the Union under
the Lecompton Constitution are sternly at
variance with Democrats who repudiated
that instrument as fraud upon popular
rights. Democrats who voted for the
"EDglish conference bill'' fikd it difficult to
harmGni1e with those who look upon that
~tempofizing expedient" with positive dis
respect. Time and patience would fail US
il we should undertake to tell of Demo-
Gratis who are in favor of free trade and d.
rect taxation; Democrats who in Louisiana
are in favor of both these desiderata,
but nevertheless think sugar entitled to some
protection; Democrats in Pennsylvania
who are willing TO make large concessions
on other points if only the duty on iron be
Kept sufficiently specific; Democrats in Ken
tn:ky who think that Mr. Clay Is "American
system" was usry mistaken theory of po-
h,ical economy, but who hold that tax on
imported hemp is highly expedient and con-
stitutional; Democrats in New England
Gmmodere,e in their demands because
modest in their numbers) who think that
"the textile fabrics" should be treated with
some consideration by those who 2a,roniza
sugar in Louisisna, iron in Pennsylvania,
and hemp in Kentucky, but who still are
willing to sacrifice large per cen,age for
the sake Of "harmony."
rand thea, too, we have Democrats who
favor nternalinprovements,a and Democrats
who denounce them as nnconstitntional;
Democrats who think the public lands should
be disposed Of as speedily as possible by a
general homestead bill, and Democrats who
pronounce this policy unwise and (not TO
put too fue point onit) "demagogical and
sgrarian;" Democrats who espouse Dir.
Clay's plan OF 'distribution,r and democrats
who denounce the scheme as rank poll
teal heresy; democrats who believe in the
gospel of f.libusterism. and democrats who
sustain the neutrality laws; democrats who
advocate the revival of the slave trade, and
democrats who vote it TO be unwise, mex
pediert, and contrary to the settled policy
of the country"
dAt present our democratic friends in all
parts Of the country se,m to be particularly
exercised by certain divisions growing out
of wha, is called the "new dogma"-being G
the definition of the duty enjoined by the
Constitution of the United States on the
National Legislature in The matter of the
protection which slave property is entitled
TO claim in the common Territories OF the
Union. As this is question which has
been raised between different wings of the
democratic party, in consequence OF their
differing interpretations of the Kansas Ne
braska bill and the Cincinnati platform, it
might be deemed imperiinent for US to ex-
press any opinion upon documents seen to
be SO recondite and obscure even in the
hands of their authors. And as the con-
tsoversy on this subject is purely family
quarrel among the harmonious democracy,
we may draw from certain hcmely proverbs
a prudent moral in warning against any at
tempts on our part to reconcile the parties
to these conflicting interpretations of the
family dialect. 1t is question with which
we have no other concern than that which
attaches to the function of the political his
torian, called to record for the benefit OF
curious inquirers, like our Kentucky friend,
the nice refinements of Etigious temper
brought to the discussion of supersensuous
abstractions. For this reason, and for the
behooi of those who cannot be expected TO
feel lively interest in political questions
which have no practical siguifirances, we
shall perhaps undertake. at future day, 10
place more prominently before our readers
the history and purport of the "new dogma
which is at present perplexing the minds of
az