The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-05

publican party, than with the sham Democracy
Here, then, are four Democratic platforms
all claiming to be the true and regular one, anC
each differing from the other.
/. There is the Presidents platform, as an
nouneed in his organ, the Constitution, which
declares that neither Congress nor the Terri
torial Legislatures have any right to establish
or prohibit Slavery. 1t is silent as to the re
vival of the African slave trade.
2. The Wise or true Southern platform
which insists that it is the duty of Congress tC
pass laws for the protection of Slavery in the
Territories, and to abolish the laws which pro
hibit and punish the African slave trade.
3. The Douglas platform, which insists thai
the Territorial Legislatures may adopt un
friendly legislation against Slavery, but which
he at the same time admits to be unconstitu
tional, and therefore void. His central organ
nterprets the doctrine of Mr. Douglas to mean
that the Territorial Legislatures may exercise
their popular sovereignty by establishing and
UNFOLDING Slavery while any unfriendly
legislation will be treated as a nullity by the
Federal courts. The same organ insists that
the South has a right to demand the repeal OF
the laws against the slave trade.
A. The Hickman-Forney platform, which
insists on popular sovereignty absolutely, and
favors the exclusion of Slavery from the Terri
tories. 1t also insists on a rigid enforcement
of the laws which punish the slave trade as
piracy.
Each of these factions denounces all the
others with extreme bitterness The Hickman
Forney faction occupies the untenable position
of affecting to claim Mr.. Douglas as its leader,
when, in fact, he has more sympathy with the
most ultra Southern wing represented by Wise
Davis, and Brown, than with the Free-Soil schis-
MATES of Pennsylvania. The latter cannot
support Douglas without a fragrant apostacy
from the principles laid down at their recent
State Convention, while the other three wings
of the Democracy might with perfect conssten.
cy unite in support of the Illinois Senator.
Since writing the above, we perceive, by the
Washington correspondent of the New Yorl,
Herald, that negotiations are on foot between
the different factions Of the " Democracy" foI
a reunion on the basis Of the Presidents plat
form as above given; that is to say, entire alb
stinenee from Congressional and Territorial
legislation for or against Slavery, but with the
ample protection to the institution furnished by
the bred Scott decision, and the future action
of the court in accordance Herewith 1t is
said by the HeraldS correspondent that Mr.
Douglas has assented to this arrangement; but
whether Mr.. Wise and the Southern ultras agree
to it. is not stated. We presume that thus far
the arrangement only includes the Administra
ton and Douglas The writer says that Forney
holds out against it, but that he will either have
to come in, or 90 over to the Republicans.
These diplomats, we predict will still have
serious work to perform, before they restore
harmony to the ranks. They may induce the
Southern fire-easters to yield the point in re-
gard to the protection of Slavery in the Terrific
ries by Congressional legislation, as that is at
best an impracticable humbug; but what will
they do with the slave trade? VIII they agree
to let the laws against it sleep? We intend
strictly to observe the tone of the allied organs
of the Black Democracyin this respect. The as
surance has been given by Douglas, that he viii
not sustain the people of the Territories in en-
acting unfriendly legislation against Slavery
while the Administration pledges Federal sup
port, including that of the Supreme Court, t.
the institution and we shall not be surprised
if private assurances are given that no seriou.
efforts will he made to enforce the laws for tn,
suppression Of the slave trade.
Such are the known and probable terms o
coalition between the corrupt and spois-seeking
factions Of the Slave Democracy. 1t would be
difficult to imagine basis of union more thor
oughly Pro-Slavery. Conscious that the major
ity of the people who are likely to occupy the
Territories in future will be averss to Slavery
this platform proposes to strip them entirely o.
legislative functions in regard to Slavery, that
subject being entirely too high for popular SOW
ercigns to dispose of. If this statement of the
Herald turns out to be correct, it will finally
dispose Of Mr.. Douglass pOpular-soyeroignty
hobby; or, at any. rate, deprive him of the ben
eft of it. He will simply drop down to the leve
of other Northern instruments of the Slave
Power, and be as impotent for evil as he is dis
inclined to good.