Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-07-15
political.
THE TRUE POSITION OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.


DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
The democratic party owes its past tri-
umphs and its present existence to its
national and conservative principles. All
other parties and organizations in our
country have sooner or later fallen under
the influence of fanatical or sectional
dogmas. 1t is question now to be de-
termined whether the democratic party
shall maintain its past character by ad.
herring to the line Of policy which has so
far proven the source of its safety and
its influence.
We had hoped that the question of
slavery, which has so. long divided and
distracted the country, was settled and
put at rest forever. 1t may he that there
are at present no practical issues before
the country; and yet the earnestncss
with which certain politicians are press
ing upon the public mind their peculiar
notions and views indicates great danger
to the future peace, harmony, and unity
of the democratic party.
On the one hand, Judge Douglas and
his friends demand at the hands of the
Charleston Convention that there shall
be incorporated into the platform of our
party by that body plain and unequivo-
cal recognition of the peculiar doctrines
held by that Senator in reference to the
question of slavery in the Territories. -
They demand that the Charleston Con-
vention shall unequivocally admit the
right of the first settlers of Territory
to decide the question whether or not a
southern man with his slave property
shall be permitted to go into that Terri
tory under the protection of the Consti-
tuition of the United States. In other
words, they demand that the national
democratic party shall solemnly announce
to the country that the power exists in a
territorial legislature to deprive the peo-
Pile of the southern States of the right
guaranteed to them by the Constitution
of going into such Territory with their
peculiar property.
What will be the result at Charleston
il the entire northern democracy should
unite with Judge Douglas and his friends
in making this demand p? They will
have majority of that Convention, and
will thereby be enabled to give character
to the platform which may be adopted
and by virtue of their numerical strength
can incorporate such principles as we
have referred to into the platform of the
party. But there will not be single
delegation from any southern State that
will consent to this doctrine, or co-ope-
rate in placing il into the platform, Nc
one knows better than Judge Douglas,
and those who are uniting with him in
urging this course of policy, that the
effect of success in this matter upon his
part would be to drive from the demo-
cratic party every southern State in the
Union. No man can doubt this result
who has been careful observer of the
progress of this question for the last few
years. Indeed, the action of every State
convention of the South, and of almost
every county meeting that has spoken
upon the subject, leaves no shadow of
doubt Of the truth of the statement we
have just made.
On the other hand, Gov. Wise and
his friends at the South demaLd that the
Charleston Convention shall recognise
the doctrine of congressional intervention
for the protection of slavery in the Ter
ritories. In other words, they call upon
the Charleston Convention clearly and
distinctly to place the democratic party
upon the principle that it is not only
right, but the duty of Congress to inter
vcne on the subject of slavery in the
Territories, and pass the necessary laws
for the protection of the STAKEHOLDER
when he goes with his property into such
Territories. Suppose Governor Wise
and his friends shall be enabled to unite
the entire southern democracy in the
support Of this demand upon the Charles
ton Convention, what will be the effect :?
Is there a single delegation from any
northern State :ha. will cooperate with
Gov. Wise and his friends in the effort
to incorporate this doctrine into our ma
tional platform We may with perfect
confidence declare that there will not be
found at Charleston single northern
delegation prepared to respond to this
demand Of the South.
This view of the question presents to
the national democracy the important
consideration, Should Judge Douglas
and his friends succeed in their efforts at
the North, and Gov. Wise and his friends
succeed in their efforts at the South, the
result will be that when the Convention
meets our party will find itself divided geo.
graphically and sectionally--the North
demanding squatter sovereignty, as held
and expounded by Judge Douglas and
bis friends, with the united South oppos-
ing It.; and the South demanding con-
gressional Intervention, as held by Gov.
Wise and his friends, and united North
opposing il. Thus arrayed against each
other, the inevitable result must be that
the party will be distracted and divided,
and must fall TO pieces If left in the hands
of these two antagonizing factions to de-
eide and control its future fate.
Is there no common ground upon which
the party North and South can stand a
united brotherhood, as 10 days that are
past and gone? Can il be possible that
the time has arrived when the northern
and southern democracy upon this long
mooted question are so irreconcilably
opposed 70 each other upon principle that
there can be no union, no harmony, no
concert Of action between them? If so.
VIC owe il TO truth, to candor, to patriot !