The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-15
A DOUGLAS DODGE THE CRY oF
STOP THIEF.

STOP THIEF.
The Washington States, which supports for
the Office of President man who is denounced
| by the leading organs of the Southern slave
holding Democracy as a Free-Soiler, a traitor,
and publisher of incendiary essays, endeavors
to divert the public attention, and make its
candidate less odious, by raising hue and cry
after Mr.. Seward. Day after day, it discOurses
upon the irrepressible conflict" and appeals
to the Southern Democracy to declare in favor
of open rebellion, in the event of Mr.. Seward s
election to the Presidency! This is cool Now,
mark what the South says Of Senator Douglas,
through its accredited organs. The Richmond
Enquirer, the leading paper of the South, says
/" So far, then, as the great question of prin-
ciple involved is concerned, there is no material
difference between Mr. Douglas and Mr.. Sew
ard. Both deny the inalenabe right of the
citizens Of each State to enjoy, on territory
common to all the States, every species of prop
erty which any citizen may lawfully hold with
in the limits of any one of the States. Mr.. Sew
ard attributes the power to abrogate this right
to great Federal legislative body where the
attempt would be met with the strenuous oppo-
sition of full body of Southern Representa-
tives, whose action and elaboration are con-
slant subjects of watchful attention and Jealous
comment to the whole people of the Union.
Mr.. Douglas attributes the same power to iso-
lated and obscure local authorities, among
whom the shareholders of the Union may be
altogether excluded, even from partial repre-
sentation, whose members and constituencies
are comparatively irresponsible.
Certainly, Mr. Douglass doctrine is equally
| 81 in tbaorv NTH that of NJ
and much more easily reduced to practical
adoption"
The Enquirer of the 7th September CON
cludes another long article, upon Mr.. Doug
lass essay in Harpey's Magazine, as follows
" Mr. Douglass essay can be regarded in no
other light than as an incendiary document
calculated to produce nothing less than repe.
4 tition of the anarchy and bloodshed which has
/ lately disgraced the soil cur Territories. We
| publish it only for the purpose of pointing out
its errors, and of warning the conservative men
1 of the whole country against this last and most
dangerous phase which Anti-Savery agitation
/ has yet assumed"
The Tuskegee Ala Democrat, at the close
Of an article on the subject of the next Presi,
dency, says:
I'VE might gain a victory with Douglas, but
| it would be at the loss Of our own independence
and selfrespect; we would again invite fresh
aggressions by voluntarily compromising what
we hold to be our constitutional rights. Let it
/ be known that the South will not be held to
the support of even the Charleston nomination,
unless the nominee and platform be both &C,
ceptable - let the Southern people take this
position, and maintain it and it may then be
/ true, that our Northern brethren, seeing that
we are determined, may give us our rights
But should they still refuse and still persist in the
ruinous work of destroying the integrity and va
lidity of the Constitution, let it be borne in mind
that we hare acknowledgements but effectual-
the remedy Of secession. Though defeated by
the Black Republicans, yet our condition would
even then be preferable to that of success under
/ the leadership of Douglas for we could then,
with Just reasons, resort to that remedy; but
the success with Douglas would pledge us to
the continuance of the Union upon the humil
| iating terms which he proposes"
| The Clayton (Ala.) Banner, also Demo
cratic paper, uses the following language:
! Availability Oh, thou cursed exigency !
how often hast thou supplied us with rulers |
| 1t is poor plea to set up, that if Douglas is
not elected, some Abolition list will be. Where
can we find worse enemy han Douglas No
where -not even in the ranks of the black
hearted Abolition party itself There is some
thing manly in their opposition to us, however
much we may despise it. For honesty, integ-
rity, faithfulness of political purpose, Seward,
! Hale Giddngs, Greeley oy any other of the
most desperate Abolitionst. known to us, rank
far ahead of Douglas
The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser, the cen
trail organ of the Alabama Democracy, of the
| 9TH has an article headed "Who is Stephen
A. Douglas ?" In answer to the question, it
says, among other things, that
The Administration and the Democratic
party were about to achieve a triumph, and
Kansas was on the eve Of admission. But in
that critical moment, there was one man who,
contrary to the expectations of those by whom
he had been petted and pr sed, deserted the
party which had been accustomed to look up
to him as a leader, and three the weight of his
great talents on the side of n. foes. There was
one man who leagued bimsI with the enemies
of the South and the Constipation, in order to
perpetrate monstrous wroT<y on the country
There was one man who identified himself with
the Black Republicans, and went over with
his little clique of FreeS Sellers to the ranks of
the enemy. That man was Stephen A. Doug
las, of Illinois. His treason was successful
the Administration was defe ated, and the Lee
compton Constitution rejected. But his de-
ty which he had deserted, and the Southern
people whom he had outraged and betrayed.
A mark of shame, like the glaring infamy Of
the Scarlet Letter, had been fastened upon the
South, and she demanded that he who had
been foremost in the act Of wrong should be
driven from the party which depended upon
her aid for its greatest triumphs. And he lods
expelled from the party"
The Aississippidn the leading paper in the
State, and the organ of Jefferson Davis, habit
ually speaks of Mr.. Douglas in opprobrious
terms, calling him Free Soier, a traitor,
deserter, &c. Indeed, this is the general tenor
of Southern newspapers of both parties; and it
is only in few exceptional cases, that leading
but disappointed Democrats" in the South
speak of him with respect, and express a will
ingness to support him for the Presidency.
The hue and cry attempted to be raised by the
Washington States against Seward and " Sew
ardism," is mere ruse, intended to relieve the
odium of Douglas, by bringing into view an
'other man whom it believes to be still more
odious. But we have shown, in the above ex-
tracts, that of the two, the South prefers Mr..
Seward
Mr.. Douglas will have a majority of the
Northern delegates to the Charleston Conven.
ton on his side, but they will not dare to put
him in nomination, against the almost unani-
nous South. 1t is well known that the strength
of the party ia in the South that neither Mr..
Douglas nor any other man of his party stands
any chance to carry any one of the States which