The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-30
IMPORTANT LETTER FROM JUDGE
DOUGLAS.

pearance In the National InteLtlgeIlcer and
Baltimore San on the oath. 1t will be seen
that the Illinois Senator declares formal war
against the favorite hobbies of Southern politi-
clans, the protection of Slavery in the Terrific
vival of the slave trade. He also declares that
he will not submit to the Interpolation into the
creed of the party I" the doctrine that the Con-
sttution of the United States either establishes
or prohibits Slavery in the Territories, beyond
the power of the people legally to control it as
other property"
WASHINGTON, June %, 1859.
Ny DEAR SIR | have received your letter,
inquiring whether my friends are at liberty to
present my name to the Charleston Convention
for the Presidential nomination. Before this
question can be finally determined, it will be
necessary to understand distinctly upon what
issues the canvass is to be conducted If as |
have fall faith they will, the Democratic party
shall determine in the Presidential election of
1860 to adhere to the principles embodied in
the compromise measures of 1850, and ratified
by the people in the Presidential election of
1852; and reaffirmed in the Kansas and Ne
braska act of 1854; and incorporated into the
Cincinnati platform in 1856, as expounded by
Mr.. Buchanan in his letter accepting the nom
nation, and approved by the people in his cleo
tion-in that event, my friends will be at liber-
ty to present my name to the Convention, If
they see proper to do so. If, on the contrary,
it shall become the policy Of the Democratic
party, which | cannot anticipate, to repudiate
these their time-honored principles, on which
we have achieved so many patriotic triumphs,
and in lieu of them the Convention shall inter
polate into the creed ofthe party such new issues
as the revival Of the African slave trade, or a
Congressional slave code for the Territories, or
the doctrine that the Constitution Of the United
States either establishes. or prohibits Slavery in
the Territories, beyond the power of the people
legally to control it as other property-it is due
to candor to say that, in such an event, could
not accept the nomination, if rendered to me-.
Trusting that this answer will be deemed suff-
GENTLY explicit, l am very respectfully, your
friend, S. A. DOUGLAS
j. B. Dorr, Esq, Dubuque, Io,oo.
This looks very well, but we regretted to OBJ
serve dispatch in the Baltimore San, from this
city, on the day following the publication of this
letter, stating that Mr.. Douglas, in a converse
ton with Southern gentleman, explains that he
will not finch from the support of the nominees
of the Charleston Convention, under any cir
cumstances. If this statement from friendly
source can be relied upon, we are to understand
Senator Douglas to this effect, viz That he
will not himself be the candidate of the party
if they engraft upon their platform the obnox-
ious doctrines which he condemns in the above
letter. but that he will cooperate in the election
of men pledged to carry them into effect. He is
opposed to a slave code and to the African slave
trade, but he will give them his support, rather
than quit the party.
1t is a fact worth mentioning in this connec-
ton, that in bringing this letter to the notice
of the public, Mr. Douglas has ignored his viii
lom metropolitan organ, the States. The letter.
as will be seen, was written on the 22d, and
was furnished to the httelligencer, a Wing
paper, and to the Baltimore Sum- a professedly
neutral paper, in each of which it appeared on
the oath, while the States of the previous
evening was permitted to go to press with
out ntimation that this new beam of light
had radated from the great luminary of which
it was supposed to be an humble satellite. On
the 18th, the States acknowledges its indebted
ness to another journal for sight of the letter.
1t says:
The following letter from Judge Douglas,
defining his position In regard to the Charles
ton Convention, appears in the columns of the
Baltimore San of this morning"
The letter is inserted in the States without
note or comment, a fact which it is fair to as
sumo may be attributed to want of sympathy
with its sentiments.
Now that Judge Douglas begins to look
| thuUar nd for pafl Nv nd he 6ooS
we'll to disconnect himself from journal which
is intensely and rabidly Pro-Slavery. But it is
singular that of three Democratic " organs in
Washington, not one of them was made the
medium of the publication of this letter.
ANOTHER CASE. Another case, which will
serve to show that Judge Taney's maxim is be
coming practical fact in the District of Co
lumbia, was reported in the local columns Of
the National Iatelltgencer on Friday last. The
reporter says:
Yesterday morning, Thomas C. Kirkley
was put to trial on charge of assault and bat
terry with intent to kill free negro boy, Charles
H. Dent, by him hired and employed, in hay
ing, in the words of the Indictment, inflicted
upon him the most inhuman and brutal treat
| menJ Inc ucituuduI was lOuuu RuHC1 VI TIC
assault and battery only. In passing sentence
on Kirkley, the Judge went into some descrip-
ton of what he called the extreme atrocity Of
the crime charged. 1t appeared from the evi-
dence that Dent, an indentured apprentice to
traverser, had had his hands tied behind him
and in that condition was severely beaten with
cowhide. He was subsequently tied up by
the neck with rope, exhibited in court) and
left for several hours, his feet barely touching
the foor in a state of great suffering His
cries at length reached the ears of neighbors,
who came to his assistance, and most likely, as
the Judge remarked, to save his life, then prob
ably not far from extinct. The Judge further
commented on a portion of the evidence ad-
duced on the trial, that Kirkley had, by dint Of
threats and terror, compelled white youth IN
his service to assume the crime against Dent
as his own, and, in fact, the youth did swear
before justice OF the peace that it was he, and
not Kirkley, who had injured Dent. kirkley,
therefore, added subornation of perjury to the
crime of which he had been convicted. Under
these circumstances, the Judge sentenced Kirk
ley to six months imprisonment IN The county
Jail, and to pay a fine of 800 The District
Attorney prayed Kirkley in commitment till the
FIRE shall be paid.p
We have still another in the same issue OF the