The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-27

Democratic Movement.
A Washington despatch, which we lay before
our readers this morning, discloses the leading
points of new and most important programme
in behalf of the disjointed democratic party. Re-
duced to few words, this programme compre-
bends party compromise on the question of
slavery in the Territories, whereby the South is
to drop the demand for Congressional protection,
and Mr.. Douglas his hobby Of squatter sove-
reignty, both sides agreeing to the doctrine of
non-intervention and to the exclusive super
vision VI Tie Supreme Court. Secondly, Two
democratic National Conventions in 1S6O--the
first to fix up the platform and the party re-
organization, and the second, some months later,
to nominate the democratic ticket.
The simplicity, the novelty, the sagacity and
the expediency of this plan Of operations must be
conceded on all hands. If upon any programme
the disorganized democracy can be reunited, it
is upon this. Southern democrats can never
agree to the doctrine of Mr.. Douglas that while
they have the right to take their slaves into any
Territory of the Union the safety of that sort of
property must depend upon the local police regu-
Iations of the squatters. Nor do we suppose that
Mr. Douglas and his adherents will agree, in any
event, to the extreme Southern doctrine that it is
the duty Of Congress to pass special code Of
laws for the protection Of slavery in the Terri
tories Az we understand it, the power Of Con-
gress over the Territories is supreme within the
limits Of the bred Scott decision), and thus Con-
gress, in its discretion, may pass Or refuse to
pass slave code for the Territories.
The ingenuity and the simplicity, therefore
of this reported basis Of a compromise between
the Douglas and the anti-Douglas democracy
upon this subject cannot be surpassed. Its prac-
teal operation would be to leave slavery un-
touched in every Territory until it shall enter
into a State organization, when the people,
through their Constitutional Convention, will
have full authority to make the State free State
or slave State. In party view, The two ex-
tremes upon this subject can only agree upon
this plan of leaving slavery in the Territories un
touched by Congress and by local Legislation.
True, this policy ght nulify the late act of the
Legislature Of New Mexico for the protection of
slavery in that Territory; but that affair is
mere bagatelle to the democracy compared With
the great object of settling among themselves
these foolish distractions of Squatter Sove-
reignty va. Congressional Protection.
The Cincinnati Convention positively fixed
upon Charleston as the place for the party Presi-
Dental Convention of 1860, but the time Is not yet
determined. A committee was appointed to ap-
point another committee TO name the day; but,
if this second committee was also appointed, we
have forgotten the fact. In any event, as
Charleston is to be the place, the time cannot
safely be delayed beyond the latter part of April
or the FIRST half of May, on account of the dan.
gers Of the climate. The strangers fever, if we
are not mistaken, begins to devolope itself in
the latter part Of May at Charleston, and that
dreadful visitor yellow jack" sometimes is
found there in June. Concluding, then, that
the Charleston Convention will be called TO-.
eether early in May, 1860, viii It not be too
early for the Convention to make clean work of
the business before them platform, ticket and
all?
The new Congress meets In December rext-.
the long session. 1t may, and most probably
will, be protracted till July or August, 1860
Certainly we may expect to find II ia full blast
simultaneously with the Charleston Convention;
and as the leading democrats in Congress will
be the managers Of the Convention, they may
not be allowed by the opposition in Congress the
time required to patch up treaty Of peace, aud
to shelve all the impracticable contrasting candi-
dates for the Presidential nomination. In this
view, the proposition to held second Conven-
ton sk~ the adjournment Of Congress, to nomi-
nate the democratic candidate, becomes emf
renily advisable.
The expsdan. VIII afford many advantages to