The Evansville daily journal., 1859-04-08
p@- Considerable indignation has been

p1 Considerable indignation has been
manifested by Col. Forney, and other adhe-
rents of Mr.. Douglas, at the course pursued tei
by Mr.. Buchanan since his Inauguration as
President After careful review OF the
campaign of 1856, and a re-examlnation OF
the platforms and positions assumed oy the
leaders and organs of the Democracy In the
different parts of the country, IN that year,
we cannot say that the wholesale abuse of
Mr.. Buchanan is by these gentlemen is alto
gether Just. They assert that Mr.. Buchanan
has violated his pledge, has betrayed the
Democracy of the North, and totally ruined
the future prospects of the party. Let us
see how this is. --.......-...
We think no one-who has not permitted
his prejudices to run away with his judg-
ment-will deny, after due investigation,
that there was radical difference between
the Northern and Southern wings of the
Democrecy-both advocating Mr.. Buchan-
ans election-in the construction upon the
Cincinnati platform. In the North it was
maintained that the people, while in ter
ritorial capacity, might prevent slavery
from being introduced into territory. On
the other hand, Southern politicians assert
ed that the Constitution of the United States
protected slave property in all the territories
of the government, and no act of the people
could prevent Southern planter from ta-
king his slaves with him into the territory
OF interfere. with them SO long as it remained
a territory.
Mr. Buchanan was considered as endors-
ing both of these antagonistic views, and
was, consequently, elected. When it be-
came necessary to put Democratic theories
into practice, he was forced to choose bes
tween the Southern and Northern construc-
ton. AS the South constitutes, in great
measure, the Democratic party-that organ
ization being in hopeless minority in the
Northern States-Mr. Buchanan did not
long hesitate on which side to throw his in
fuence. Here are two opinions, the oppo-
site of one another; the one advocated by
the Democratic party, South, representing
fifteen States, and the other advocated by
the Democratic party, North, backed up by
fUe States. The question is, which divis-
ion could most appropriately style itself the
party-the free State wing or the slave I?
If the slave States, wherin lays the strength
of that organization, then Mr.. Buchanan isa
bona fde Democrat, and, instead of abandon,
ing and betraying the party, as Mr.. Forney
accuses him, he is still true to the faith a:
set forth by majority portion of his party
and Messrs. Douglas and Forney are the de
serters. The difficulties of the Democracy
have grown out of the double construction
of the Cincinnati platform, and not out o
anyrecreaney on the part of the ADMINISTERS
ton. The very instrumentalities used to at
tain success in 1856, contained the seeds of /
coming crop of defeats. A success gained
by temporizing, and drawing up ambiguoul
platforms, capable of all kinds of censtruc
tions, is never permanent and is alway:
prolific of trouble. In the face of the bite
experience of the last four years, we shal
look with considerable interest for the plat
form to be promulged by the Charleston
Convention in 1860.