Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-07-02
From the 4Et,u T:rI Times.
MIR. DOUGLAS AND TIE; PE:s7sy
EsINCT.

MIR. Douglas has issued his proclamation
Of policy for the Charleston Convention. It
Contains nothing to start!c his friends no.
thing to e'ate his cncmies In tone and
style it is certainly Il very happy evasion of
the Scylla and Chary bdis of American pub
Tic men steering for the White House
being neither vague nor Wanting, but clear,
consistent with the latest public convictions
Of the Illinois Senator, and temperatcly firm.
lad MIR. Doug as always spoken and writ :
ten IN the vein of the letter which, we pub
lish to-day, he might have been, perhaps,
less notable as q Western politician, but he
certainly would have been stronger as an
! american statesman than he actually is.
Nir. Douglas consents to be a candidate at
Charleston should his friends think it alyi-
sable TO bring him forward there tut only
upon conditions and upon conditions which
he Goes not leave to conjecture. If the
Democratic party at Charleston in conyen.
! ton assembled mean to adopt the revival
the African Slave-trade, the extension and
protection OF slavery in the. Territories by
Congrcasiona! legislation, and the conse
quent destruction Of the doctrine of Popular
Sovereignty as integral parts Of it's platform.
then Mr.. l.ouglas vii, decline 70 stand on
that platform. This resolution Mr. Douglas
has already repeatedly announce. hin,Selfto
nav unasterabiy taken, and it is resolution
as sound and patriotic IS it is shr.wd and
polite: it would De ungracious to dwell
upon the fact that Mr. Douglas once cleya.
tea upon such platform in Caroline. need
never Dc a. the pains to attempt to descend
; from 1t in Illinois or New York. The Dem
ocratic Party is in precisely the same cate
cory, and this Mr.. Douglas very well knows
But whether the party leaders at the South
as well as at the North, will recognize this
truth in time to make a nomination of Mr..
Douglas at Charleston even imaginable. is
by no means so clear.
here can be no question, however, as to
the consequence Of any failure on their mar.
TO make this recognition. If the Democrats
OF 1860 suffer themselves to be mis|cd nv
the extreme Southern wing of their party.
INTO what is falsely regarded as a tr,;y
Southern policy Of Congressional SOVEREIGN
". to ne welded BY Southern influence they
will not merely fling themselves upon some
nomination involving their utter ruin a: !,
party, but they will involve the South with
them in gravcr pe'rls than any that have vet
beset our political system. IF the victory
of the Republican party, as party were the
most one thing nceiful fn: the restoration o.
sound principles "e government at Washing
toa. and throughout The country, we could
ask nothing better than the rejection by the
Charleston Democratic Convention Of Mr.
Douglas doctrines, as laid down in this let
ter. Those doctrines are the last hope o
the Democracy for national triumph. \Vc
are inclined to regard them also, as in this
instance, forlorn hope.
The sharp line drawn by Mr.. Douglas 70,
the defence Of his very existence asa North
ern statesman. will not, VIC opinc be accent.
ed at Charleston as the recessarv boundary
of Democratic doctrine Il will be over
passed, and the machinery Of party will be
Expected to make tho organization. of the
Northern Democracy available in any even,
iof the conventional discussions. The OK
pectation will be disappointed! Mr. Doug
las, not receiving the nomination on his O ",
basis, Will be Strong enough in the conven.
ton, throu ii the prime pic he represents
and the power that they control, to force 8
Schism, and we shall see the las, of this ne Is
and monstrous outSrowth Of our system, the
great Party Conventions, which have grad
,latly substituted an irresponsible college Q
Presidential electors for The nominating &C
} ton ct the people contemplated by the Con
jsiitutlon, anil erected within the forms Of til,
Republic, practica! ol;yarchy-all the more
(dc'cstab'e that its elements are variable arc
shifting, its authority inpa)pable, and it.
ambitions elabo'a:cly vulgar H.