Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-06-08
For the indicator.


1t seems TO be growing belief in TINS ne,enpoa-
h2od and you sir am sorry to see, are 4.
(kSnestiy no doubt) to create the inPresn :t
the opponents Of sQuatter sovereignty ~ u rs go
emtodiment were mainly Instruments ia otinglns
about that result SO much to be dePioreo ny every
Democrat and lover of his country: iii an
Il take issue With you this point, anu wan en
dearor to state IS coneisely as Pos;,Die NJ
.sfvr the faitn which is within me- H.
sfr.,hr first place, some two years ago, Juoge
pon.i.. entered into o bitter feud with Damo,
or.tc d n,inistration, which has made useless II,
the .sdiretui spring of woes unnumoereo u .ae
Ih.mocrstic party. will not stop To enquire VINO
was right or wrong in that struggle; VIII not ~
tempt to judge between Lecompton anu anuAe
c.mntop but will only express my curiosity 10
know how the gentleman who pressed congress 70
go behind and reverse the action OF Convention
Of an inchoate State, reconcies that position WIN
his present rampant non-nterv'huon vie"s:I
Ayain some twelve months ago, Mr.. Douglas with
an arrogance heretofore unheard Of In an asplrant
far the Democratic Presidential nomination, pre-
suned to dictate his platform to the party, kindly
eonseanng to rule over u' Tor the next Iour years
in accordance with those views, but stoutiy reus-
inv the nomination if the Convention IN Its lnso-
lent disregard OF the self-consritated dictator OF
the Democracy sll uld decide TO frame save
ccdo" for the territories, as he sneerin9ly oenol
mated congressional Intervention ior Tie pFoIeceon
OF slave property IN the territories
Thus We see that two years ago. Juage Dousias
for tria,ng aase. divided and distracted the Dem
ocrauc party (for whether the Kansas Lecompton
n,nst,tut.ou was Just or unjust, whether Congress
had right to Interfere and disregard and reverse
the action OF legally constituted convention I"f
the /, aiming of State Constitution or not the al
mission of * uader that CONSTITUTION would
have suited in injury te one, dlsastetul to
she people. IL coud be changed by the popular vote
ut any I,ne.) And we also see that twelve months
before the meeting of the Charleston Convention,
Mr., Douglas had pres nsed the squatter sovereign
ty issue to the south FAIRLY and sqaarey, and fair
n aud squarely We had to meet it Or surrender ev
cry thing.
Again: The Democracy North and South have
agreed that when territory proposed to enter the
Union State, it had right to establish or pro-
Aibt slavery a ina jerlty of its people chose
WHY then in the name OF exprdiency, iii the name
of common sense, al the name OF the harmony OF
the Democratic party and the country, does Mr..
Douglas pei sst in venting the territorial legislature
with power which We are all agreed the constitu-
tional convention OF the territory is clothed
: But Mr.. douglas and Ills friends especially those
who vegetste South OF Ma. on and Dlxon's line. as
sumo tc treat the. whole question AZ an empty ab-
straction of no practical effect either Tor against
the South; either for against the North. 30 much
tie .Oorss for them. so mach the he;noas he;r
asa. How dare they force a useless and abstract
question of no practical Importance upon the De-
r,ocracy, dstracting the party even to disruption
snd threatening the Union' What excuse will
they give to this and succeeding generations for
thus wantonlv crifcing the only National party,
for thus madly i,opardizing the existence ot the
most beautiful stem OF government the world has
Sver seen?
The difference between us of the South and Mr..
Douglas and his friends, is that toe are willing to
disband the democratic party-to burst the bonds
which bind these States in Onion-to shake this
Government from turret to foundation, in defence
of principle which beliere to be Of vital i'm
pnrtance to the South and its institutions. and in
opposition to policy which in opinion is
pregnant with the doom of our section, while they
are ready to sever the Democratic party--to en-
danger the Unoa--to ,ubve the Constitution, (tor
many of them, yourself among the number, ackauwl-
edge that the opinion OF the Supreme Court express
cd extra udicaliy, is with us) upon an Issue which
they themselves have pronounced an empty ana mis-
cradle abstraction.
But my principle objec. in writing this article
was to comb at the Tin my opiuion) erroneous idea
Of Mr. Douglas availability, which seems 10 be his
tuwer Of strength in the South. In the Convention
learn from speech Of the Hon. B. +. Butler, OF
Nj ass achusetts, Douglas Democrat, representing
Douglas consttmency, that the bare maj ority of
Mr. Douglas WAS 'fmore apparent than real" Ii
you will publish the extract from his speech which
/ sppsnd. you will oblige me much, and save me
the trouble of embcdying his reasons for this be-
lief.
In regard to his strength before the people, we
have the stubborn fact staring in the ace of six
Democratic States seeding from the Convention,
and decla Ing their determination not t" support
squatter sovereign man sQuatter sOvereig n
platform. l know it has become the fashion for the
Douglas men to aihrm that the seeding delega-
tlo.s did not represent their constituency! What
more right have YOU. sir to saw that those tnsrWct
e3 gentlemen who seeded in obedience to their in
structinns, did not represent their constituency,
than they have 10 say that you and your colleague,
who ii instructed at all, acted in coufict with your
instructions. cid nos represent your people. No.
sir, those delegates did represent the people Tho
sent them tn tie Convention! 1t is hardly pro5a-
p bis that District Convention should be pack
ca AS to send delegates to National Convention to
ierepreSet the sentiment OF the people OF the dis
trict,--it is hardly possible that whole State
Oh Grb vJ.,ia t6 hA n mis-
risant th.n, Convention Dat it is too much fer
hunaT credulity to believe the remarkable coinci.
dent Of ssr States mi representing their people at
Charleston If you convince Inc Of the existence of
chi. monstrous fact, then am convinced thai Con-
ventons sturendous fraud on the people
wrong in theory aud infamous in practice. But
think it will not be denied by any candid man that
$hose States which seeded are uncompromlsngly
opposed to Douglas. and squatter sovereignty.-
Then where is his strength II cannot BIZ in the
other Southern States, for though large MAORI
IL OF the Democratic party will sustain him if nom
. mated. yet there is respectable minority. suit
Gent frmly believe, in many Democratic States
TO .urn the seal against him.
Will he carry naang OF the Northern States which
went for Fremont in Sc? think not. Will he
with his low, tariff views, find favor with the iron
interest OF Pennsylvania That too, | think, is
doubtful.
Lastly, he carry Democratic Illinois? Ii
reasoning from the past is legitimate l can hardly
doubt every candid mind will decide that the
chances are against him; in 80, in the midst Of the
AecomptOn excitement when the whole North vel
coined him As its great Democratic champion (aud
when too be first distinctly affirmed his squatter
theory sweet to Northern paiates,) when he had
an opportunity to bring all his tremendous powers
AZ popular debater and stump orator to bear
the canvass, he was beaten before the people by
majority Of fre thousand. Besides the facts which
have cited. there ID an administration party not
to be dispsed in every Northern State, justly in
censed with Judge Douglas and uncompromsingly
opposed to his ASPIRATIONS
After this brief and imperfect survey Of the field,
ask is the nomination OF Mr. Douglas expedent
II bis article is already longer than had intend
&c, but cannot conclude without al vertng to one
other subject. which more nearly concerns this dis
trict.
. You have given two reasons why you and your
colleague determined to break the unity Of the Vir-
Rinia delegation at Charleston LIST, because you
believed Judge Douglas to be the real choice OF
your constituency. I'd. because the unit system
bore oppreesiveiy upon Western Virginia. For
your former reason if it be true, you believe that
Dir Douglas is the choice OF this district, you act
ed very inconsistentlv in pledging yourself before
the District Convention to vote for Mr.. Hunter as
and for your second, pardon me if assert that to
sstatlish the existence of the fact you have brought
no particle of proof or argument.
But let the facts be as they may let me ask sha
the unity OF the Virginia Delegation be broken for
tine purpose of placing the most distinguished dis
trict OF the Commonw ealththe renUw ned Teuth Lee
giOn- prominently before the country in opposition
to what many, very many, Southern statesmen be-
leve to be h. best interests of this section? Sha II
all the ancient usages and land marks of the vir-
ginia Democracy be swept away for the purpose of
ing South platform and man peculiarly obnox-
ions TO herf am cure if the voice NJ tho Gallant