The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-08-29
% ADDRESS TO THE
Democracy and the People of the
g United States,
BY TIE
National Democratic Executive
Committee.

30 NATIONAL DEMocRATIc EXECUTIVE
5 COMMITTEE Rooms, % AZ Street, :
ssIa Washington City, July, 1860 )
To the Democracy and The People Of the Unit
FELLOW CtTIzENs: The election Of the mex
President and Vice President Of the Unite
States is at hand Four distinct organization
are in the field. The Republican party hakn
bold and open war upon the institutions of fif
teen sovereign States ofthis Unien. Tic Con
stitutional Union party, repudating all plat
forms and standing simply on the catch word
Constitution and the Union" Two parties
each calling itself Democratic; one, however
following the fortunes of one man, Mr.. Douglas
and differing from the Republicans in making
insidious, instead Of open, war upon the South
The other, standing inne&ibly on the Consti
tuition Of the country makes no concealtnehts
. as to its Interpretation of that instrument, IFS
rallying cry being the equality OF the States-
We purpose, calmly and imparlally, to survey
the field, and to give the reasons why the latter
party should be considered as the Democratic
party, and how the dearest interests Of country,
race. and Of human progress, are concerned in
its success.
Why is it that the Democratic party is dis
rupted, and its wings arrayed in bitter opposi-
tion to each other? Why is it that the yeter-
ans who achieved its timc-honored tiiumphs no
longer move with the old energy and harmony
to meet the antagonists they have 50 often de-
feated? ~ What frebrand has been thrown into
their midst lighting up intestine fires, and
consuming as with asdevouring fame? Let the
plain, unvarnished record answer. Ea
In 1856 the Democratic party, after most
bitter contest, elected James Buchanan Presi-
dent, and John c. Breckenridge Vice President
OF the United States The new administration
was inaugdrated and went into operation It's
policy was ioreshadowed in the inaugural adj
dress. The Supreme Court, in case be fore it,
the bred Scott case, gave its decision on the
question OF difference in the Democratic ranks
"a decision which previously every Democrat
had solenInly pledged himself to abide by. as
The authoritative exposition Of the Democratic
souri, Compromise uAcohstithtional and yoid}
enunciated the right Of the South to take and
held their slave property in the Territories; de-
MED to the Territorial Legislature any right to
interfere with such property and proclaimed
that Territory could only settle the question
of slavery at the time it came to forth Con-
sttution, preparatory to its admission into the
Union as a Sovereign State.
This was looked upon by all sound Demo.
Gratis as the final settlement of the question,
and it was believed that the agitation ofslaverv
would be forever withdrawn from the halls orI
Congress Who has kept up this agi,aton?-
Who has resisted this decision? Who has de-
clared that: "It matters not what way the
Supreme Court may hereafter decide as to the |
abstract question, whether slavery may or may |
not SO into Territory under the Constitution
the people have the lawful means to introduce
or exclude it, as they please" And again:-
"No matter what The decision of the Supreme
Court may be on that abstract question, the
right OF the people to make slave Territory |
der the Nebraska bill?" Mr.. Douglas thus, in
his Illinois contest, set the people above the
Constitution and violated his own pledges in
the Kansas Nebraska act.
Now was presented to the country the sad
spectacle ofour once valiant champion cxerting
his entire energies to overthrow the party which
had SO honored him; and, with the flag o rebel
lion and insurrection in his hand, cndeavoring to
seduce the party from its principles. His friends
have not hesitated to affiliate with the Repub-
llcan party to compass his ends. In Oregon.
they united with the Republicans in the canvass
oflast year and this, and Mr.. Logan, the lead.
ing Republican of that State, fought the canvass
on the doctrine Of sqtatter sovereignty alone,
In New Jersey his friends, Messrs Adrain and
Riggs, were returned to Congress BY the votes
ofthe Republican party, and against the regu-
lar Democratic party. So with Reynolds. Has
kin, and Clark. in New York; with Hickman
and Schwartz in Pennsylvania; with John G..
Davis in Indiana. Republicans were returned
to Congress over Democrats by the Opposition,
and with the coluson of the friends o f Mr. Il
Douglas. Thus was Arnold defeated in Con.
necticut, Hughes and Ray in Indiana, Taylor
and Russell in New York, Phillips, Leidy Ahl,
ellis, and Dew w,rt, in Pennsylvania, Hall and
Burns in Ohio, and Wortendyke in New Jer-
sey. Mr., Douglas himself all the while, has
Neheniently opposed and denounced the Demo
cratic administration in the Senate; has refus-
ed to1be governed by the voice OF his party; has
warred upon all his Democratic colleagues, with
a single exception; has voted against them, not
simply on the vexed question Of slavery but a.
gainst tboir nominations, and has even joined
the Republicans in their efforts to exclude from
the Senate the two Democratic Senators from
the State Of Indiana.
3fss.tns SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY. l .ital
Owing his election in Illinois to the Senate
over his competitor, Mr.. Lincoln, to the posi-
tion maintained throughout the canvass, that no
matter what was the decision of the Supreme
Court the Legislature ofa Territory could law
fully exclude slavery thercGrom by unfrenllyI
legislation, he reHolycd to engraft his heresy Of
squatter sovereig lty, of which this was an ex.
emplifcation, upon the creed Of the Democratic
party;and he declared in his Dorr letter that on
this condition only would he accept the nomina.
ton Of the Convention for the Presidency, This