New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-20
THE DOOM OF DOUGLAS.

Senator Douglas is fighting gallant battle. we
admire his courage and energy. So far as his prln
cIples and policy tend n the right direction he has
our sympaIby and respect We sre not quite GER
tam, from the tactics he displays, whether he secs
the doom that awaits him, and is preparing to die
game, and be avenged, SamsOn-like, on his foes,
or whether he really hopes to ultim ately bring the
Democratic party over to his position, and compel
it, four ears hence, to adopt his platform and &C
c-pt him as its presidential leader. Of course, he
10 not so silly to dream of success in tae pend
ing canvass. In ord n to Undue his followers with
some of his own fearless spirit, and stimulate them
to the fight he talks in bis usual bOastful way,
naming States, both North and South which be is
sure to carry. But this is only the ordinary
bulletin tsued by all generals on the eve of decl-
siye contest. He knows that the day will go
against HIM. Nor does he intend to aid those who
bolted his nomination at Baltimore, by favoring
coalitions that tend to throw the contest into Con-
g ess, and may terminate in making 10 Lane, his
deadly foe, President. The present contest being
mere struggle between rival factions, for prestige
now and the control of the organic alton of the
party hereafter, the indignant proclamation of the
Douglas National Committee against combinations
which could only aid in elevatlng enemies who arc
deyising bis downfall, was natural.
But, by allowing the party to be split in twain
by his Popular Sovereignty dogma, does Douglas
really hope to reunte 1t and rally it ter his flag
in 1864 Judging of the future from the past ne
has overlooked two controlling considerations in
bis estimate of the positions which he and the
Democracy will respectively occupy four years
hence.
|. Though Douglas is right in insisting that the
principles he now aSOws are precisely those on
which the Democracy triumphed III 1856 yet he
should remember that, so far as the question OF
Slavery is involved the party is progressive |"
True, his friends have placed him upon the plat
fo,m on which Buchanan was elected. But, bless
their simple souls did they imagine that the
Slavery Exrensionists would be content, in 1860,
with what satisfied them in 1861 Do they not
know that the platform of 1856, so far as it related
to Slavery was in advance of that of 1852, as that
of 1852 was in advance of that of lS4S, which last
was also in advance Of that of 1874, and 30 back
ward, by measured steps, to the first National Con-
venton that ever adopted aplattorm! Has notthelr
lesder himself taught that these oft renewed and
ever-progressive exactions of the Slavery Propa-
gsndlsts, are to be expected and conceded, yea,
anticipated, and obedience rendered to the re-
morseless horse leech even before it cries "Give
"Giyem Did he not avow his belief in the wis
dom Of the Wilnot Proyiso of lS47l Regulating
this doctrine, did be not support the antl-Proviso
Compromise measures Of 1857 Running before
he was sent, did he not voluntarily propose the
peal of the prohibitory clause of the Missouri act
in 1854, on the alleged ground Of its unconstitu.
tionaty, and by bis energy and skill drive through
the Kansas Nebraska bill, doing works Of superero-
CATION to win the favor of the Slave Power, and
subsequently sustaining Pierce in his Infamous
attempts to force Slavery upon the people of Kan