Daily national Democrat., 1860-08-18
The Issue

Vided them. Selecting the party to which
they attach themselves, more often in obedi-
cuce to their feelings than to the result Of
conscientious deliberation, they shut the door
to all further thought upon the right and JUS
tce Of the cause and the interests Of their
country.
1t is important then TO keep in prominent
contrast the true issues which divide political
parties. In the present contest, four parties
are in the field. The ancient Democratic
parly, which has heretofore maintained, by
its vigorous and Just policy, the safety and
pernanence Of the general government, and
the rights Of the respective States composing
that government, as well against foreign foes
as against dishonest wiles and wicked ia
naticism raging ana plotting within the
borders Of the country, uniurls to the breeze
the names of DoUGLAs and JOHNSON 40 its
candidates for the office Of President and
Vice President, and the eXponents of its
time honored principles. The wisdom of
those principles experience has demonstrated
points Of difference between Democracy and
its ancient opponents have been abandoned
BY the latter. To maintain On opposition it
became necessary to spring new issues, and
on questions upon which heretofore, all par
ties had agreed, they were made. And now
We have against the nominees of the Democ-
rscy, and against the Democratic principles.
as old as the Revolution, that the citizens
of the organized Territories, as well as the
citizens of the States, should be permitted to
regulate their domestic institutions in &C
| oordance with their own will subject only
to the restrictions Of the Constitution of the
United States, ,-arrayed on the one hand the
Republican party, claiming that Congress
| shall regulate the domestic institutions of
Territories peopled by citizens of the United
States, and having governments regularly or
ganized under the authority of the United
States, and shall SO regulate them as to pro
hibit the institution Of slavery in such terri
tories.
On the other hand is party composed of
| reereNnts from the Democratic party, with
the old time, constant and bitter enemies Of
the Democracy, demanding that the Congress
of the United States shall by direct legisla-
ton, maintain the institution of slavery in
the Territories in opposition to the inhabit
ants thereof
The Republican party is bold in the avow-
al of its principles, aud consistent in their
advocacy. 1t cannot be doubted that they
mean about what their principles, as an
nounced in their platform, imply. Those
principles are disloyal to good faith, disloyal
to fair dealing, and disloyal to the Union.
The real meaning of the second mentioned
party opposed to the Democracy, who fling
to the breeze the names of Breckinrigde and
Lane as their exponents, is somewhat, appar
entity, harder to discover; their acts and their
! sentiments, as announced by their prominent
leaders, being so at variance with their adop-
ted platform Of principles and with all hon
esty of intention towards the integrity OF
the Union, that it is hard to desist from
branding them as the vilest of hypocrites
On the one hand we find them in some of
the States boldly counselling disunion, whilst
at Washington City, when in the Senate of
the United States demand made by one
of their leaders, Senator Brown of Mississippi
that the law of the legislature of the Terri
tory Of Kansas prohibiting slavery be de-
elared null and void is sustained by bu. two
other OF their Senators Surely if ever there
was a case where there was a necessity for
the interference of Congress to protect and
maintain slavery in territory against the
will Of the citizens thereof, it existed when
territorial legislature had abolished slavery.
We ask what is the meaning of this refusal
to maintain their avowed principle of inter-
vention when, if it be correct principle so
plain n necessity for its application existed
Was it because IN some point of policy it
initiated against the boldly avowed plans of
disunion of certain of the leaders of the
Breckenridge party? Is it uot fair infer
ence from the declarations of their leaders
their lanceys and their Rhetts, bold for dis
union and their refusal to apply the yaunted
principle of Intervention, that their real but
thinly veiled object is to "precipitate" Ito
borrow their own word) dissolution of the
Union? A fourth party is the Bell and
Everett party. Espousing no principles, its
members are forced TO designate it by the
names of its candidates. This party is, for
the most part composed Of gentlemen who |
are yet in deep mourning for the decease of |
the old Wing party. They have no hope OF
resurrection, but they grasp at an oppor-
tunity to strike nervous but impotent blow
at the great party before whose wise policy
and just principles they were forced to sue
cpnb and their party ceased 10 exist whilst
they remain too loyal to principle and love
of country to affiliate with either Of the other
parties opposed to the true, conservative and
democracy.
Lovers OF your country, friends Of the
U nien, chose VIII you cast your votes to
sustain the nominees of party which has
adopted the name Of Republican in vain
lttempt to veil the fauaticism and eetionalism
which rankles in the speeches of a Sumner
md Hickman viii you help maintain
he equally fanatic sectionalism of a Rhett
md Yancey? viii you 90 off in a Don
4uixote chase after Bell and Everett, or will
you not rather rally to the support of the
nominees of the democracy Of the Union,
Douglas and johnson, and the supremacy of
he Constitution and the Courls, the rights of
he people and the integrity of the Union?