The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1860-02-25
DOUGLAS MEN IN THE SOUTH

It ia passing strange to us how any Southern
Charleston Convention, of Stephen A. Douglas
for the Presidency. II fs wtIl known that
his SquatteY Sovereignty views which, in past
years, he merely limited at, but now boldly SHOWS
and defends, were universally condemned and
repudiated by the Southern Democracy. Through
out the South in the Presidential canvass of 1856,
the only thing that the Opposition party could
find Objectionable in our platform, was the clause
which, by a strained and distorted construction,
could be made to appear to give some sanction to
the OdiOus heresy, squatter Sovereignty. We
thought we defended the party successfully from
this charge, and the people of the South, with a
unanimity unprecedented, gave sanction to the in
depreciation thus placed upon it. Now, why does
any Southern Democrat wish kia party to stultify
aseK, and, we may add, degrade itself by sup
porting for the Presidency, the great champion Of
this odious and long since repudiated doctrine.
The Southern Democracy will have to recant
the principles sustained in 1856, or Mr.. Douglas
will have to change his position, and now the
question is whether the Mountain shBll 60 to
Mahomet or Mahomet go to the Mountain. The
Democratic party has been noted for adbereine to
principles, not men, and has never failed to throw
overheard o renegade, no matter how great a
favorite he may have been on account of distin-
guished past services. The fall of Martin Van
Buren, is q notable instance of this kind, and we
hope the precedent will be followed when the
Charleston Convention come to act upon the pre-
tensions Of the renegade, Stephen A. Douglas.
Another reflection occurs to us upon this subject.
We have in our party in the Northern States,
many true and noble patriots, pure, incOruptible
and profound statesmen, who boldly take the
ground that neither the Congress of the United
States nor the Territorial Legislature can exclude
the South from an equal participation in the COM
mon Territories; and that it is as much the duty
Of the Federal Government to protect slave prop.
ery in them as it is to protect any other species
Of property. New, every true Southerner will
admit that this is the correct and sound doctrine
Then why support Mr.. Douglas, who assumes an
antagonistic poSitionf Why turn our backs upon
cur true friends and supporters &C the North, and
assist to- elevate to honor and power one who has
basely betrayed If the South should desert and
by implication condemn those true patriots, and
defenders Of her Constitutional rights, those who
have thrown themselves into the breach, and are
making poWerful efforts to drive back the des-
tructive tide Of Black Republicanism, that threat
ems to Overwhelm us and our rights of equality.
many Of whom have been sacrificed in the noble
effort, she should forever after hang her head in
shame and go the balance of time in sackcloth
and ashes. But we cannot believe the South would
be guilty of such an ignoble md sslfabasing act,
but Ike true men at the Charleston Convention
Indignantly reject Douglas and his miserable,
abominablO heresies