The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-09
The Position of Senator Douglas.

Correspondence of the N. Y. Herald
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is, 1860.
The prominence given to Judge Douglas
name as a candidate for the Charleston
nomination, in consequence of the election
of his friends as delegates from almost every
Northern, Eastern and Western State, has
naturally revived the attacks upon him,
both on the part of the Republican presses
and in those journals attached to his own
party, but controlled and influenced by his
p rsonal enemies. purpose to state few
prominent and undeniable facts, both as re-
CARDS Judge Douglas position and the cha
racter of his assailants of his own party,
and 1 am satisfied that the New York
Herald, with it's characteristic independence,
will not refuse them the benefit of its wide
spread circulation.
And, in the first place, the extraordinary
proceedings of Democratic Senators call for
remark. With a view, evidently, of at
tempting to injure Judge Douglas, we find
them usurping, not only the control of the
party, but the functions Of the delegates to
the national convention, and in advance
debating to that body the platform It shall
occupy and the principles it shall stand
upon. And we find it trumpeted abroad
that there is no doubt the convention will
pay more attention to the resolutions adopt
ed by the Senators than to any expressions
of opinion which the Democracy of "Re.
publican States may have given utterance
to. And it is further asserted that but one
Democratic Northern Senator is avowedly
Judge Douglas friend-namely, Mr.. Pugh,
of Ohio.
Apart from the fact that it is quite i'm
probable the dictation of Senators will ex-
ercise any feeling over the Charleston Con-
vention, except that of resistance, let US eX>
anime the ground a little. The Northern
Democratic Senators, in addition to Mr..
Pugh, are Bigler, of Pennsylvania; Bright
and Fitch, of Indiana Rice, of Minnesota,
and Gwin, of California. They are opposed,
it is announced, to Judge Douglas, and
therefore it is assumed, he has no strength
in the North.
AS tor Bigler, be represents State which
since his election has become Republican,
and there is no reason to suppose he repre-
sents in any manner by his present position
towards Judge Douglas the views Of the
Democratic party in his State Gwin, of
California, has been repudiated by his State.
Elected through a corrupt bargain, with
BrOderick, he will retire at the close of his
term to private life, or continue his adveu-
lures by seeking some other new State
where he can find a field for his peculiar
abilities. AS far as an expression of the
feeling of the State of California is con-
cerned it is altogether favorable to Douglas;
and the election of Latham to the Senate by
that State is a marked indication of this
feeling.
Minnesota has elected Douglas delegates
to Charleston, and Rice, therefore, msrep-
resents his State. Let u, now turn to Bright
and Fitch-the Senators from Indiana
elected by trick, and retaining their seats
simply because the Senate, being Judge of
the quali6( atoms of its members, saw fit to
refuse any investigation into the manner of
the election of these worthless. They not
only do not rightfully represent their State
in the United States Senate, but they unmis.
takeably misrepresent the views, feelings
and sentiments OF the Democratic party of
that State. At the recent Democratic State
Convention the friends of Stephen A. Doug
las triumphed over the most frantic efforts
of Bright and Fitch, and delegates were
| chosen directed to cast their votes at
Charleston for Douglas. Bright and Fitch
have not been selected to represent, even in
the ranks, the Democracy of Indiana at
Charleston; and yet these men have the
lmpudence to set themselves up in their
Senatorial capacity as the opponents Of the
will OF the Indiana Democracy and dicta-
tors to the Charleston Convention as to the
platform which that body shall adopt and the
man also it shall place upon it.