Gazette and sentinel., 1860-09-01
6asette & Sentinel,
ADDRESS TO THE DEMOCRACY AND
THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES, BY THE NATIONAL DEMO-
CRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Rooms,
oS u Street. Mashingion CITY. July. 1850.

Is ~ Street. Washington Cty, july, 1871.
To the Democracy and the People of the
United Stdtes-FELLow-CITIZENs-The cleo
ton of the next President and Vice President
of the United States is at hand. -Four distinct
organizations are in the field. The Republi-
can party making bold and open war upon the
institutions Of fifteen sovereign States Of this
Union. The Constitutional Union party, re-
pudiating all platforms and standing simply
on the catch words Constitution and the
Union.' Two parties, each calling itself
Democratic; one, however, following the for
tunes of one man. Mr.. Douglas, and differing
from the Republicans in making insiduOus,
instead of open war upon the South. The
other. standing inlexibly on the Constitution
Of the country, makes no cOncealments rs to
its INTERPRETATION of that instrument, its rally
ing cry being the equality of the States. We
purpose, calmly and impartially, TO survey the
field. and to give the reasons why the latter
marty should be considered as the Democratic
marty. and how the dearest interests of coun-
try. race, and of human progress, are con-
cerned in its success.
Why is it that the Democratic party is dis
rupted, and its wings arrayed in bitter opposi-
ton to each other? Why is it that the vet
Grams who achieved its time honored triumphs
no longer move with the old energy and har-
mODy 10 meet the autdHOUlokS lutN udNt 81
often defeateds What tirebrand has been
thrown into their midst, lighting up intestine
fires, and consuming as with n devouring
fames Let the plain, unvarnished record
answer. ..H
In 1856 the Democratic party, after a most
bitter contest. elected james Buchanan Presl-
dent, and John c. Breckenridge Vice Presi-
dent of the United States. The new admins
tration was ~inaugurated and went into opera
ton. Its policy was foreshadowed in the
inaugural address. The Supreme Court, in a
case before il, the bred Scott case, gave its de-
cision on the question of difference in the
Democratic ranks-adecision which previously
every Democrat had solemnly pledged himself
toabide BY, US the authoritative exposition of
the Democratic faith. That august tribunal
declared the Missouri Compromise act uncon-
stitutional and void enunciated the right OF
the South to take and hold their slave property
in the territories; denied to the Territorial
legislature any right to interfere with such
property, and proclaimed that a territory
could only settle the question of slavery at the
time it came to form a Constitution, prepare
tory to its admission into the Union as o SOW
ereign State.
This was looked upon by all sound Demo
Gratis as the final settlement of the question,
and it was believed that the agitation OF
slavery would be forever withdrawn from the
halls OF Congress. Who has kept up this agi-
tstion ! Who has resisted this decision? WhC
has declared that alt matters not what way
the Supreme Court may hereafter decide as tC
the abstract question, whether slavery may OIL
may not 20 into a territory under the Consti'
tuition, the people have the lawful means "a
introduce or exclude it, as they please" And,
again "No matter what the decision Of the
Supreme Court may be on that abstract ques.
ton, the right of the people to make a slave
territory, or a free territory, is perfect anc
complete under the Nebraska bill?" Mr.. Doug
las thus, in his Illinois contest, set the peopl,
above the Constitution, and violated his owr
pledges in the Kansas Nebraska act.
Now was presented to the country the SAT
spectacle of our once valiant champion exert
ing his entire energies TO overthrow the party
which had SO honored him and with the FLAG
Of rebellion and instruction in his hand, en-
deavoring to seduce the party from its princi
Piles. His friends have not hesltated to afili
ate with the Republican party to compass hi
ends. In Oregon they united with the Repub
icans in the canvass of last year and this, ahC
Mr.. Logan, the leading Republican of tina
State, fought the canvass on the doctrine o
Squatter Sovereignty alone. In Now Jerse!
his friends, Messrs. Adrain and Riggs, wer'
returned to Congress by the votes of the Re
publican party, and against the regular Dem
ocrstic party. So with Reynolds, Haskin, snt
Clarke, in New York; with Hickman an
Schwartz in Pennsylvania; with John g
Davis in Indiana. Republicans were returne'
to Congress over Democrats by the opposition
and with the collision of the friends of Mr.
Douglas. Thus was Arnold defeated in Con
n~ecticut, Hughes and Ray in Indiana, Taylo
and Russell in New York. Phillips, Leidy
ALL, ellis, and Dewart in Pennsylvania, Hal
and Burns in Ohio, and Wortendyke in Ney
Jersey. Mr.. Douglas himself, all the while
has ~vehemently opposed and denounced tn
Democratic administration in the Senate; ha
refused to be governed by the voice of hi
party; has varred upon all his Democratic col
leagues, with a single exception has vote
against them, not simply on the vexed ques
lion Of slavery, but against their nomination.
and has even Joined the Republicans in thei
efforts to exclude frsm the Senate the tw
Democratic Senators from the State of Indians
soUArrER SOVEREIGNTY
Owing TO his election in Illinois to the Ser
ate, over his competitor, Mr.. Lincoln, to th
position maintained throughout that canvas
thatno matter what was the decision Of til
supreme Court, the Legislature of a Territor
could lawfully exclude slavery therefrom b
uniriendly legislation, he resolved to engrai
his heresy Of Squatter Sovereignty, of whic
this was an exemplifcation, upon the creed {
the Democratic party and he declared in hi
Dorr letter that on this condition only woul
ne accept the nomination of the Conventio
LOT the Presidency. Thus one man undertoo
70 LAY down the platform of an entire party
anu 70 place out of the pale of that party il
own PRESIDENT all but two Of its Senators
All put some half dozen of its Representative
IN congress TO- brand rs anti Democratic th