New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-11

him down and trampled the breath out OF bis BODY,
negroes would now have been twenty per cent
hisher in the principal shambles-there might nave
been no Republican party-Keitt would nave oeen
long ago suppressed-John Brown would ne'or
have been heard of-Democratic Conventions
would have been 90 quiet rs dens of glutted wolves
But Mr.. Douglas ruined his party BY making II
present of a principle. Without single opinion,
il might have been happy and prOsperous-the mo-
ment it attempted to adopta creed, twas crushed.
II has, indeed to the best of it's ability, strven to
diyest itself of this Nessus shrt-but it must bear
the fire here with no prospect of Olympus here
after. In the NEAR est Of human affairs, all sub
terfupe is dangerous but to attempt to reverse
q great public policy by axioms which nobody is to
construe except he pleases, is to risk ruin with
out the poor plea of fanaticism. We do not sup
pose that Mr.. Douglas, when he introduced the
doctrine of Popular Sovereignty, was honest. de
upquestol ably meant to give to halt-StarVed
Slavery, in efete States, the temporary encourage
meDt of fresh fields and pastures new. Under an
aectat of strict equity, the negrodriver was to
have everything his own way. Decentralization
acouiesced in this, until the muscular and normal
energy of freedom proved the danger of such the
oretical concessions. Then it was that the Gov
eminent began to be afraid of even simulated vir-
tue. Mr.. Douglas sulkily and doggedly adhered to
bis dogma, for he could do no less, and he could do
no more. The Administration, with him still in
theory, made up by bad and b,ld practice for the
crime of having cOuntenanced the shadow OF
Justice, though only for moment-went on In Its
own wicked way understood to be the Patron of
Slavery, and willing to be so understood. OF this
what could come but faction what but the dis
memberment of the party what but shouldering
for personal position what but bitter quarrels
over the spoils what but shameless abandon
ment of professions what but revolving and
barbarous fight between men as men and not as
Democrats
With these illustrations, the condition of the
Democratic party almost incredible as it is,
is no longer mystery. When with con-
temptuous hand it threw away all the Northern
States as not worth having, it should have been
sure at least of the South for which it had made 80
many sacrifices and swallowed 80 many indigestble
formulas. If it had not been ignorant or forgetful
of history, it would have known how little of good
faith of honor or of enthusiastic cooperation, might
be expected from the region of cotton and tobacco.
1t would have distrusted passionate and proHigate
men. 1t would have paused before confdDg its
fortunes, nay, its very fate to ll-informed, pas
sionate, poor, and proud constituencies, to whom
both the evil and the good of the day were sufficient
and who shrunk from the cultivation of political
foresight because they knew that it could bring
with it only terrible apprehension. In some sort,
its fate was in its own hands. If it had judcOusy
ayaed itself of its strength in the Northern States
If it had prudently husbanded its resources there
If il had insisted as by all it's traditions, associa-
tons, and professions it was bound to do, upon
freedom of speech, upon the right of petition upon
the value of compromises, which were entitled to
be considered as sacred as treaties it would have
been, as to the Slave States, in position to com
mand and to demand, to discipline and to control,
to eItort submission to prudent and necessary
legislation. 1t took another course IL Ogled il
sighed, it invited, il advanced it named its price,
it suffered debauchery with smiling resignation only
to be cheated of the wages of its infamy. And 30
much for the Democratic Party Whoever
wishes to write its complete history may begin i'm
mediately.