The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-09
We cannot better close this rambling

We cannot better close this rambling
article, than by quoting the following from
late editorial in the N. Y. Times, as to
the action of the Charleston Convention, and
the BATES movement in the Republican
party:
But, unfortunately, political parties are sci.
dom governed by the dictates of abstract wis
dom. They aim primarily at success. The
great object which they seek is the possession
of power. The question they ask is.-not what
will secure the permanent interest of the coun
try,-but what will give them the victory. The
Republicans, moreover, are divided among
themselves as to their candidate. New York
will urge Mr.. Seward, Ohio will urge Gov.
Chase. There will be strong pressure from
chusetts for Banks, and in Pennsylvania for
Cameron. These are all representative men !;
but for that very reason each one will be most
tenaciOusly adhered to by the party of his own
locality.
The friends of neither will yield to any other
on personal grounds; and if it become neces
sary to yield at all, they will do it under the
guise of some overriding public necessity. The
excitement growing out of the John Brown
affair has afforded the needed excuse. The Re.
publicans failed to meet that crisis with saga
city. Instead of instantly and Indignantly re.
pudiating all sympathy with the invasion, de.
nouncing and demanding the punishment of the
invaders, and taking the lead in proclaiming
their devotion to the Union and the Constitu-
ton, they permitted themselves to treat the
whole matter with levity, to ridicule all Union
movements, to express sympathy with Brown
and his cOnfederates, and hatred and contempt
for their intended victims, and thus drifted un-
cOnst iOusly into a position of hostility to the
Union sentiment of the country. The result is
the creation of Union parties everywhere. "a
revival of the sentiment which passed the Com.
promise measures of 1856. and prevented the
election of Fremont in 1856. This sentiment
will present the basis of movement for set.
ting aside all the Republican candidates already
named, and for uniting upon some one less OBJ
nOxious to the conservatism of the country
upon whom, it will be urged, all opponents of
the Administration can unite without sacrifice
of principle or of feeling.
The Courier and Enquirer threatens that the
friends of Mr.. Seward will bolt any such a
nomination in advance. The Tribune on the
other hand, by its own example, shows that
even the most ultra of the stray antslavery
wing of the Republican party will cooperate
in such movement whenever it shall become
necessary.
All this depends, of course, upon the action
of the Democratic party at Charleston. If they
ern platform, the Republicans can meet the
issue thus made, nominate Mr.. Seward or any
other candidate, and enter upon the contest
with certainty of success. We do not believe,
however, that the Democrats intend to do any
thing OF the kind. Everything indicates the
nomination of Douglas upon the Cincinnati
platform, pure and simple He will go into
Convention with the open support of the great
majority of the Northern delegates and the Sc.
cret favor of all the rest. The moment he shall
receive dozen Southern votes, he will be the
unanimous nominee of the Convention and
every day shows clearly that the Southern feel.
ing in regard to him is rapidly becoming more
tolerant, because he is felt more and more to
be necessity.
They know that they do not stand the ghost
OF chance of electing anybody else-that they
must take him or Republican for President
No one who suppOses they have any common
sense left will delude himself for moment
with the belief that they will hesitate in their
choice. Recent movements in Tennessee, Lou
isisna and Virginia, show that they are already
preparing for the catastrophe which they see
is inevitable. They can require no more COM
plete disclaimer of his sentiments concerning
slavery in the territories than is embodied in
his speech on the conspiracy bill and with
that speech as campaign document, they can
afford to take the Cincinnati platform in todd
dem oer6is-precisely as it stood in 1856.
The Republicans will be wise, therefore, to
look betimes in the face the fact that they will
have Douglas for their opponent next fall.
They very justly regard him as the most formi-
dable candidate who can be brought into the
field against them; and we are inclined to re.
gard the Ifi6unes course as indicating their
general conviction that it will not be safe to
run against him either Seward, Chase, Banks,
or any other distinctly anti-slavery representa-
tive of the Republican party. We are quite
prepared, therefore, to see the contest between
Douglas and Stephens on the one side, and
Bates and Banks on the other.