Daily national Democrat., 1860-03-08
Uupter when Mr. Mason, of Virginia, inter

Hunter, when Mr.. Mason, of Virginia, inter-
rupted lin for few minutes. in order to
mike the following observations
Mn Mason have meta very distinct recol'
lectn,n uf what opinions he advanced on the &C
cis1nn tlWhicl the Senator alludes | presume
he nIludcS tu debate during The p eSent session.
Mr. DooLlTTLE. Yes, SIR.
MR. Mason / think, huwever, that he has
been quoted by the honorable Senator, subsiau-
tally correctly Certainly, believe that because
Of the aggression committed by the Serve States,
commonly called the tree States, upon the coud,-
tion of African bondage in the South, the mind of
the South has been more turned toward it, aud
by reason of that further consideration, more
delibcratinn, punderng more dee " upon the re-
huuns subsistlng between the African race IN
this country aud the white race, the upmou once
entertained, certainly H. my own State, by able
and distinguished men and patriots, that the
condition vt African slavery was one more t, be
depOred than to be fostered has Undergone a
change, and that the unlf might almost
say universal sentiment in my own STATE upon
the snbj,ct Of African bondage IS th4titis bless
ing to both races one to be enc nuruged, cherished
and tostered and To that extent the opnun ol
Nrglniais is different from the opinion entertained
by those distinguished men who have now gone,
but who, we believe, best knowing their sentl
ments, If they lived IN this day, would concur
with us. That is the present opinion.
1t is well enough for men to entertain
/ these opinions. Of course, if they like. 1t is
a matter,which concerns their own conscience
reason and judgment But, it will not do to 1T
tempt to incorporate them into the Demo
cratic Creed or to organize the party on
such a basis 1t would make it purely sec
tional party. Now the men who entertain
these notions and insist that the General
Government shall carry them out in its poll
cy, constitute the party to whom we referred
in the opening Of this article, as being the
party directly opposed, in the one extreme,
to the Republican organization who occupy
other. The one sectional party contends that
slavery is an evu, and that, Therefore, all the
powers of the General Government should
be brought to bear to eradicate it. The
other contends that it is positive bless
ing, and that the Government should
therefore, do all in its power to maintain,
extend, and perpetuate it. Here then is a
direct collision Of opinions and an open in
evitnble wer of seetiOns-an ''irrepressible
conflict between two opposing forces for
which each force is equally responsible The
Democratic party, that is the true Old Line
Democracy-best known as the Douglas De
mocracy-stand betweeL these two opposing
forces, and say, "there is no necessity for
such II conflict; entertain such opinions a:
you like on the abstract question as t.
whether slavery is good or an evil, right
or wrong, but do not destroy the Union
on account Of it; the only safe settlement OF
the difficulty is TO leave the people of the
States and Territories to Judge for themsely es
whether they will have slavery or no. Let
each State and Territory decide the matter
! for itself, without Interference from any
quarter, and let the General Government
take no sides one way or the other-let the
majority rule in accordance with the good
old doctrine of self-government by the
people and all will be peace"