The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-06-13
The Civilian on Democratic Prospects

G- Our neighbor, in his last weeks
issue, discourses in very doleful tones of
the future prospects Of the "great and
gel-o-ri-ous' Democratic party. Exam
ming the political probabilities, he sees
little that is encouraging, but rather
many evidences that the fracture made in
that party at Charleston cannot be heal
ed, and that the breach will be widened
not closed, at Baltimore. lie can observe
no sign of relenting at the South, and is
well convinced that unless the Northern
wing, as usual, takes the back track, a
permanent disruption of the party must
result. lie can't determine precisely
what amount of the Southern opposition
Is directed against DOUGLAS, and what
amount against the principle of Popular
Sovereignty. but concludes that if the
fight Is against the latter, then nothing
must be yielded, even though the con-
ventlon be broken up, and Mason's and
DXon's line become the boundary be
tween two Democratic parties. In other
words, he PROCESSES TO be willing 10 cry,
IN the slightly altered words Of ROBES
PIERRE, " Perish the party rather than a
principle"
Such devotion to principle would be
pleasant to contemplate, especially in
The person of a modern democrat Since
that party cschewed The doctrines ofJEF
FERsoN, and went running after the gods
OF slavery propagapdism, serious profess
slons of fidelity to principle, from its
members, have sounded strangely, and
been regarded as attempts to play upon
the credulily of the people. Most gen
orally they provoke but smile of ders-
Jon, or a glance Of contempt. But occa-
s'onal'y there comes up IN individual
case, where, supposing we have right
to expect little conscienliousncss and
candor, we stop 10 examine the matter,
and discuss the question Of sincerity.
ouch vas The case with US when reading
ms part OF the article of our neighbor
Popular Sovereignty, 10 be sure, is doc
trlne differing from any which the old
Jeifersonlan Democracy swore by, bat as
IT has for some years seemed 10 be the
great rallying cry for The modern stock
claiming to be the Legitimate ofsprines
ana heirs OF that party, and knowing that
our ncighbor laid some claims TO rcpu-
talion for candor, we are free TO admit
That we gave some credence TO his dec
jaration of uncompromising adherence
10 that dogma. We began TO think that
be had determined to say" Thus far
have gone, but | shall go no farther
we thought that he had begun to feel
that enough sacrifice of principle had
been asked Of him by his Southern par
lizans, and that not another inch would
pc grant. That as he had been forced
90 take Popular Sovereignty. by Popular
Sovereignty would he hereafter stand,
despite the result. Believing that even
TINS determination was great improve
ment upon the sliding scale of doctrine
by which his parIy's actions have mod
erhly been regulated, we were about Gu
logizing him for the stand lie had taken,
when, reading little further in the ar
ucle. we discovered that he had "knock-
ed the fat all into the fre"--that his
grand flourish about principle was all
= sound and fury. signifying nothing"
THAT while in one sentence he expressed
undying fidelity to Popular Sovereignty,
IN the other he declared his willingness