The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-04-21

The National Democratic Convention
will meet at Charleston, S. C., on next
Monday, to nominate candidates for Pres
ident and Vice President. There are but
few candidates in the field, and of these,
Judge Douglas alone stands any chance
He goes into the convention with an al
most united North and q fair representa-
ton from the Southern States. Guthrie
stands next he may receive - votes on
the lst ballot, and it is doubtful whether
he viii 90 above that number. The bal
lance Will be scattered among four or five
others. The convention Will be largely
attended. 1t will doubtless be the largest
convention of the kind ever held III the
country. Not only will all the delegates
ba in attendance but most Of the alter
mates Will also 90; the press VIII be rep
resented there, and a large number of pol
iticians are ON the wing, For two weeks
to come, the travel to and from Charles
ton viii be such as was never seen before,
and if the citizens of that city, and Of the
Southern States, take tbs invasion in the
right spi1it-as the visit Of brethren Of the
same great family, assembling to perform
patriotic duty, in the selection of Chief
Ruler for this mighty nation, and intent
only upon cementing the bonds of the
Uuion-there VIII be little room for chull-
ishness or dissatisfaction at the result
The Democratic party is the only natio'al
party in this Union, and for this reason,
if for no other, the South, by her citizens
and her representatives in Convention
should receive the delegates from the
North, and the East, and the West, with
outstretched arms and generous hospltall-
". 1t does not become the South TO say
that they are better Democrats than those
OF the North, and the East, and the cen
ire They are not.
The South is all one way-they have
no John Browns, no Lovejoys no Giddings,
Hales and Stewards, Gcrrtt Smiths, or
Fred Douglases, to invent treason against
the North, or TO preach higher law TO
their swarms of biggoted followers, to con-
tend with The hard fighting must all be
done in the North, and 10y Northern Dem
ocrats We shall therefore, 20 to the
Charleston Convention with higher claim
than the South can pat in. We not only
" in the nation, but day in and day out,
year after year, we have had TO sustain
ourselves against malignant, fanatcal,
intolerant and preacher-ridden Opposition
an Opposition which stops at nothing
in the Church or out of it-and which
prostitutes everything that is high and
holy, in order first to secure the spoils OF
victory for its party, and then by carrying
the irrepressible conflict doctrine into
the Southern States, to destroy the peace
and happiness of that section of the Tn
ion. For years, the Democrats party Of
the North have had TO stand up against
bands of such politicians, not only in de
fence Of their own principles, but also the
equal rights of the South
Foremost in this great work stands Judge
Douglas. He, more than any other man
has struggled against the floods of section.
alism- For the last ten years he has been
the mark at which the entire republican
forces have levALed their guns-trom the
smallest pop-gun Of a dandy stumper, VI
to the great author Of the Irrepressiblc
conflict and yet through his indonlnible
energy wisdom ana perseverance, stands
before the world greater, more godlike
than ever.
If the Convention, therefore, look to
merit, the tranquility of the nation, and
the success of the Democratic party in No,
yember, DOUGLAS will be nominated for
the Presidency. He more than any 9th.
or man of the present day, lives in the
hearts of his countrymen," His name i.
Oh the lips of every man, woman and chilt
IN the land, and he is everywhere honoreC
for his statesmanshp, for his boldness il
every emergency, for his intrepedity in dc
bate, whenever his party or the honor o
the nation is assailed, and his nomination
would call forth more genuine enthusiasm
Ian has distinguished any other election
aimee that between Clay and Polk. II,
is a national man. fit for all sections of tn,
Union. Should he be the nominee. Hi
nois--o!d Democratic Illinois-wiIl be tb,
banner State in his support Thousand.
Of Republicans will flock around his stan
lard. They are sick of crying oyer tn.
shadows of negroes. They know aud fee
that they have been humbugged, and al