, 1860-01-06
Rrnas 4 G>.ihttttt.


AAaG ADIkaLAS fAAXFOAMs
The platform adootcd by the Douglas men
at their recent State Convention is one Of those
political lnosaics in which. the Good Lord-aud-
Good Devil Democracy Of Illinois excel. But
when carefully scrutinlzcd it is apparent that
1t is in fact complete aud unconditional aban-
Comment Of the distinctive principle for which
Tho followers Of Ar. Douglas imagine that tlier
have separated IRON the Lccornpton wing Of
tho party. That principle ia If any thing, the
right Of tile people Of d community, while yet
In Territorial condition, 10 admitor exclude
Slavery, in accordance with tho instructions Of
n majority, legally and properly expressed
what Mr.. Douglas invented: this is what
came over III tue May1owcr; and for its main
tenancc They lave rcbc!led. Its opposite is
the Dred Scott dogma which declares that |
Slavery n'ny, under tue authority aud BY the |
force Of the Constitution, 60 into all Terrific
'ries, whence it cannot be expelled by Congress,
the Territorial Legislature or the pcople-on]y |
BY the adoption Of Stute Constitution IN
which it is prohibited.
We havo had frequent occasion before to
show that between the positions assumed,
respectively, By the Douglasites and the Bu-
chaacers there is IN irreprcssible conflict;
that when an advocate of squatter sovereignty
avows his determ:nation to regard the Dred
Scott decision us the fixed and interchangeable
Inv Of the. land, lie has given up all rightfnl
slaim to be ranked as a popular sovereignty
man. Yet this is precisely what the Douglas
Convention did; aud though the resolutions
call into question the usual Interpretation cf
the Drcd Scott decision, they do so only Us
thin disguise with which to cover shameless
descrton Of the cause 10 which, III tie face Of all
the world, the members Of that Convention
sworo allegiance. There is no man Of decent
intelligence aud common honesty in all Illinois
who DIES not know. and will not admit, that
whenever the Supreme Court has Il case before
it in which this Territorial question is raised,
decision corresponding in I'LL essential points
with the opinions expressed in tile case Of
Dred Scott will be lnhesirtingly given; and
no nun, intelligent Or foolish, honest or dis
honest will rcfus> to graut that when such 4
decision is rendered, the popular sovereignty
dogma is scattered 10 The winds.
We find the Illinois Douglas men, then, in
this position, and virtually using this language:
I'VE are devoted adhcroats Ct the doctrine Of
"popular sovereignty as We hare preached it
1--WE 60 for giving tho people Of a Territory
the right to exclude slavery therofro'n by the
s.action If the lvcal legislature That we be-
"bclicvc to be the true aud only Democratic
.'doc:rine. We 60 it through thick and thin,
+'carly aud late, i'll season and out But NO
"go for tile Drc1 Scott dogma also That, as
fo7eshadowe1 by tile Supreme Court 10
(which we slavishly bow, knocks our doc
"triue iuto flinders but wc 60 it nevertheless
'That is labelled Democracy and we yield it ou'
"'support. We know that il due time tls
"dosma will assun,r The form Of law:-that i
ais to all intcuts and purposes law to-day
"because it will govern and be embodied in al
''decisions ct questions 10 which it may b
"applicd-and it clcau uproots our pretcn
"sions aud establishes slavery III ever.
"plact where it is not excluded b.
"State law; but we are fur il! We kno,
4't1lat the two things are incompatible, and tia
*'tllc one thing being without tho support {
"wl,at will pass for law, will be kicked aside
..but we are for bot!l. We arc also for Il,
*Suprc,no Court ami all it may do. We wi
mot resist eyen by the legal and constitution
'al menus at our command, its DEGREES, how
lever ini1uitous they may appear: We,
4.fnct, will not llavc any opinion Of our ow1
"Uutil the Court says that We arc Ill wront
1--WE will throw II, our caps and l,lrra for pni
"u'ar Sovereignty ind Dalgins; but as soon :
'.tllc good, bad aud indifferent lawyers on th
"Suprene Bench say that the action IN
+'an'mus Of the Government shall be Teyersc'
land the people Of the Territories shall be d
"nied all rights over the subject Of SLAYER.
''tha: Congress shall bo forbidden to lcsisla1
"upou it, VIC shall begin to throw up our cal
"for Lecompton and tic Supreme Court II
Shave no political creed, no opinions, no pr
4'yrantnc Of action that we will not submit I'll
+'hosita.ingly to that Bench. That Courts IL
tskccpcr Of our conscience. But hurra 4
"Douglas!'
We submit that this is perfectly fair ar
proper Interpretation Of the Platform Of Il
Douglas Convention that it is 4 practical aba
donment Of the ''stump speech in tue belly
the BILL" and that it is in advance IL
ta1dly bid for the aggrcssious Of that most da
gerous Of all tribunals-that irresponsible boz
tho Supreme Court. Well did Mr.. Marshall
member; sayy, "that m pride o. opinion as
"plalfor1n should stand in tho way Of the Q
''ieet for which tic Convention assembled
"ths aiding Of Douglas ut Charleston J
MarshaIl's declaration was the key ncto to
the proceedings. Principle was forgotten
the chase after ncn.