The Evansville daily journal., 1860-03-20
what is Democracy.

orously against the pro-slavery expressions
of Southern Democratic papers being con-
sidered good Democracy. They insist that
the Cincinnati platform is the only authori-
tative exposition of Democratic principles.
We acknowledge that, ordinarily, the last
adopted national platform of party is the
test Of its prf8ciples, but the trouble is that
the Cincinnati platform was a two-faced
| concern, interpreted one way in the North,
and the opposite way in the South. This
point, we are aware, is denied by our DEM
cratic friends and we do not ask that our
word should be taken as con elusive. We SUBJ
NIT in proof the following extract from the
Richmond Enquirer, a conservative Demo
cratic paper in good standing and of large
influence: @
In a previous number we have shown
the bad policy of retaining the Cincinnati
Platform in its present ambiguous ardequlOo
cal expressions. 1t cannot be too often reiter-
ated, that the Courageous wisdom" of an
open and bold declaration of adjudicated
principles is better policy than the false,
reptile prudence, of double faced platform.
The temporizing meanness of double con-
structions will detract from, rather than add
to the strength of the party.
If such papers as the Louisville Courier,
NJ IS AUalanche, Baton Rouge AdUoeate,
an larleston Ne,os (Which we quoted last
Sa day to show that Southern Democratic
ser lment was fatally hostile TO Douglas and
Squatter Sovereignty are not good anthori-
ty with our neighbors, will they accept the
Richmond Enquirer, the time-honored rep
resentative of Democracy in Virginia?
But to remove all doubts as TO the compe-
tency of our authority, we quote from the
preamble adopted by Democratic meeting
held in Charleston S. c., the other day,
looking to the representation of that State
in the National Democratic Convention.
The preamble and resolutions were unanI-
mOusly adopted:
Nothing is palmer or better understood,
than that the people of the Southern States
constitute, for all practical purposes, the.
Democratic party. s- -
So you see, neighbors, the Northern De-
mocracy are " counted out, just as we told
you.
The Enquirer thinks our =" information is
limited in these matters. That may be true,
but it is sufficiently extended to know that
Douglas and Squatter Sovereignty have no
earthly change of success at Charleston;
that they are contemned by an overwhelm-
ing majority in the South and that not one
Southern paper out of hundred has de-
clared for the Illinois Senator and his pet
principle. We shall risk our reputation for
political information by asserting that
Douglas will not be nominated by the Char
lesion Conventions, and that Squatter Sove-
reignty viii not be affirmed in the plat
form.
1t may be that Douglass friends, seeing
his inevitable defeat at Charleston, may re-
move the Convention to some other point.
If so, we predict that nevertheless Il Nation
al Convention will be held at Charleston,
which will be claimed by the Administration
and its friends as the genuine Democratic
Convention, and so regarded in the South.
Furthermore, we place this guess on record:
If the Convention be held at Charleston by
common consent, and Douglas be nominated
on a squatter sovereignty platform, bolt
ing slaye-code candidate will be run, label
led the true Democratic candidate, and an
electoral ticket will be formed for him in
each Northern State, which will have con-
siderable support.
Will our neighbors please remember these
predictions, as a criterion of our " informa-
tiOn;" and if they or any of them come
true, acknowledge that we are "posted F? s"