The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1860-02-24
Politics in the Northwest from a
Republican Point OF View--What

L
DAVENPORT, Iowa, Jan. 29.--I have been
looking through and taking notes in each
State Northwest of the Ohio, Minnesota
excepted, during the past fortnight and,
though I seldom place prediction on record,
l now make one which l would not have
credited when left New York. predict
that Stephen A. Douglas will be nominated
for President at Charleston next April, and
that most OF the slave States will give him
their Electoral votes. Let these forshadow-
ings be noted and compared with the events.
predict Mr.. Douglass nomination in full
view that the fact that great majority of
the Southern Democratic politicians intense.
ly hate him--that the leading partisans and
favorites of the Buchanan dynasty detest him
that Mayor Wood will have to promise to
oppose him in order to get his hardshell
delegation admitted at Charleston-that
there will be an anti-Dougas delegation
claiming seats from llllnois--that many of the
delegates elect even from the Northwestern
States, including a majority of those from
Minnesota, DO not want to nominate him
and that Bright, Rice, Joe Lane, &C., who
have for some years labOred under the hall
lucination that they are leaders of the North
Western Democracy, would prefer defeat
with Lecomptonite to success with Doug
las. l see also that the anti-Douglas side
will have the advantage in the Convention,
first in settling the contested seats then in
framing the platform. But, after making
allowance for these make-weights, still hold
the Little Giants nomination to be all but
inevitable, because
l. A national Convention always nomi-
nate to win. 1t is largely made up of men
who would like to be Cabinet Ministers,
ambassadors, collectors marshals, or at least
Postmasters. These quite well understand
that, if they are to obtain what they aspire
to, it is essential that they should nominate
a ticket that can be elected. National
Conventions are often blind to transcendent
merit, rarely or never to superior strength.
II. Mr.. Douglas is still, in the eyes of the
Democratic masses in the free States, the
champion and embodiment of the principle
of Popular Sovereignty by which they were
reconciled to the repudiation Of the Missouri
Compact. That reputation was never re-
lished by them per Sc 4; nor did its manifest
object commend it to their appreciation. But
the suggestion that each separate community,
whether termed State or Territory, should
be as liberty to dispose of its own negroes
to have slavery or not have it, as it should
see ft-was and is popular with the western
Democracy. And, having long recognised
Mr.. Douglas as the author, eXpounder and
champion of that doctrine, they will not be
disposed to scrutinize very nicely the plat
form il he is placed conspicuously thereon.
With MIR. Douglas as their candidate, the
Democracy will contest every Northwestern
State with energy, and most of them with
confidence. They will not consider one of
them absolutely lost until its popular votes
for President shall have been cast and
counted.
III. But, should Mr.. Douglas be defeated
at Charleston, the very blindest mole will
understand that the principle wherewith his
name is identified is ignored and cashiered
that the National Democracy no longer
holds American citizens located in Terri
tory equally with those in State at liberty
to legalize and esta blish or to exclude and
forbid slavery within their respective limits.
In that case, the stereotyped Democratic
question of l854-5-5, " Why should not
American citizens in territory have equal
rights as to slavery within their respective
limits with those in a State ?' will be
turned against them with fearful effect. Mr..
Douglas may work-as be doubtless wU
work-desperately for any candidate who
may be nominated at Charleston, no matter
on what platform; but be. cannot secure fer a
hearty LecOmtOnite one electoral vote in all
the Northwest.
". Through all his mutations, Mr..
Douglas has hitherto stood by the principle
of Free Homesteads, or the grant of quarter
sections of the public lands to actual settlers
without charge. That ipc-always
stronger in the Free West than any party
has gained immensely in power to control
votes from the pecuniary disasters of the
last three years. Thousands who were
grabbing all the land within sight of their
log cabins few years since, and fondly ex.
pecting to become speedily rich by land
speculation, have suddenly awaked to
realization of the fact that their land grab
bing has ruined them, and that they have
hard chance before them of obtaining even
livelihood. To these. and to tens of thous-
ands beside, the Homestead Bill seems of
more consequence than all other topics of
political controversy. No other Democratic
statesman than Douglas, unless it be An
drew johnson of Tennessee could hope for
their support. Mr. Joe Lanes ugly record
of last winter renders him conspicuously un.
available. Mr.. Douglas, on this question,
could probably hold bis own against Re.
publican; no one else but johnson could
begin to do it.
V. The minute division of his adversaries
gives Douglas great advantage in the
struggle. Out Of some six hundred votes in
the Convention, over two hundred will at
all events be thrown for him on the first bal
lot, while the opposing vote will be divided
between Hunter, Wise, Guthrie, Andrew
johnson, Breckenridge Jeff. Davis, Cobb,
Stephens, &c. and it is even said that
their are incumbents or expectants of Fed
eral offices who will carry their servility or
hypocrisy to the extent of enthusiastically
voting--for Buchanan. l do no credit this;
but, with Pierce and Seymour both sedul-
ously kept in the back ground, MIR. Doug.
las plurality at the start must be very large,
and this cannot fail to tell on the succeed
ing ballots.