The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-07-11

refused. Delegates were appointed in
Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia by the
National Democrats of those States to
]fill the vacant seats of the seceders.
Those of Alabama and Louisiana were
admitted, and the seeding delegations re-
Ijected, and the seeding delegates from
Georgia were admitted to seats. They
all took umbrage at the decisions of the
Convention touching the various contests
for seats.
"They retired, organized and nominated
candidates for the Presidency and Vice
Presidency, and they claim to be the
"National Democracy of the United
States.' Now, if they were actuated by
'principle;' if it was their purpose, in
good faith, to obtain the recognition of
the principle of Congressional protection
for slavery in the Territories, why not wait
until proper time arrived to bring that
subject before the Convention, and then,
according to their instructions, withdraw
from the body? The reason is palpable:
they were waging war against distin.
guished man, not for the maintenance of
the 'principle;;' they were willing to jeop-
ard the integrity Of the Democratic par
ty and the triumphs of it's cherished prin>
ciples rather than see its will proclaimed
in the nomination of its favorite.
"Admitting, for the sake of argument
Mr.. Douglas to be as obnoxious as they
allege he is, yet there never was a time
when the South, united, could not defeat
his nomination. Why, then, should they
have seeded? Why not remain at their
post? Why seek to dismember and de-
stroy the party? ! question not the pa
triotism of any, but the people will hold
them responsible, sooner or later, for all
the ills that may flow from their errors.
IL said the demand for Congressional
Intervention was properly rejected at
Charleston, and why do do so? Because
it was the agreement between the North
and the South that the slavery agitation
should be removed from the halls Of Con-
gress, and the people of the Territories
be left perfectly free to regulate their do
mestic institutions in their own way, sub.
ject to the Constitute n of the tedStates.
"This was the principle of the com.
promise measures of 1850, and practically
applied in the Kansas Nebraska Act in
1854. 1t was adopted by both the great
political parties of the United States in
1852. 1t triumphed in the election o.
Franklin Pierce in that year, and of james
buchanan in 1856 1t is, perhaps, th'
best ground of compromise between lht
i North and the South which human inge
ruity can devise, and by it the Democratic
party, at least. of all sections, should b.
willing to abide. 1t gives advantages t.
neither section over the other, because i
refers all questions of dispute betwee'
them either as to Congressional or Terri
5 torial power over the subject of slavery
!. to the final arbitramep. of the Suprem
> Court of the United States. 1t is, there
fore, safe for the South. Its practice
working is not without satisfactory results
Where the people Of a Territory desir
, slave labor, and the soil and climate ar
suited to it, slavery will go; where thes
\ conditions do not exist it will not ge
This finds an illustration in New Mexico
0 where slavery is established. and that i
t those Territories where it is excluded onl
t few days ago propositions to repeal th
: slavery laws of New Mexico were mad
G. and rejected, on the one hand. and tb
d anti. slavery law of Kansas, on the othe
7 was made and rejected in the Senate
n ".Soppose these propositions, or eitht
- A. 10 :t nj in ht
y the country would have been thrown int
If the highest excitement? But by their r,
J. ]jection non. intervention was practical
n adhered to and the public mind is satis6e
l. and quiet. Let us maintain It firmly ar
d faithfully. We are bound to it by evel
D consideration of interest and obligatic
% of compact It's abandonment will prov
I fatal to the National Democratic part
a and ultimately to the Union itself.
,e will Dive the South into intense section
t. alism and the North iato the ranks
n Black -Republicanism I do not say ev
Of ~ man of the North, for / know that tt
u great body of the Northern Democra,
a will remain true to the Constitution, de
u pite the overwhelming food of its relen
in less cohorts. But mean that the fr
u labor States would be controlled by Bla'
aerr Republicans, and would not be able
lle return q single member to either Hou
"a fof Congress friendly to the constitution
1t rights Of the South. trust that such
q. condition Of things may never exist, b
" if it should, / know Of no way by whi
A. the Union can be saved.
,e "Hence the doctrine Of Congression
E, intervention, as advocated by this ne
d. born sectional party, is fraught with PEI
e, to the country. The question is now di
90 tinctly presented to the people, wheth
t. they will adhere to the doctrine Of no
e. intervention, or whether they will aband'
syiit; whether they will re,open the slave
ae agitation by requiring Congress to ta
,u jurisdiction over it, or whether they W
us Egive repose TO the public mind and sec
s. Erity to the Union, leaving it where t
4. Compromise leaves it, to the free acti
he of the people of the Territories and t