The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-08-18

Democratic party. conscientiously believe the
party is leaving them) that the Democrat
of 1860 is the same in tie great leading
features of his political faith, as the Demo-
crat of 1880, or of any intermediate time.
Now, Doctor, permit me to ask you-Did
not the leaders of the old party, every
where, and especially in the Northern and
Middle States, universally maintain and adj
vocate the doctrine of the non-extension of
slavery into free territory, and that COngress,
in virtue OF the Constitution, had jurisdic-
ton over the subject2 Certainly they did.
Did not Governor Whitcomb, Senator Han
negan, John Law, and your brother Robert
Dale Owen, and others of Indiana, advocate
this doctrine previous to 1854, and publish
it to the world? Certainly they did. Did
not the Democratic party of that day regard
slavery as the Republican party now do-as
an evil of great and alarming magnitude,
and wish to confne it within its present
limits, and reserve our free territories for
free white men? Certainly they did
Where, then, Doctor, is there any resem-
blance in this leading feature between the old
Democracy and the Democratic party of to-
day? The party to which you and be-
longed owed its popularity at that time to
its advocacy of personal rights. 1t has I'M
dergone complete lnetamorphoSiS. 1t is no
longer the advocate of the rights of man,
but the champion of property in man.
Doctor Owen must be aware, that in the
early days of this republic, there were,
among the leading spirits, advocates of
American slavery, but they entertained but
one opinion, that slavery was an evil
Many apOlogized for its existence, and put
all the stain upon the European Govern
ments for forcing it upon the colonies
Many schemes of emancipation were sug-
gested, and hopes were entertained by all
the good and wise men of those days, that
the institution would gradually pass away.
Their first efforts were to abolish it in the
territories, and make provisions by which to
rid the country of the slave-trade, and thus,
step by step, wipe out the last and most
damnable blot upon the American Govern
D1ent. Now how unlike the good old times,
when Jackson and Van Buren,, and the many
noble spirits who preceded them, imbued
with the spirit of the fathers of our coun-
try-raised this country to the exalted
position it then enjoyed. No one in
those days publicly talked about defending
Slavery as the rightful and natural condition
of society. No one talked about it as a
divine institution, as | have heard the
friends of Douglas say, and that it would
be carried, under a modern construction of
the Constitution, into all our free terrific
ries; neither did any one talk about popular
sovereignty, that is, as Abraham Lincoln
defines, "if one man chooses to enSLdve an
other, third person has no right to interfere"
Doctor, such principles as the above advo-
Gated by the party with which you are iden-
titled, will never place you politically on
the same ground which you and l occupied
in the old Democratic party. The only way
to realize the principles and measures of
these days, is through the Republican par
ty, which, with Abe Lincoln at its head,
will preserve them in their purity, or elevate
them perhaps to more glorious destiny.
Why, Doctor, see no analogy between
the Democratic parties of 1880 and that of
1860. 1t is well known to all who are
posted, that the old party expired at the
time of the thirty-third Congress. You
will recollect, sir, that the platform upon
which you elected Franklin Pierce declared
4" That the Democratic party will resist all
attempts at renewing in Congress, or out of
it, the agitation of the slavery question, I'M
der whatever shape or color the attempt
may be made Now, sir, ask you, were
these principles carried out? How long
was it before the country was startled by
the unexpected news that the Missouri Com
promise-that old time honored compact
which had existed so many years-had been
wantonly abrogated The leading men of
the Democratic party, in utter violation OF
their past professions, forced into Congress
the most alarming slavery agitation. Pres
ident Pierce and his party repudiated their
pledges, and trampled under foot the platform
upon which they were elected, which gave
rise to intense slavery excitement spreading
over the country, kindling up in every di-
rection the fires Of discord, until the people
resolved to settle such matters at the ballot
box, which, with but few exceptions re-
suited in allowing those members who
voted for the Kansas and Nebraska bill to
stay at home.
You must recollect, Doctor, that the re-
peal of the Compromise act of 1920 COM
pletely broke down all party distinctions.
The old Wing party with its intellectual
giants, and that once glorious old Democratic
party, of which you imagine yourself still
q member, has no existence in truth. Up
on the ruins of the two old parties, the Re-
publican party was inaugurated from the
thinking portion of the community, upon a
platform of principles eminently national.
What they claim for themselves they claim
for all. The rights, privileges, and liberties
which they claim as their Inheritance, they
concede as the inheritance of all the citizens
of the Republic. Allow me, sir, to call
your attention to the history of the old,
extinct democratic party from the date of
the fall of Martin Van Buren, in 1910, or If
you please to more recent period, l64s,
the time when Gen. Cass and. his friends
paid visit to the South, and wrote the
celebrated Nicholson letter You will find
that at this period commenced the first gen.
orally observed retrograde movement, which
was continued up to the time of the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise. The hitherto
bold, radical and progressive policy of the
old Democratic party began, about the above
period, more and more to be abolished, until
the party failed to exist any longer as a ma
tional party, and died the death of the
abandoned.
The remnant which now possesses the
name, but not the soul we venerate, is now,
Doctor, the retrogressive party. I say this
from no feelings of unkindness but from a
sincere conviction that am right. Alum
dant proof of every assertion that l have
made can be advanced, but it would be i'm