Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-03-13
The Charleston Convention.

the Charleston Convention, the opinion seems
to be gaining ground in all quarters that Doug
las will be the nominee. We have never enter
tanned a doubt that he would be the man, for
the simple reason that he is the only man under
whose lead the Democracy can hope to succeed
Without the slightest claim to peculiar fore
sight, we venture to predict that the 'Little
Giant" will achieve an easy victory in the Con
vention, and the Cincinnati platform be re-
adopted as the ready remedy for all difficulties.
The Southern Democracy will take the Cincin-
natl concern as they understand it, and the North
ern Democracy will accept it as they understand
it, as expounded by Douglas as he understands
it, and thus all parties will be conciliated and all
barriers to the support of the candidate be ar
tistically removed. Douglas will then he inge-
niously furnished with two faces, as has been
done in the case of several Democratic candi-
dates heretofore, aud while urged upon the
North as the avowed advocate of "squatter-sov-
ereignty'-that 'sshort cut to all the ends of alb
olitionism"-wiil be sustained at the South as
standing on the Cincinnati platform, and the
great expounder and champion of the great DEM
ocratic doctrine of popular sovereignty
While protesting to be strict constructionsts up
on all questions of constitutional interpretations,
the Democracy are in favor Of the largest liber-
ty in the construction of platforms, Every
individual has the right to make them mean
what he pleases, and the same privilegeis grant
ed to the candidates who stand upon them
With this convenient method of adjusting diff
culties, every member of the party may consist
emily sustain every other member without re-
gard to principles-provded only he stands on
the one general platform of Democracy.
That this viii be the issue of the Charleston
Convention we do not entertain doubt. South
ern Democrats have expended vast amount of
breath and wasted good deal of ink in denun-
citation of the heresies of Stephen A. Douglass,
but when Douglass mounts the Cincinnati plat
form at Charleston, he will be good enough for
them. They will be able to tell the people when
they return that Douglass stands on the Cincin-
natl platform the same that Old Buck oecu
pied--and therefore he must be all right
They have all along been mistaken as to his
views on the territorial question; it is not
sisquatter-sov that he favors, but only
''popular sovereignty'-the glorious democratic
tence of majorities. Forgetting that Douglass
has been denounced by them ell as entertaining
opinions more fatal to the South than those OF
Seward himself they will all knock under and
give the Little Giant hearty support.
The Richmond Enquirer in view of the known
4
put upon the Cincinnati platform by the Democ-
racy, holds it as the solemn end bounden duty
of the Charleston Convention to say frankly and
plainly which of these two constructions is the
right and proper one. In its issue of Wednes-
day the Enquirer says-"Since prominent and
leading statesmen (of the Democratic party
have, upon the floor of the Senate, publicly a.
uoped constructions Numerically opposite, IS
NOT HONEST, to permit the platform, unchanged,
to practice deception apon the anrefscting and
unaoary Those who endeavor, by the decep-
tious chicanery of an ambiguous platform, to in
veigle men of their vote and influence, are as
Gporally criminal, as those who attempt, by out
rage and violence. to deprive men of any advan-
tage they hold under the laws. To entrap the
Northern mans vote, by the delusive hopes of
Freesoil Territories, is as fagtious as to ensnare
the Southern ms:s p.oi y + IN promises
right TO enrer. :. tho. ews. to hold, his
slaves in tho common Territ the Dem
ocratc party avoid this act Of double treachery
this deception of both North and South Let
there be in the Charleston platform nothing that
can deceive-that can do wrong to either North
or South" &c.
We are glad to see the Enquirer taking this
honest position but have no idea that its counsels
will prevail The views of the Richmond Ex-
aminer, which paper favors the re-adoption of
the Cincinnati platform will take, as the only
'sready relief" for all the ills that Democracy is
heir to.