Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-05-09
How Stands the Casef

ell of nearly all the Southern delegates from |
the Charleston Convention, was an event cal
culated to carry sorrow to the heart of every |
friend of bis country and enemy of Section |
aism. The representatives of eight sover-
eign States refused to participate in the pro-
ceedings of the convention after the adop-
ton Of the platform. 1t is unnecessary for
us to inquire whether they were right or
| wrong in Withdrawing. We presume they
firmly believed they were right in pursuing
the course they did, and We entertain no
doubt that they will be sustained by their
constituents. 1t should be remembered that
without the vote of these States, it will be
| impossible to elect Democratic President
next fall Unless reconciliation is affected
with our Southern brethern, it will, we fear.
be worse than folly for the Convention when it
reassembles at Baltimore to place in nomina-
ton a candidate for President.
We believe that Stephen A. Douglas and
his friends have it in their power 10 affect
such reconciliation. Our readers are aware
that during the last three years we have not
been one of the admirers of Senator Doug
las. But if he had been fairly nominated at
Charleston for the Presidency, we would have
cheorfully supported him. He is certainly
;; Statesman of extraordinary abilities, and at
one time possessed the confidence and esteem
: of the Democracy in everJ section of the
Union. But by his course during the last
few years, he has forfeited the confidence of
the Democracy of the Southern States 1t is
6 not difficult matter to explain why this is
so. In his efforts to prevent the admis-
: sion of Kansas into the Union under the Le-
compton constitu ton, he was compelled in
order to secure success, to act and unite for
f the time being, with the Abolition and Black
: House of Representatives His eulogists were
c such men as Senator Hale and Horace Greedy.
!, Indeed, the New York Tribune for a time
: seemed to be his organ, and his principal sup
porters in the Democratic ranks were such
s men as the renegade Hickman, Forney and
Stanton. We do not say that he was actua-
ted By any but honest motives in opposing
te the Lecompton Constitution. But it was nat
N ural that the Southern Democracy seeing him
IT daily acting with their enemies, should Judge
ID him by the company he kept, and loose al
70 confidence in his Democracy and patriotism
5. Shortly after this he openly promulgated tn,
= the extraordinary doctrine, that Territoria
J. Legislatures have the right to abolish slavery
to in the Territories, which tended to widen still
>, more the breach between him and our South
e. ern brethern. They began to feel that the,
o. could not safely entrust their dearest right
n to him as Chief Magistrate of the Republic
of and determined to oppose his nomination a
nv Charleston.
nd In the meantime. Senator Douglas an
,,- nounced that he would be cand idate for tn
10 nomination for the Presidency before the Char
,-- lesion Convention. At the same time b
.re declared that he would not &C cept the nomi
he nation if the platform repudiated his doc
N trine with regard to the power of Territoris
nd Legislatures. He claimed the right to la
on down his own platform, and would not agre
no that the right of declaring w;at are the priu
nv ciples of the Democratic party was vested i
in the National Convention.
On His friends composed principally of dele
n. gates from States which voted for Fremol
to in 1856. repaired to Charleston with the il
7as tention of nominating him and erecting
al platform to suit him. They went there N
ID merely as Democrats but as Douglas mel
So determined to nominate him at all hazard
OF They were not disposed to concede anythin
m. to the South. They insisted on controlIiu
he the platform ard the nomina ton Their fir
on step was to adopt a platform odious to Il
IL South. but on which their favorite was wi
Dlv ling to stand. and they continued to insi
,tb that he should be nominated. The Souther
rie delegates began to feel that the time had
)a- rived when forbearance ceased to be a virtu
,ry They were unwilling to be compelled to a,
Law cept an Objectionable platform, and at IL
lti- sama time be compelled to support man fl
of the Presidency who had made common eau
be with their enemies, and who openly advoc
of ted doctrine which if carried into practic
me operation would deprive them of one
The their most sacred rights as American citizen
nd They therefore withdrew from the Conye,
el. ton. Whether they were right in doing s.
re we will not now pause to inquire 1t is su
d fcient that we know that they did SO, ar
;s their reasons for so doing.
,s- This being the state of the case it is n
ey Cancellation with the Southern Democrac,