The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-01-17
MR.. DOUGLAS POSITION.
From the Chicago Tribune. J

tue Shicagp irtbare
The New York Times says: II
"used to be sup posed that no man cou!,
"turn his back upon his own face-bu
"Senasor Douglas proves that this ia
mistake" He proves also that few
persons can perform tha, difficult feat st
dextrously as himself There are MOI
many persons who conld cover an un-
blushing avowal of their own lack o,
principle so neatly as he. II can 90 tc
war for my country, but l cannot 60 te
war for party PLATFORM" says Mr.
Douglas. What is the obvious meaning
of these words? We understand them
to imply that he (Douslas) can never
fight for an idea, However just, however
high, however holy! lfany ofhis friends
understand it differently, We should like
to hear their Interpretation. While it is
no novelty to the American people to
learn that Mr. Douglas cannot 60 to war
for any set of ideas, it is quite astonish-
ing to hear him proclaim the fact. We
have contended for many years that he is
not the sort of a man to have any fixed
policy or abiding principles, but we have
generally met with round denial from
his supporters We have published
again and again our belief that he would
ultimately yield his squat,er sc verei2nty
his great principle to the dragon,
Ing Of the slave drivers, but he has pro-
claimed from hundred stumps that he
would never do SO dastardIy thing. We
have asserted, we know not how often,
that he had nothing in his composition
which could not be scared out of him
bit his followers have avowed him to be
a "lttle giant and have staked every
thing upon his pluck. lie has now jus
titled our estimate of his character, and
civ n them the lie point blank
But it happens that Mr.. Douglas has
mls>tatcd his own position. He says that
he can 90 to war for his country but not
for his platform. We say that he can go
to war for neither His speech is pub,
lie advertisement Of the fact that he can
not 60 to war for his country. His coun
try is at this moment in danger. 1t is
assa'led by traitors to the Federal Union.
Mr., Crit,cnden has unconsciously y admin
ministered II sharp rebske to Mr.. Doug
las IN asking " whether there is consti.
tutional way to overthrow the Constitu
tuition" The South Carolina rebels arc
overthrowiny the Constitution as fast as
their feeble strength will allow. yet Mr.
Douglas cannot fight them They ar.
not o' ly making war against his platform
but against his country, and yet he can
| not fight them on either issue. A few
loose remarks about preserving the Union
accompanied with IN exhortation to all
Northern men to get down o.. their bel
lies, us the suitable way to preserve it
this is the full extent OF his disposition
to fight either for his country or his plat
form. We confess that here is more
complete justification of his political enc
mies, of their hard words and hard
thoughts, in times past, than they had
any right to expect. We admit with
sadness, that it is more am pie cognovit
than We desired to see We had been led
to hope from the brave words uttered ut
Norfolk that, if the time should ever
come when Mr.. Douglas should feel oblig
ed to abandon his platform, he could at
least lift up brave voice aud brave arm
for his native land, for the Union of the
Ststes aud for the Constitution as our
fathers made it. But it is useless to
hope for anything from an ingrained
coward Gen. Cass has passed for a
dough'ace these many years. yet he tears
his portfolio in pieces and filings it at the
President in rage because efficient
measures are not taken for fighting the
enemies of his country. Mr.. johnson of
Tennessee is slave State Senator, yet he
calls upon all patriots to crush the trea-
son by military force. Mr. Holt, of Ky
is slave State Secretary, yet he puts
forth the energies of the War Depart
mcnt to silence the enemies Of the I'm
ion at the cannon's mouth Mr. Toucy,
Judge Black aud Secretary Stanton are
full blooded "Danites' according to the
definition Of Mr. Douglas aud his friends,
yet they have joined the friends of the
Constitution in the effort TO suppress a
miserable pro slavery insurrection with
bullets. if bullets be needed. Last of all
Mr.. Buchanan comes in and lends the
force of his high position to put an end
to the rebellion with the strong arm Of
executive force 1t remains for Senator
Douglas Of Illinois to put stumbling
blocks in their path and, to the extent Of
his ability, to thwart the moral force of
this succession of miracles