, 1861-01-18
Buchauan and Douglas.

from the phllsdelphi. Mercury, Pip. sor. Dell
James Buchanan tuanfhl]T doing his duty,
did Stephen 4. douglas protesting hts readie
ness to abandon every principle for the sake y M oa
quieting the noiay tzaitots Of the soush, Ii w
latest development Of the present crisis. Me
must confess our astonIhhnent at both these
manifestations Of change of purpose III 1no
hour Of peril. First, rs to tho President dls
previous career had given us but little reason
10 hope fot vfgor and decision Of action n ne-
half Of the Union md the supremacy y'a.ais o. .1e
owned by the secession conspffatora. he iol-
lowed them to the EXTREMIST verge Of tue Pre-,
rinice Of disunion, pleading their cause anu
permitting them to abntc otlcial position to
5trengthsa the caePss ae ef tn9 GoeaeE'SS'
-, 44.e eyes were opened to the
feal character and purposes Of the men By
whom he bud been surrounded and led ]; tae
thundess Of popular Indignation relied Up tu
the White House; 4 SENSE Of patriotic duty
traitors, took Union:lq ying, Tito hi9 eoun-
sels, and proclaimed bta determination to pro.
tect the prb1c p.operty and enforce the laws
1t ell hazarls.. His recent message to Con-
gress upon the dangerous condition of our Ma
uoual affairs lreathes at once the most Geyo-
confront rebellion with ali the power at the
command Of the, President OF the United
statea. Let by-soncs be by-gones. The past
cannot be forgotten, but ample atonement can
be made The Present attitude Of James Blu
chauan Will cItort admiration, even from the
! men who have most bitterly opposed his AL
| minfstratfon; and should he continue MS he
Inns begun, to WELD the Federul authority with
| vigorous, determined and patriotic arm, he
| will return to Wheetiand laden with the gratt-
fal wicdgnents Of nation be has saved
fIpm dissolution.
Aad tnea .S6nteaaptate liz extraordinary
change Of front By Afr. Stephen 4 Dolglas.
i Coercion wes sound and glorious doctrine to
| preach 1t Norfolk, Virginia, during the heat
| Of the Presidential campaign, but it is MT pol
| itic or wise when the hour ior coercion hls ar
| rived. Popular Sovereignty was . principle
which had to be maintained though the DEM
ocratlc party was shattered into fragments ;
| but it must be abandoned the moment the dis
| unfouists renew at Washington the game begun
at Charleston aud continued at Bnltimore- II
Mr. Douglas was not prepared to adhere to Ills
principles in the coualct which everybody TIL
ticipated after the disruption Of tho Charleston
Convention, why did he not then capit"latr to
Yancey aud support Breckenridge md Lauc ?
The "littfe Giant lad much to say during
the canvass about the principle Of seli:goycr1l'
ment being worth lighting ior, even as cur
when the cail to the field il sounded, be asks j
parley, and holsts the white t1ag, kignifyin his
anxiety to surrender, Upon any terms the i'll
surgcnt slave-cod, faction may see tit to die
tate. Our Indignation at this base betrayal is
rs thorough Us was our devotion to the cause
Of Mr. Douglas and popular sovereignty du
ring the Presidential struggle. But the Ill
nois Senator couuts without hls host, If III
supposes he can persuade the great army q
Democrats who supported him in November
last to pass under the yoke now. for the sake
Of peace. The principle Of selfgoVeEDmtn n
was baptized in noble blood before Stcphe1
| a n0nr1na inf1- ha 5EarfH and n J1i1
survive Tong after he has inherited his five fce
of American soil As for "coercion," the Gov
ernment which Aas not the power and the vii
to enforce its laws against the most {ornlidabl
body Of rebels that mar uufnr1 the flag Of r.
enlightened land BY his opposition to ''coer
eion," Mr, Douglas only demonstrates that h
never ucseryed-as NE confess VIC thought b
did-to wleld the powers entrusted to th
President Of this mighty republic.