Year: 1860

territorial Legislature acting under the au
thority of Congress might, by refusing to
pass local laws for the proper protection Of
slave property, C'iuaction') or by the i'm
position of II heavy tax on slaves, ("unfriend
Iy legislation'') virtually exclude slavery
from any territory, trample on an ascertain
ed constitutional right, and deprive every
southern man of bis share of the public do.
main. He achieved his local victory; but
he placed between him and the masses of
the democratic party an impossible gulf.
He conciliated the free soiers; but he alien
ated every true democrat who was pledged
to stand by the agreement Of 1854, and con.
sequently bound in honor and good faith to
abide the decision of the Supreme Court.
From that day to this Mr.. douglas and his
followers have adhered to his squatter SOW
ereignty doctrine. They repudiaie the Con
stitu,ion of their country by maintaining
that territorial legislature may euade its
provisions, just as much as if they pretended
that a territorial legislature might openly
deny any obligation to obey the Constitution.
On the strength of this doctrine Mr.. Doug
las sought the nomination of the democratic
party for the Presidency of the United
States. 1t mattered not that the democracy
OF fifteen States of the Union regarded his
doctrine as quite as hostile to their interests,
quite as insulting to their honor, quite as
subversive of the great democratic principle
of the equality Of the States, as was the
Wimot proviso. 1t mattered not that all
his democratic colleagues in the Senate and
nine tenths of the democratic representa-
tves were opposed to him. 1t mattered not
that the democratic Administration and
the solemn judgment of the Supreme Court
of the United States pronounced his doc
trine false in fact, and in breach of the
plighted faith of the democratic party lie
and his friends insisted that he must be the
nominee of the democratic party for the
Presidency II the pursuit of this ambition
were to divide the democratic party, they
cared not Let it be divided. If it were
to result in the triumph Of the black repub
icans, what was it to them? Let the black
republicans triumph. if Stephen A. Douglas
is not TO succeed.


The adoption of the squatter- sovereignty,
double-faced platform at Charleston under
the operation of crafty rule by which a
factitious majority was obtained, in opposi-
tion to the declared will Of seventeen demo-
cratic States; the shameless refusal to admit
tie regularly chosen delegates from several
States, because they were known to be op
posed to Mr.. Douglas, and tbs still more
shameless admission to seats of bogus dele
gates from those States, at Baltimore, are
sufficient proof of the recklessness of the
policy of Mr.. Douglas and his adherents
and of their determination, at all hazards,
to carry their point, even though they
should ruin their party and the country.
They knew that really aud in fact they form
ed but minority Of the Conventions; but
with their illegitimately obtained majority
they resolved not only to force the adoption
of squatter sovereignty platform, but the
nomination of their squatter sovereignty can
didate.


All the democrats who resisted this faith
less violation Of party pledges and party
usages; this awless resistance to the supreme
law; and this presumptious repudiaton of
all the requirements of social and political
decency, are now denounced as dsunionis.s,
and disorganizers. Because they refused to
swallow the unsound and anti democratic
principles which were attempted to be forced
down their throats; because they did not as
sent to the violation of every party law for
the benefit of Mr. Douglas; and because they
would not nominate Mr.. Douglas rs their
candidate for the presidency with all his
sins upon his head unrepented of and una
toned for,-they are "disunionists' and dis
organizers"


What doctrine Of the party have Brecken
ridge and Lane or their supporters ever re-
pudiatel! What pledge of the party have
they ever violated even in thought9 When
have they ever swerved one hairs breadth
from the plain path of democratic truth or
sought any other light than that afforded
by the Constitution! Have they been ever
found in the camp Of the black.republican
enemy plotting against their party, and en-
deavoring to defeat it? When we're they
ever heard to utter an opinion which was
not uncompromising y opposed to sectional
ism and every other ISM which endangers,
even remotely, the preservation of the Union
and the integrity of the Constitution!


Who are they who denounce them, and
accuse them OF being disunionists? The
men who having pledged themselves to
abide the decision of the Supreme Court
now repudiate that pledge and refuse to
obey the law The men who in order to
court freesoil favor lowered the flag of their
party The men who allied themselves with
the sectional black-repubicans to defeat
their party, and who are now recommending
a renewal of the alliance and for the same
purpose. The men who have done all they
could to sectiona'ize the democratic party,
and who if they have the power, will sur
render the Government of this Confederacy
into the hands of the men who regard the
Constitution as "league with hell" and
who are prepared, at any moment, ito let