Year: 1859

/


can Party.


FP. Tracy, one of the leaders OF the Re-
publican party of this State has addressed
letter to /. D. Herriek, Chairman of the Re
nub,icon Committee of Amador county, in


which he sets forth the present position, as
he understands it, of the Republicans in this
State and in the Nation at large As one
having authority in the ranks of his party,
his views are entitled to much consideration,
in making up an opinion relative to the pres
ent aspect of political affairs He says, in
the subioined extract from his letter


"There can be no doubt but that the Republ-
can party of the Nation stands to-day on the
ground assumed by our members of Congress on
the vote upon the Critteuden-Montgomery Bill !;
that is to say, the Republicans adopt popular
sovereignty and non-interventon as a MEASURE
Of sound policy that at present works well for the
nation; while they do not admit that in any sup
posable case Congress would not have the uti-
mate right to intervene and control the local ad-
ministration of Territory and to negative its
laws if need should be-"


This is precisely the position which we as
signed the Republican party in an article
some weeks ago In reply to the blatant ac'
cusations, by the Lecompton press, of an
identity between the Douglas and the Repub-
lican principles we said that the great differ


ence between the Republicans and the Doug
las Democrats was this;


The Douglas Democrats believe in Popular
Sovereignty in the Territories as matter OF
principle, while the Republicans believe in
il as a matter of policy for the time being.
As long as popular sovereignty works in IA
yor of free States, they are in favor of it, but
as soon as it operates in favor of slave States,
they are against it. The Douglas Democra-
ey. on the other hand, are in favor of it, no
matter how it operates, because they believe
in the right of the people to regulate their
own domestic affairs in their own way, and
they will stand up to this right, whether
it results in the erection of free States or
slave States out of the Territories of the
Union.


Is there anybody so shallow rs to be una
bic to see the difference? We can scarcely
believe it.


knowing well, that the Republicans were
in favor of popular sovereignty, at this time,
as a matter of policy, we did not hesitate to
say, some time ago, that we expected to see
the Douglas party of this State receive the
Republican vote, in the main; because, if it
is to the interest of Republicanism to support
popular sovereignty for the time being, sure
ly the best way they can support it is to sup
port the party which upholds It The Re
publicans certainly have no desire to sustain
party which goes for the extension of slave
ly by general slave code for the Territories
and they certainly would be sustaining such
a party by voting for a Republican ticket in
the fall election instead of giving their
strength to the Douglas forces, and winning
a complete victory over Lecomptonism.-
They could do this the more readily, from
the fact that it would make no difference
with their great fight in 1860. Should they
vote the Douglas ticket, they will merely |
have done so as a matter of expediency and |
temporary policy, and will not thereby be
hindered from casting their ballots for Re
publican nominee for President of the
United States.


This view, We arc satisfied, every intelli
gent Republican in the State will take lie
will not want to throw his vote away on
for State or other offices who can
not be elected, or desire to see a full Lecomp-
ton ticket triumphant.


For the above reasons therefore, we repeat
that we expect confidently that the masses of
the Republicans will support the Douglas
ticket in the coming contest in this State.