Year: 1859

The Express and other Lecompton sheets
take great credit to their party in this State
because it does not distinctly declare itself
in favor of Congressional Intervention with
slavery in the Territories. The reason it
does not, is because it is afraid to do so. The
bold and determined stand of the Douglas
Democracy has driven the Lecomptonites to
the wall, and, with fear upon their pallid
faces and trembling in their Belteshazar
knees, they declare, between white lips and
chattering teeth, that they are not in favor
of Congressional interference on the subject
of slavery at ALL Oh no, not they


The fact is, that the Douglas party have
the principles of the Democracy with them'
and so powerfully do the people believe l.
that Lecomptonism is compelled to make
concessions continually to their position, in
order to keep in favor with the masses to
any degree whatever. Could the Lecomp-
tons take the Douglas party with them, they
would go all lengths They would stop at
nothing They would override everything
sacred to the Democratic faith or dear to the
Democratic heart They would trample
openly upon every principle contained in the
Cincinnati Platform, repudiate popular SOW
ereignty in toto and shamelessly violate the
whole spirit of the Democratic creed. But
they are held in check by the Douglas or
ganization. The people see where the prin-
ciples of the party lie, and Lecomptonism is
therefore compelled, as we have said, to keep
at least in sight of those principles in order
to maintain itself at all before the country.


If ever the Democracy of this Union, or
rather those conservative elements of 1t
which are now divided and distributed in
the different antagonistic organizations OF
the old time party, are again united, and the
party established in its ancient power and
glory, it will be owing wholly to the stand
which has been so proudly and so defiantly
taken by the immortal Douglas and his
staunch and true followers. Where the prin-
ciples Of the party are, there must ultimately
| be all the true elements Of the party, and II
ever the great National Democratic organi-
zation of the Union presents again solid
and unbroken front, it will stand upon the
Douglas platform. The preservation OF the
party will be owing solely to the fact that
there were men in the party who refused to
betrav it, and who deied the President Of
the United States himself, backed by the
whole power of the government, when he
undertook to force them to follow him in a
base abandonment of Democratic principles.
No doubt, should these Lecomptonites ever
be frightened back upon the Cincinnati plat
form, they would take great credit to them
selves for being there, as if it were their own
voluntary act and deed. Well, there is one
thing certain, the Douglas party will either
whale them into the Democratic ranks or so
far 0m that they will never tread foot on
Democratic ground again. We, Of the Doug
las Democracy, are warring upon the Admin
istration becauseit has dared to violate Dem
ocratic principles, and we intend to war upon
it so long as il refuses to return to that due
allegiance to Democracy by which it was
solemnly bound at the period of its inaugura
tion. If we conquer, we save the Democrat
ic Party. If we fail, Democratic principles
| fail with us.