Daily National Democrat

A Word to the True Democracy.
The San Francisco National very ingeniously tries to make it appear that the friends of Judge Douglas in this State are acting in direct contravention of the rule which he himself has laid down. It quotes the following passage from his first speech in the Illinois campaign:
"I stand by the Democratic organization, yield obedience to its usages, and support its regular nominees."
And the following passage also:
"Those who knowing they would be voted down inside the Democratic organization, go outside and attempt to divide and destroy it, in concert with the Black Republican leaders, have ceased to be Democrats."
In anticipation of the very natural answer, that "the regular organization is where the principles of the party are found," the National prefaces its comments on the above texts with the following observation:
"Without stopping to inquire whether this was not in some degree applicable to the position assumed by himself at the last session of Congress, it is our purpose to test, by the rule he has laid down, the Democracy of some of his professed followers in this State."
Stephen A. Douglas would never have recognized the Illinois organization as the regular Democratic organization, had it not proclaimed Democratic principles, any more than he recognized the recommendation of President Buchanan about Kansas as binding upon him as a Democrat. Where the principles of the party are, there is the regular Democratic organization, and Judge Douglas has acted upon that rule of conduct. If a majority of mere men claiming to be Democrats, violate Democratic principles, they cease to be Democrats, and it is idle to talk of their having the regular organization. Regular enough it may be, but it is no Democratic organization—there only is the trouble! The doctrines put forth by the Anti-Lecompton Democratic Convention at Sacramento and lately by the Anti-Lecompton Caucus at the Capital, are precisely the same doctrines that were put forth by what Stephen A. Douglas recognized as the regular organization in Illinois. The principles enunciated by the Lecompton State Convention in Sacramento were the very opposite of the principles enunciated by the Illinois organization. Consequently, if the Illinois organization here was not, Democracy does not consist of men, but of principles, and it is the measure of a United States Bank or any other positively Anti-Democratic measure. And a minority of that Central Committee should call together a number of men who would pass resolutions endorsing the Cincinnati Platform, the Kansas-Nebraska Bill and Democratic principles generally, we humbly opine that the latter would be the Democratic organization, and the other would not.
But, enough on that point. We have repeatedly told the Douglasmen of this State, who voted with the Lecomptonites on nearly every question, that in voting with the regular organization, that organization, which assumed the title of "regular Democratic," was opposed utterly to the doctrine of popular sovereignty, as expounded by Stephen A. Douglas and opposed to Stephen A. Douglas himself, and that every Douglas man, as a consequence, should at once walk out of that organization, and wash his hands of it forever.
Now, the National and other leading organs of the Lecompton Democracy, profess to be the friends of Douglas. They talk about our being "the professed friends of Douglas," as though they were his real friends. Cannot intelligent Douglas men see through such shallow masking? When did these organs ever lose an opportunity, when it was politically safe to do so, to war against Judge Douglas' position? When do they lose an opportunity to throw out an insinuation against him as a Democrat? Now, we do not dispute any man's right to disagree with Judge Douglas if he chooses, but we do say that if any man believes that Douglas is right, and that he is the true exponent of Democratic principles, and then acts with those who are opposed both to him and his principles, he lacks some very essential requisites of a man and he can by no possibility be entitled to the name of a true Democrat.
If the Democracy of this State are honestly opposed to Douglas, let them act with his enemies; but, if they are not, let them act with his friends. To believe that Douglas embodies in his views the essence of Democratic principles, and then to enter into an organization diametrically opposed to him and his views, it seems to us, is the very summit and cap-sheaf of assinine folly. Either he is right or he is wrong, and all we want to see is a fair test of his strength in the country. We don't want to see Douglas men walking stupidly up to cast a vote point-blank against their own principles, all on account of an insane idea that they are acting with the "regular organization." We believe that Douglas, and not Mr. Buchanan, is recognized as the exponent of Democratic principles in this State, and that Douglas is now the choice of the people for the Presidency. But, one thing is certain, no Lecompton organization will ever send Douglas delegates to the Democratic National Convention. The Democracy of this State must act with the Douglas organization or see him sacrificed, and that is the sum total of the business. The National says:
"Douglas has no party in this State outside of the Democratic organization, and not much of a one now on the inside,"
Douglas has no party, it says, in this State outside of the Democratic organization—it means outside of the organization established by the Lecompton State Convention—and "not much of a one, now, on the inside" of the organization. Let it talk no longer, then, about Douglas men coming into the Lecompton ranks. Douglas is right, say we, and so say all true Douglas men: if Douglas is so far repudiated by you, that he has scarcely any party at all inside of your organization, the least we have to do with you or your organization the better. But Douglas has a party, if not inside, at least outside of your organization, and a party that will sweep this State in the next election like a whirlwind. The true Democracy are with him, we firmly believe, and the Douglas organization, now fully established and in perfect harmony of thought and feeling all over the State, are willing to try the experiment with you as to whether this is a Douglas true Democratic State or no.
If we are beaten on a fair issue, fairly made and fairly fought, so be it,—we would sooner be right with the minority than wrong with the majority.