New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-29
Mr.. STEPHENS'S ULTIMATUM.

| ablest man now IN Congress from the
South, but not always the wisest nor the
luckiest. We consider him decidedly
the strongest member of the firm of Cobb,
Toombs & Stephens who recently made a
Union party in Georgia and carried the
State for it; but, when the Spells came TO
be divided, Cobb took the Governorship,
Toombs the U. S. Senatorship, and left
Stephens nothing at all. He came off
worse than the ltigants for the oyster,
whose lawyers gave them a she'll each
while they devoured the oyster-Stephens
has not even a shell. Formerly Wing,
he bolted on the assembling of the last Con-
gress and gave the organization of the
House to the Loco-Focos, because the
Whig Members assembled to nominate
| Speaker, &c., would not then and there
indorse and agree to uphold the Com
promises Thus selfejected from one of
the great parties, and not yet admitted to
the communion of the other, he naturally
ponders the inquiry, Where am to COZ
and vexes the general ear with his prognos-
tications of woes to be endured if parties
shall not be recast in the mold of his
personal opinions or political necessities.
The recast demanded is not so difficult
as might be supposed. Mr.. Stephens's
creed, though positive and exacting,' as
creeds are apt to be, consists of but sim
gle article-Fugitive Slave-Catching. All
beside is unimportant or secondary in his
eyes. He is ready to link himself to either
party-to 90 for Protection or against it,
and so of Internal Improvement, and every
other disputed or disputable question, if he
can only have his fill of Slave-C Catching
That party which toes the mark most
thoroughly ON this point will take Mr..
Stephens, and may carry him whittier and
use him as it shall see fit.
When a man of Mr.. Stephens's caliber
thus puts himself up at auction, we insist
that the terms of sale should be clear,
plain, unequivocal. Let the bidders under
stand the bargain they are expected to
make. To clothe it in such cloudy phrases
as "the principles which animated your
fathers" Unconstitutional Justice" "plant
themselves on the Constitutions" is to
instigate bids like those of a greenhorn
at mock auction, when he supposes he is
buying two or three articles and afterward
finds himself stuck with two or three
hundred. Precisely what Mr.. Stephens
insists on, we defy any man to determine
from his Speech.
He tells US "The Constitution and laws
must be enforced;" but we have heard no
serious denial of this proposition. He
says he will vote for no President "who
will not unqualifiedly pledge himself in
favor of the Fugitive Slave Law and every
constitutional obligation" But President
must spedr to uphold and execute all laws
and constitutional obligations to the extent
of his power and if he cannot trust O
Presidents solemn Inauguration Oath, how
can he trust a mere candidates promise ?
And why not let us know whether this
pledge "in farOr of the Fugitive Slave
Law" does or does not involve Veto of
any modification of it which Congress may
see fit to enact! Please be perspicuous
The Constitution was in operation
some years before any Fugitive Slave Law
was enacted-over sixty before the enact
ment of that we now have. If this were
abolished or modified to-day, the Constitu-
ton would remain, and Fugitive Slaves
might still be recovered, as they often were
before it was ever thought of. Planters
and slave-traders would send into Free
States after their stray cattle and bear
them off, the same as ever. We never
expect to see the day when Northern men
cannot be found to earn the emoluments of
U. S. Marshals by slave-catching; and, so
long as such can be, the business will go
on, even though there were no Fugitive
Slave Law. The Constitutional require
ment is Judicially held to possess a self
executing vitality, and only needs, not SO
much auxiliary Law as willing servitors to
secure its enforcement.
The one thing which Mr.. Stephens can
not have, and which is the essential matter
he lacks, is a hearty and general co-opera-
ton Of the People TO enforce the COnstitu
tiondl requisition against Fagitires from
Slarery. If be will be content without
| III ~. -. 4..z-..Lar