New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-03
.EE NINTIYIc.

..EE 0ICTIVE.
Honest. weLmeaning people in the country, who be-
Teve that for every great National act there mnst be
some great necessity, may well be excused for wonder
inc WHY during time Of unusual political quiet and
so soon after tie passage OF series OF measures "tf
duced urged and passed BY the efforts of the g'eate
statesmen -four country to cOncilate the hostility ana
alsy the apitst0ns Of many years upon tie suOjees
of Savery-the most sweeping and revolutionary
act in REGARD to that subject ever contemplated ~
Congress involving bold aud outrageous assao. dpan
tie rights Of tie Northern portion OF the Union and re-
opcling afesh tie most sources of ditc nd
That such measure ofyast and audaci0us magnitude,
should at this period be launched upon Congress, like
a tbupdelbolt from cloudless sky-this we say, may
well excite the wonder and astOnishment Of honest
and well-n Gaming men throughout the country
But we cannot excuse on intelligent Journal like The
Boston Daily AdrsHisr for being blind to the motives
of tbs ac as il declares itself 10 be- Editors OF news
papors are men whose vocation leads them necessarily
to Keep clo.e watch upon public men and public
affairs And in regard to these they not to be rel-
div excused for not seeing what ia plain to be seen
But we are not to axe this remark Of the journal in
question in its literal sense TIE AdUtriisr is IN emf
nently moderate and conservative paper, and like all
such il prcfcIs the indirect 10 the direct mode Of sta
ting It's convictions 1t does not utter its real sen
tments in all outright ana uDequiyocal manner. This
is NOT the method of eminenly proper people and
tmuently proper journals. With all such, 1t Is reck
oned more udoious to hint than TO state, coure
GUS 10 en ignorance of motives than 70 suggest susp
cons of their honesty declare convictions of their
baseness Thus we are well persuaded that while The
Adroisu says is incapable of tah0mng the motive
which has led the Administration revive the Slavery
controversy, conyulse the country swndle The North,
and stab freedom in her vtas by ndOrsng and urging
Douglass infamous Nebraska bill, it nevertheless
does know perfectly well we'll as We know, and as
well as every other observer Of public events knows
that the motive Of il is detestbe the acs in con-
temptation is vile.
That motive lies plain upon the surface and is TO be
seen OF all men Tie Nebraska bill is Presidential
scheme The whole of this movement had its orr
Gin in vulgar personal objects. Private ambition has
planted watcred and now seeks to rpcn and scatter
the seeds of rhis enOrmity And a question which is
of the grayest national character involving interests of
humanity which resch through future ages which
should only be nooted under the pressure of nex
ible necessity and approached only in spirit OF pro-
found soicude for the consequences involved IN Its
disturbance, is reckessly pitched into Congress to
serve as shuttle or football in game Of GsPrants
for the Presidency.
This declaration may perhaps be regarded with sus
pciOn and DO received with hesitation 1t is we'll that
II should be so The adherence that such view of
the case would necessarily create toward the daring
coneprators against the public peace the rights of the
free States and the Just demands of j progressive
civilization would fpromptly accepted tend natural
" and directly to stimulate the Of retributye JUS
tee to that point of urgency where its impotence seeks
an immediate and awful revenge. Nevertheless so un-
questionable is the fact that the reason for this reyou
tonary proceeding is TO be found in the personal an-
biton of candidates for the Presidency that it will
be apparent TO all as II now is to those whose
peculiar duty II is to observe the workings of public
Affairs and watch the conduct Ofpublic men
We do not hesitate to proclaim our conviction that
If Mr. Douglas did not consider himself prominent
candidate for the Presidency and if he did aim TO
shape his political course with view to propitate the
Slavery interest in the next nominating convention
and in the next canvass that we should not have be-
fore Congress at this session, sny other Nebraska bill
than the well mstured measure introduced and urged
by him at the last session. But for these reasons We
should never tave heard one word oil the Infamous
proposition 10 repeal the Missouri Compromise Aud
We invoke the criticism and challenge the intelligence
oiCongres TO reute the declaration. Scandalous es II
may seem, startling as il may appear at the
hrst view, We are perfectly assured that no can
did man will deny the solndness of this juAg
neni. hr Douglas had no need TO remodel bis las,
years Nebraska bill. No new Circumstances con.
uected with this territory have since arisen That
ill was complete and sasiactsry in all its details
IL passed the last House by al overwhelming ma.
jority. 1t filled in the Senate only because no ii.
rect vote ever taken upon il there In the-ver.
Inst y eech Douglas made upon II on the last day Of
The last scssoD be himself declared that If Ae co
only bring Ia, body to vote upon H. he WIS sure OF
/ IL passage Tor he lpew '0ai minority were in
jis favor The b.ll tailed oni, by being postponed
AID what 10 true o. Mr. Doaf'.i wearc constrained
ia ga "A ffrD O. tie Ie...dflt Irs.iI d., AL t.