New-York daily tribune., 1854-05-25

that fact Az Great B-t=n refused TO yield upon this
point the old policy OF the Republican party sad the
spirit OF Msdson's commercial resolutions led to the
act of Isis refusing admission into the har0ors Of the
United States of British vessels coming from British
colonial ports into which American vessels were no.
admitted In l-22 sct of Parliament made some
cessons the admission o. vessels a;o Brtishco
loaial ports, in Consequence Of which thetrsde
opened; but tie of Congress, passed confirm
tlis arrangement did not choose 10 accept il IS con-
cesson but still insisted upon it matter Of right
and as the ground taken by the Cabinets of
Mr.. Monroe and Mr.. Adams. in their instructions TO
their ministers at London. Ald as the British Govern
men would not yield upon this point, the result was
new interruption to the trade. Monroe and Adams
had strictly carried out the doctrines and policy of tse
Republican party. The method taken By Jsckson's
Cabinet 10 the trade. TO abandon all the
old American professions on this subject and to solicit
from Great Britain TO reopen the trade on her own
terms Commercially the arrangement might have
been good one but politically and diplomsteily il
does not appear afford any great ground for exulta
ton. especially e having The honor and credit of
the old Republican party in view.
We pass now to the consideration of topic of more
irg position of the Democratic party and intimately
related to great events present and TO come The in
PRODUCTION of the Anti-Slavery agitation into politics
which took place about the time of NJ. Van Burens
nomination TO the Presidency mcAks the commence
ment of in our history. 1t is customary to
refer to the AntSavey Societies and 70 their move
mouts publications and efforts To attract public stten
ton as the Of this agitation The occasions of
it no doubt they were-and when political necessity
needs an occasion, very slight one will answer-but
We cannot regard them in any true sense the causes
of IT, The triumph of the northern over the south
ern wing Of the Democratic party, which had hrst
shown itself in the disgrace Of Mr. Calhoun aud his
friends and in tie decisive ground taken by Gen. Jack
son against the South Carolina Nuers had been iol
lowed up by the nomination OF Mr.. Van Buren,,
northern man. ss the successor of Gen. Jackson in
the Presidential chair. This nomination had caused
the splitting of of second southern fragment from
the Democratic party consisting OF those who gathered
about Hugh l.. White as their Presidential candidate
and it can hardly be doubted that the very great ag
tstion on the subject of Slavery and its abolition CON-
mencng in the year 1885 grew mainly out of the efforts
of politicians to avail themselves for use in the Pres
idental canvass. OF the exceeding senstlyeness OF
the shareholders. Mr. Benton has described the ag
tation which took place throughout the North on the
occasion of the Missouri controversy as in great
measure Politician agitation got up by the poit-
cans-a struggle for the balance of power asbetween
the North and the South He might, had he seen ht
have referred the agitation of -5 to similar cause,
or rather to struggle for the possession OF the Pres
idental chair. II quite as much the hope OF
placing Mr. Van Buren in dilemma, OF oblging him
to take ground offensive either to the North or to the
South as any actual apprehensons oil what the ADO
onists might intend or might do, that prompted SO
much of violence at the South on that occaslon and
on the other hand it was great deal more the de-
sire to counter-wOrk this maneuyer and to alay the
alarm or to attract the favor of the shareholders by
great show of zeal in their behalf than any real SYM
patty for save-hodng that led to many prosayery
demonstrations at the North
Ii does not fall in with the plan or the policy OF Mr.
Beuton's work to take this view of the origin of the
Slavery agitation in direct terms yetthe ground upon
which he attempts to Justify Mr. Van Burens vote on
the Incendiary publication bill implies all this. In
truth. AS 10 this matter, Mr.. Benton stands upon
rather tcklish ground. 1t would suit him very WE'LL
and would fall in with the tenor of other parts OF his
work to charge Mr. Calhoun and his friends with get
Ting up the Antl-SIaFtIl az h''S W
b. used for other political objects But then he would
not like to confess how much the conduct OF his own
party was Influenced by similar motives. 1t was
probably indeed merely with political object in
view that prominent place was given in the Presi-
dents Message at the commencement OF the twenty
fourth Congress TO those alleged incendary pubhca-
tons BY the terror of which, felt no doubt in some
cases but in many others only fegned the South dur
ing the preceding summer had been greatly agtaed.
The idea of an attempt to stimulate the slaves TO
insurrection. and to produce all the horrors of
"seryile war by circulating through the mails appeals
addressed to their passions in prints and ~ rdroHs
sorts Of publications. is one indeed SO supremey H.
diculous, sayoring much more of an Insane Asy-
lum than of common sense, that 1t is hardly possible
to read the passage of the Message which contains IT,
without smiling at its absurdity especially when not
content to have the conspiracy thus publicly exposed
10 the disgrace and failure which might naturally
be expected 10 ensue, il goes on 10 suggest that
Congress ought TO legislste upon it. But there is
another point of view in which this recommendation
of President jackson ceases 10 be at all laughing
matter Taken in connection with the bill subsequent
y introduced into the Senate, and with the vote OF Mr.
Van Buren and other northern men upon that Dill II
is TO be regarded the commencement OF the down
fall of that ascendsney Of northern ideas which the
triumph of Mr.. Van Buren over Mr.. Calhoun had
temporarily secured-the commencement Of reVolu-
ton in the Democratic party, by which that party,
passing out of the hands of such men as Jackson,
Van Buren, and Benton, Of whom the last two have
long since been ostracised-has fallen at last to the
Disgrace and danger of the country under the leader
ship and control of such men as Pierce and Douglas