The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-03

and descent upon rondo rooms at Cincinnati; will
of Judah Touro; Compsroller's report on salaries;
Board of Education; commercial political, theatrl.
cal and miscellaneous news, &c.
The Nebraska Question and the Cisy Press,
There can no longer be any doubt that the
Nebraska controversy is about to revive the
agitation which the passage of the fatal Missouri
compromise first aroused And, as the last
flicker of a dying lamp seems to derive unusual
brilliancy from the approach Of death, so the
prospect Of the final close Of the quarrel appears
to lend new vrulence to the disputants and
fresh acrimony to the debate. As usual Of late
years the first eombatants 10 the field are the
members Of the New York press In their re
sponsible position as leaders OF public opinion
on this continent, and joint rulers will Con-
gress Of the American Union, the enlightc ned
journalists Of this city are buily engaged IN
forming the public mind in accordance with the
dictates of their own reason or feelings. The
bulk Of our contemporaries have broken ground
against Senator Douglass project The Tri-
June assails il with its usual illogical violence
the Times is very severe on the measure the
Journal If Commerce expressed faint censure
at first and then relapsed into silence alright
ed at the sound itself had made:r the Post was
unusually lively and facetious upon the Little
Giapt:' the Express, tired Of stealing matters
and ideas from the HERALD, began to steal from
the Tribune; and, finally, TO pass over host OF
minor journals, the Courier and Enquirer
frankly espoused the anti-slavery cause. It is
not little remarkable that the years 1876 TO
1850 witnessed precisely similar movement
on the part Of the New York press, in Relation
to the Wilmot proviso controversy. Ii affords
Us some satisfaction to recollect that on
that occasion the New YORK HERALD
was the Only journal which from the
first, spoke out boldly on the side OF the colati-
tutional rights OF the South, and singly advo-
Gated the course which our assembled represen-
tatives finally adopted and the country unan-
mously ratified. All our contemporaries re
carried away by the fanatical excitement 81 ~
ulated by Martin Van Buren, and his adherents,
and supported by William ii. Seward and his
clique Foremost among those journals VII CHI
demanded fresh violations ofthe constitution was
the Courier & Enquirer, them as now, under the
charge of an assistant editor in the absence Of
the principal proprietor and conductor. Its
course, as our readers will remember, damaged
its character, injured its popularity and endan-
gered its standing; and the chief proprietor.
seeing the course affairs were taking on his re-
turn had no other alternative than to apologize
to bis supporters and reverse the course Of his
journal, to his own and his depths grievous
modification. The gentleman who succeeded
the latter at the helm of our cotemporary
seems to have derived little profit from the les
son; he appears bent on acquiring his experience
in person, and unless we arc mistaken, be will
be gratifed ere long
1t is not to be expected that any influential
class Of the community will allow such articles
as that in Wednesdays Courier to go forth to
the world as the expression of their real senti-
mcnts. II is well enough for few literary
men to argue that, because the unconstitution-
atty Of the Missouri compromise was not
brought prominently before the public during
the thirty years following its enactment, there
fore it was not regarded as unconstitutional by
those best qualified to Judge: but the thinking
minds OF the community will draw a very
different inference from the fact In the first
place. whether our public men were really silent
on the point or no, the main questions--was
the law constitutional? Had Congress the
power 10 prohibit slavery in new States would
not be affected one iota by the fact. A thou
sand causes may have operated to restrain
expressions OF opinion on the subject As in
1920 private ambition induced Clay, Calhoun.
Crawford. and Jackson 10 lend their support 10
a law they disapproved, in order to gain the
favor Of the North so Of later periods similar
motives may very probably, and really did 10
some instances impose like restraint on their
successors in public life. Nor were they all
silent. One OF the number al all events, Nj.
Calhoun. has left on record an emphatic con-
lemnation of the compromise Of 1870 Be-
des, from 1920 to the present day. the ques-
ion has never fairly come up before the 'Veo-
lie: and statesmen from obvious reasons have
ather sought to eyade than probe H. Once,
indeed, Mr.. Senator Douglas did move in the 1
Senate TO prolong the line $3.50 to the Pacific,
and declare it the boundary between slave and
rec labor. This iDjudicious proposition was
fortunately negatived In the House. IL was
Pr'a''atea On an uuviss desire on the part Of