The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-10


ha here to-day with four days liter European atal
| ligence
senator DoueIa las Report on Nebra,lsa.
| We have no doubt that great many people
| will read the articles which we give else where
| from the organs of William II. Seward and that
| Of the Van Buren, and Marcy free soil demo
crazy, on Senator Douglas report on the organi-
| cation Of Nebraska. As evidence of the senti-
ments Of one Of the political factions Of the day
| they are curious and interesting. or course
| il was not to be expected that either the lead
| ing abolitionist OF the North or the Wilmo,
| proyiso conspirators Of l8i7-'iS would stand
| by quietly and see justice done to Ne
| braska Such an attitude would be equally
| Inconsistent with their character as agitators
| and irrecopclleabe with their tratorous an
| tecedents. No one must wonder that the or
gans Of Seward. Marcy. Pierce and Cushing,
| should oppose the admission OF Nebraska on
the same fair and equal terms as the other
States Of the Union.
For our part we hail Douglas report with
satisfaction Up to this time confess we
have lad little faith in Judge Douglas. HIS
course has been vacilating and unreliable
He has seldom evinced any real moral courage
when the enemy was in front; his explosions OF
yillor lave been generally confined to cases
where every one was Of the same mind as him
self With all this we give him credit for very
respectable abilities and consider lble share
OF ambition; an on the occasion Of his report
on Nebraska he has undoubtedly displayed
Judgment, discretion and nerve. 1t has raised
him III public estimation to a point he never
reached before. Should he persevere in the
course il inauguracs, his position aud popa
laritv as statesman will soon be such as 20
satisfy his most ambitious desires.
For this report Of his is the signal for the
reopening Of the great slavery question in a
deeper more abiding and more dangerous form
than ever. Brought once more on the tapis by
the question of Nebraska, it cannot be dis
posed otby any temporary make shift, OF ephem-
era, compromises 1t must be probed to the
bottom Every argument that can be brought
to bear on either side must be adJuced anu
patiently sfted before the settlement of the
controversy. Every consideration by which it
is affected must be weighed every dictate Of
reason, every induction from experience. must
le poised in the balance. The question itselfis
the greatest problem which the destiny OF the
United States presents 1t demands calm atten-
ton from its moral aspects. The politi-
cal considerations by which it is gov
erned inv live, not only the national progress
OF the republic but the existence and
prosperity Of each individual State. It's eco
nomical bearings as question between Anglo
Saxon labor on the one side and African labor
on the other-are not less momentous to the
country at large. From the day it was FIRST
mooted it has been slumbering volcano in
the heart Of the republic awakening titfnlly,
now and then, to shake our institutions, AMI
convulsc the State by eruptons, which were
Gained or evad for the time only. IT arose
during the debates of the convention which
framed The constitution and its dangers were
then avertcd by the wisdom aud patriotism of
Benjamin Franklin. Had his motion to adjourn
been unsuccessful, or had less unity Of purpose
prevailed among the assembly, it might then
have broken up the convention. and this glo-
rious Union might never have been formed
STAYED off on that occasion, il arose again j !
1870. when Missouri was admitted to the Union
as slave State and Maine as lree State :
and so the friends and enemies of slavery
were each appeased by concessions Thus the
danger was az in removed for a time; but for a
time only In 1850 when California solicited
admission into the Union it broke out afresh,
and with greater fury than ever. 1t commenced
with the conspiracy against the Southern States
known a the Wilmot proviso agitation, and
lasted three years in this form. During this
line il gave rise to an alarming detection in
The New York democracy, under the lead Of
Martin Van Buren, aud bis associates. Perhaps
the most singular feature Of the movement 10
H. at the present day is the fact that the pro-
cit President. Central Pierce, sympathized
with il both by letter and by exercising his per.
soual irfuepcc in New Hampshire ia its favor;
and that William !. Marcy our present Score.
,nry 81 State aud Caleb Gushing, were also
more ar less implicated in the same Goa
spiracy aga INST the rights Of the South Cir.
Gums tances prevented these three men from
rspcusipg the cause of the Wilmot proviso
cunspiIators with uniform zeal aud opennes-
but all lhree were. at brarf. with the moyeme mt
Ii was frustrated by the wisdom and patriotism
II Clay. Calhoun, aud Webster, just as 10 form. r
,tars the same virtues in Franklin defeated il
ii ,he first convention; and the country
tr,atb, 4 again after fresh compromis,.
Il uow ri.es To ibe surface oncr more. Seul-
tor Douglas reports that Nebraska be admitted
On the sUme terms rs the other States OF thr
Union The anti-,avcry fiction objects, on thu
| ground That ID the Missouri compounds Il WAS
stated thai slavery should not exist 10 the terri