The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-14
PUBLIC OPINION IN AMERICA-RUsSIAA AND
THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE.

We are glad that the liberal press of th,
country is beginning to observe and criticize
the anomalous position of the Ne,c York 1Tib
une on the Turco- Russian Question. Its well
earned reputation for Anti-Slavery zeal, will
its extensive circulation, has given it great in
huence with the party of progress; and it il
with pain that we have seen this influence ex
erted to demoralize, in our opinion, Public
Sentiment in regard to the Eastern War.
The principle which lies at the root of the
reflections of the Tribune from the truly liberia
course, is, its intractable devotion to the doc
trine of Protection Earnest in its advocacy
of Free Labor, it is ever truculent in its cham
pionship of an enslaved trade. 1t is willing
that a man should work when and where he
pleases, unwilling that he should buy and sell
when and where he pleases. To the individual
would it leave the disposition of his own labor
but for Government it claims the right to regu
late the disposition of its products.
Our doctrine of human rights includes, not
only the right Of man to labor as he pleases
but to use the fruits of his labor, according to
his own Judgment, without interference from
Government-to buy and sell in whatever mar
ket may suit his necessity, convenience, OF
within. We oppose the ensavement of the
man. Of his labor, of its products-we go for
free soil, free men, free labor, free trade.
This is the main point of difference between
the Tribune and Era. Hence the Tribune
deprecates, while the Era halls, every move
ment towards relaxing restraints on COM
merce. The one approves of the free trade
policy of England the other condemns it.
The one warmly sustained the Reciprocity
Treaty with the British North American Colo
MES the other as warmly denounced it. The
one finds in the protective policy of Russia
nothing to extenuate the hateful effects Of its
espotism; the other admires it so passionately
that it is willing to see unofiending Turkey sub
jugated by the Gear, that he may close the
ports of the Ottoman against foreign goods
and build up vast system of domestic manu-
features.
The doctrine of the Freedom of Man does
not hold higher place in the theory of the
Tribune, than the dogma of the Enslavement
of Trade. And this is the key to the anti-lib
eral positions occasionally held by that paper
What else but this cold-blooded dogma-which
ignores all ideas of fundamental right, while
it loses itself in bewildering calculations OF
profit and loss, which considers Government
rather as a money making machine, than o
Protector of Personal Rights-could have
placed the AntSlavery Tribune in close sym
patty with the Giant Of Despotism in Europe
What single principle or interest have they in
common, but that of " Protection
In its issue of June 9Th it replies at length
to our article Of May 3lst, on the Eastern War
Commencing with a sheer at the London Times
for having expressed surprise that the sympa
thies of America should be enlisted on the side
of Russia in the present deadly struggle, the
writer says:
'The note of the London Times is repeated
on this side of the Atlantic by various journal.
VIGOROUSLY in the service of British traders
and by the National Era, which last not only
| assures its readers that England has really
been the great civilKer of the world, but also
takes us roundly to task for expressing the
opinion that the best thing that could happier
to Turkey would be for Russia to swallow hel
up But we have yet to meet with an argu
| ment to change that opinion
This opinion it repeats, in terms broader thar
| it has yet used:
Nothing, We think, that is at all likely soor
| to happen in Europe, Would do more fol
the emancipation Of the people Of Germany
France, Haiy and England, than the ertensio,
orer Turkey of the same wise system undel
rhich Russian manufactures hare groun St
rdpidiy.'
The argument which follows in support O
this view, is but an ampli6cation of the dogm
of protection, and in applying it specially t
England, it says:
"Nothing would, in our opinion, do NOR
| towards the termination of the 'cheap labor
system of England, than the establishment G
Russia in Constantinople.
| Selling, then, upon a phrase manufacture
by itself, and credited to u.s. it frames a gel
eral indictment against England, for all sor,
of high crimes and misdemeanors against tn
Human Family, the great burden of which il
that she has blasted the nations by her Ere
Trade policy. This phrase is" England Ia
really been the great ciriiizer Of the ,corld
The National Era, it asserts, says this -
random assertion, like many other in its bill
indictment. The National Era is not apt
take extravagant positions, or indulge in h
perbole. What it did say, was this:
" In her immense commerce, she England
has acted as great cirilizer."
Again:
| q h L., 4 IL
icy, which, on the ,choie, has been humdnizin
an its tendencies"
These are the sayings of the National Err
and so obviously true are they, that curing
NOUS commentator found it necessary to a
cribe to us an opinion we never expressed, b
fore he could find anything to controvert.
The Tribune must pardon US, if we can s.
nothing in its invective against England,
excite sympathy with Russia, or justify its p
sition in favor of the absorption of Turkey
that Power. General Cass has often abus.
British policy quite as eloquently. The orgal
: of the Slavery Propaganda have long since a
: ticipated it in this work. There is not a spe,
} fcation in its count that we have not heard
: thousand times, from hearty haters of Il
Bloody Britishers." We did not ask Il
, Tribune to concur with US, even in our modera
estimate of the services of the British Empi
, to Observation-Disclosures it does seem stran
that an American, Protestant, Anti-Slavery 10.
: nal, should see nothing in the propagation
the Representative Principle, of Municipaliti,
e the Habeas Corpus, Jury Trial, the Free Pre-
f the Protestant Religion, Abolition of Slave
!; and the Slave Trade, tending to the advan
s ment and elevation of Civilization. We