The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-09-23


tical inconsistency But while there test ques
ton this subject entertained BY the baznburners
between The whole democratic party OF the State Of New
York. and the democratic party OF several OF the Southern
States. This difference was thus expressed in the ad
dress Of the Utica convention Of June %, lSaS:-
These dogmas set forth in the resolutions Of ne demo
cratic convention q Aass%s and Of several Other Snes and
in he Of hs slave powsr STATE. NOR .soo.
of the Territories in question have power prohibit the
Introduction Of slaves into such Territories.
Thus, while il appears that test was proposed
by the barnburners to the hunkers Of New York II also
appears that the banburners discovered essential diff
ference between their opinions and those Of their demo-
cratic brethren of the South and in which difference
the South made by them to maintain the negative Of
the proposition that the Congress Of the United States
the people OF the Territories have the power to prohibit
the introduction Of slaves into such Territories while
they themselves held the Affirmative. Here then Is to
be found distinct ayowa by the barnburners oil 1873
that If Congress had the power of restraining slavery in
the Territories also have the people Of the Terrific
ries such power. think sir, that u may now be safely
asserted proved that in 1873 the principles OF the
radical democracy did not differ from tho principle OF the
Nebraska bill. But while they claimed that upon these
selves and the other democrats the North they found
a cause of division from the hunkers OF this State in the
tertaned In common by both. This provso Of gene
application to all Territories After two trials 1t was
deeacd in 1Sse The barnburners then abandoned as
method of action, and in the of the territorial
bill Of Oregon in lSs7, resorted TO prohibition Of
slavery in Territories BY specific clause. Agaia. in
1885, when California applied Tor admission into the
Union free State the barnburners advocated her ad
mission because the people OF California had for them
selves decided the slavery question within their own
limits lApplause.l Thus find their action Ut this
period strictly in accordance with their principles
bounced three years previously 1t would seem, sir,
the final may not be wanting the be left In
complete win direct the attention of the convention to
the following series Of resolutions presented e the au
Hall, June 20, 1850
into the Territories Of the United States and 70 oil Attempts to
Resolved That the power which the constitution has dele
gated to Congress over slavery in the Territories Is
That series e e. q ,s n n and
sent time has sanctioned by precedent the exercise OF the
By he people Of the Territories are questions whose de-
cision should be referred to the circumstances whc hpresen
Resolved That California should be immediately admitted
n,o r anon a. Sae WIN her present BOUNDARIES ana
Sir the question on this subject, which It any time
above the dignity of question of expedency-a ques
ton OF safety Upon this last point be allowed to
odor, even among barnburners but still as the confess
sion OF accomplish powerful auxiliary. read, sir
the following resolution, adopted at agglomeratel
mass convention Of black men and white men, held at
Buffalo, on the 9th day Of August, 1S4s. (aughter)
Resolved That The true and in The judgment Of TIL.
slavery territory now prohibit It's esis:enos IN
Then Sir upon this question Of safety how stands the
history of the Union from the ordinance of 1877 down to
the present hOurf aa II been aught but careful pre-
servation by system of congressional balances and
checks equilibrium of theave States and the free
statesS Sir while Congress- has been busy engaged in
repeing slavery with one hand it has been as active in
encouraging it with the other Political huckstering and
the aspirations of ambition have attended at tie occasion
found in the seven free States to the six slave States Of
the agnal thirteen is the proportion preserved at this
day in the sixteen free States to the fifteen slave States
Of the Union The history of the past will BIO the history
of the future and should Congress continue to this
power, the twentieth century will dawn upon Union Of
its free States and its slave States On the other hand
sir apprehensions Of danger TO freedom from the
else by the people of their inherent sovereignty too
baseless to be seriously combated The excitement
which pervades this large assemblage is the living evil
dence Of their groundessness 1t is because the of
the people have suffered that generous and ecacous
INDIGNATION is aroused against the from the North
and the South And thus must it always be. The most
faithful sentneis of the rights Of the people are
it, that when to them committed the charge Of their
interests most wisely and beneacially win those in
sovereignty is derived from higher source than that
whence such considerations fsw. As principle, popu-
Is the true higher law Of political intercourse the
quality of which supports the pillars of the constitution.
Hwounded the whole political fabric must suffer; If de
sroyed the fabric must fall to decay Whenever aggre
gated numbers experience political wants. the principle
terminates and the republic IL evolved by s growth
But sir there is still another aspect in which the ques
tion Of slavery in the Territories should in judgment
be viewed. Reflection has taught truths which be-
lcve confirmed by the evidence Of history do not
think that the ensavng of any portion Of the human
race by any other portion be attributed much to
political power to the obguities Of social and
mercal intercourse. Observation attests that interest
has ever been the incentive and profit the object No
political combination could produce II in opposition to
the prosperity Of nation and no political power could
wealth. We are not without example that theft
is considered virtue among those savayes to
certain that even in the midst of religious commu
mites the mendacity is not tho 'gh venial which
70 s" TS q Aan
and its increase since has depended upon the profits
which its labor has furnished to the master 1t is the
Office Of progressive Christian civilization to correct
those defects of social system which accords profit to
wrong for the incompabiy Of prosperity and oppres
this correction be without the instrumentalty
the right of Chrstianity-srce labor. Thus when
free labor shall with the of social progress have
established itself throughout country governed by the
people in their sovereign capacity must not only slave
labor be arrested but be abandoned BY the proprietor
whose interests will have come to consist with the
poyment of the paid iaborer As slavery silent
created under the operation Of the mmuabe laws which
govern human action SO BY the operation Of those laws
silently disappear. have reviewed, Mr.. President
the positions have occupied branches Of the demo
cratic party of the State in times heretofore, that
might satisfy the convention Of the principles
which we at one time in entertained,
and and, which proper consistency demands that we
II, however, gentlemen persist In surrcndeTipg them
selves to the control Of prejudice to the guidance Of
passion can but depore the infatuation which impels
them ruinousy against their formerly expressed convic
tons can but bewail the suicidal Juror which CON
strains them like Meiea to destroy their own children
(Appause) II has been said in elegant Latin phrase
that the times change md change with them Sir IL
were well that the moral Of this proverb gene
rally appreciated. II Is alone who change with the
circumstances which change around Our conduct
our action, our thought undergoing constant and
nsverendng changes II lis the great law Of material
nature, And while principle alone Is unchanging and
eternal the methods OF its application must be as
various and changing vary and change the Author
who applies it, and the circumstances to which it is ap-
Piled What becomes, them Of this much vaun.ed
consistency, with the want OF which sought be so
triumphantly charged Sir | am content to change
with the circumstances which surround me. | seek
no lmore wisdom than that with which they in
strnct me, and ask for other guide in my
application Of principle than the events which 90 to the
history Of the times. | have greater horror than
the horror feel for the Inconsistencies OF consistency
itself Qaughter The ideas of day obsolete At
another day not that the thought itself is exhausted
but that the circumstances to which was applied have
changed Transplant the fogy Of the present time TO
community no farther advanced than that in which
spent the days OF his anh,od and he will become once
again the man Of progress II was the music Of Nun