New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-06-23

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| No one who has watched, during To, last ton
years, the proceedings Of those who consider them
| s<lyes the leaders of the Democratic Party, car
have failed to observe the lack Of all general ideas,
Of all fundamental political philosophy, which char
aeterizes their speeches, their conventions and
their acts. The men who laid the foundations Of
our republic, and especially Jefferson, had poti-
cal philosophy, Of which the theoretical part was
mostly derived from the French authors who pre-
ceded aid prepared the revolution, and tho pfscti-
cal part from the common Law and the institutions
of England The fundamental doctrine OF that
philosophy was that each individual mau is pos
sessea of certain inslieoable rights, and that gov
eminent 10 but the instrument for the protection OF
those rights. How shsmefully the party which
supports Mr.. Buchanan has departed from tn
principle we do not now propose to Inquire. Ii il
rather the absence of all prociple and the decision
of questions Of the eravest Importance upon con-
sderaticns of policy utterly un worthy Of states-
u4n, to which we wish to inyt. attention
In DO country on the globe is the possession, by
statesmen of some general and fundamental theory
of q. vtrnment, some doctrine as to what We will
venture to call the education and training Of .
State so important az in ours. In aother countries
possessed BY civilized men, the institutions have
long sill &c been fixed, and all questions which arise
are questions Of change, of olution not OF for
nation. Here only States are formed anew. 1t
was favorite method, among the French philos0-
piers of the eighteenth century, of illustrating
their doctrine OF the social compact, to suppose
Lumber of individuals cast upon an uuinhabited
island and then to trace the supposed history of the
formation and growth Of a commonwealth To this
il was often answered th.t no such thing ever had
or ever could occur and that all reisonngs founded
upon such hypothesis mutt necessarily be iacon-
elusive. But the dream of the French philosophers
haa, in our own land, become a reality, aud men
assemble and establish government, rs though 1t
were but part of the ordinary business Of life.
Where yesterday the buffalo started at the cracking
Of the dry branch under the hunters foot, to-day
bis trail is obliterated by the plow, and tomorrow
the locomotive will rush upon its paths OF iron
Under such circumstances it is of vital import
spce that the State should begin Alright Above
all. when the Federal Government interferes, and
ures that power which the Constitution has given
IL 10 aid and direct the infant Sa'e il should do 80
upon fixed principles of eternal right aud justice,
guided by such motives, and such alone Is should
actuste father in the training of bis offspring.
But, If we consider the past history aud present
situation of Kansas, we shall see that those who
have sought 10 control her destnies have been in
fluenced by no such motives. We presume that all
candid men will admit that Congress, in framing q
territorial government, should endeavOf to pas
such laws az will be best adapted t. convert the
prairie and the forest into Intelligent, moral, or
d. rly and thrifty State But 60 read the speeches
sI messages Of the who have Mt present the d.
rection of our national affairs would infer that
all our vast territory was but q prize to DO con-
tended fer by juggling politicians. Ia destinies,
in and of themselves, disconnected with all little
and temporary considerations future -
mighty empire, are wholly overlooked, and its in
stitutions are framed only with regard TO the in
nue1 CO they may have on the little oigsrchy which
has ruled the nation until it thinks it his the right
to ruin it.
The leaders of the " Democratic party seem
to think that the only object for which State exists
is to send Senators and Representatives to Wash
pgtop, and furni.h offices to be filled by those who
are the willing tools of power What are the
chief elements in well organized Common wealth
and How shall Kansas be made to possess these ee-
ments in the greatest degree are questions which
they never ask, and which they either do no. know
how to answer at all or are too reckless to care
what the answer may be. And yet, How shall
Kansas be made great and fourishingl should be
the main question with all honest and upright men.
One Of the city journals, in commenting upon
the respective platforms of the two Conventions,
says that it regards the question whether Kansas
shall be Slave State or a Free State as of no im-
portarce to the country. We dissent altogether
from the position; but, admitting it for moment,
for the take of argument, We ask, Is it of i'm
portance to the future State 7 We protest against
considering Kansas as an "Odd trick, TO he played
fer by the politicians Of the North and South.
Neither North nor South have more than secondary
interest in the question compared TO that of the
future millions who are to inhabit the nov embryo
State, when We and our children and children's
children shall be swept from existence. SaveVis
an institution which the folly of the next five
months may fasten upon Kansas, but the wisdom Of
the next five centuries may not be able to remove.
We appeal to every voter, either in the North or
in the South, whether it 10 best for Kansas that
now, in the commencement of her exi.tenc~, she
should be loculated with disease that has preyed
upon and destroyed every nation in which it has
existed, or that che should commence win popu-
lstiOn consisting only of free and intelligent men, II
Slavery s good thisg-fi. is better for State to