New-York daily tribune., 1856-01-16

"creed OF political fahs tne teht OF CIVIC Iusuecsr"
"the touchstone by which try the services Of those
Eve trust-atDnce the promp'sr and the guide OF m
dvdual duty and pubic action. Everything hitherto
done under which new Slave States have teen
formed ont of territory constituting part of the
nublic domain must then be deemed unconstitutional
and therefore absolutely invalid for any practical end
Louisiana, Missouri, and al other states received
into the Union, in violation of the dogma on whcn
alone resistance for the future IA 70 be bazed have
none Of the rights Of States under the COnsderacy
II they are considered members Of for any purpose,
they bold their position by sufrance only not In virtue
of the ConsuOn They are not entitled to be repre-
sepfed In the councils Of the nation, nor TO have lls
aid in suppressng domestic insunecton, or IN rePelng
foreign Invasion and every faithful believer ia tbls
new creed is bound to say by his votes IN Congress
and oct Of II Indeed, we are told that they nave no,
a - Repubhcan form Of Government" that they are
unconeepjal and therefore unfit, associates Ior tbe
Free States; that they are mere p" "Arst0craces'
which III every case and hroaghoA al h@;arG5
"must be abhoned and avoided; ana 20 ,hey sh2aid
be thrust from the Union or compelled TO change ther
domestic policy, Such, feIOw-citizens, are some OF
the teachfngs Of Ant-Slayery-RepubHcanism. Snch
the broad and dismal field Of agitation which it opens
10 our view and on which urges Government TO enter
The problem of domestic Slavery one Of the
most difficult which the trainers Of the Federal Con-
titution had to sOlye The institution then existed IN
nearly all the States including New York, and was
deeply interviewer with the social habits and lnlus,
triai pursuits of our people, 1t had been fastened
upon us by the coercve policy OF the mother
country, undevatingy and perseverngy pursued
through hundred yearsi and one question was,
whether IL was compatible with that Republican
form of Government" which the United States was
about to guarantee TO every State in this Union If
il was not no Union could be formed, and the hopes
and aspirations of the patriots who looked upon tins a
csseDtn to complete the great work OF tue ReVOuton
and secure lie fruits must perish. Our fathers with
Washington at their head delberated upon It, not in
the spirit Of An-Slavery Repubcansm, but Ike men
on whose decision hung the fate of nation; invoking
tbe spjrt of peace Of mutual forbearance, cOnciia-
I balanced
practical and certain advantages Of Union, against
the vain hope for theoretical perfection in Govern
mept and our present Constitution Is the fortunate
result of their decision. No one who believes that
tber decision was wise and thanks God for bringing
their eounses to such termination, can consistently
say that Republican form of Government Is III
compatible with the liberation OF American Slavery.
And no one we believe, VIII so, who truly revere5
tie Constitution and meditatcs no assault, now or
hereafter its benefcent adjustments and wise com
promises.
The Anti-savery Republican party, however, in
yies us to aid in giving ascendancy TO men who nave
said and do say So and who strive to make their dog
mas the foundation Of governmental action, as wei as
the test and limit OF political iaith Men VINO, had
they stood by when Washington and his compatrots
finished their labors, and given uttcrancc to their
pr sent yiows would have denounced the Constitution
as covenant Of blood" They admit that 1t toer-
ates Slavery and that while It provides for the return
of fugitive slaves it is mpressivey silent ms to the ad-
mission of new Slave States, and imposes no express
duty TO interfere with the subject anywhere or in any
form They admit indeed that treats Slavery
affair of sovereignty which the people of each ofthe
original States at least may deal with as they please
ire spectve of the views and wishes of the people of
Other States And though they rail against its
promises they admit, toofOr they cannot faky his
tory-that the Union could not have existed # Their
spirit, instead Of the spirit of peace, had prevailed No
one moreover, will probably deny that had some pro-
phet rent the vail Of the future and revealed the time
when Congress to act in accordance with the new
theories now proposed, every Southern state would
-. Nl..(N .f.sar AnIa
even that the power to enforce these theories could be
found in some ambiguous clause OF the Contitutlon,
and that if exercised, astute legal pbilOogst mg
be able to maintain IT, Stl the question is not Of
law alone nor Of phOlogy, nor metaphysics but OF
practical stat esmanshp, of wise governmental expedl-
1ncy of good faith honesty and fair dealing And we
put il to you such, and ask you again, 01ght the
power TO be exercised!
Concede ed power in Government is not always to be
put in requisition; doubtful power, never. What
LAWYER tells us do Is not an uncrnng test OF
human conduct even III the most nconslderabe affairs
of private life but otLer considerations frequently re-
main to control the Of duty This is peculiarly
50 in public affairs to matters where the Govern
ment is left free 10 act or fObear. Many formidable
powers which Congress possesses by universal consent
have been wisely suffered TO remain in repose; for ex-
ample IFS power over domestic commerce, and in re-
spect 10 bankruptcy. On these and other subjects
has studied fOrbearance the true policy OF Govern
ment seldom obtruding on the field OF local sover-
eighty, even when j. power to do SO was undoubte1,
exccIt in accordance with some supposed and impeT
ous public exgency, and then retiring as soon as the
exigency ceased The principle should be extended to
every case where Federal power may he safely dis
pensed with especially if the right to interpose is
seriously doubted by intelligent men, and bad coisc
quenccs are likely TO flow from its exercise.
Nothing is clearer, fellow citizens, than that the
noicy of Anti.Slavery Republcanisin if prosecuted
in the reckless spirit which has thus far characterized
IT, will lead to consequences which contem-
plate without di.nay. Other exercises of congres.
sona power az TO Slavery have shown some respect
.;t,,t;o NJ iuita
exreucies Of the times and 10 the issues of good
evil likely TO result. Whether they were prompted by
one motive or another Is question of no moment
now except with those who hope to rise and prosper
by turbulent and irrelevant appeals to mere prejudice
and passion. These and all other measures should be
iudped TODAY a. they will be in aftcrtimos, by their
practical adaptation to the just ends OF government,
and their tendency to secure the peace and we,bcng
Of the country. Whatever else may be said Of them,
they were not animated by that spirit which, repu.
diaiirg the constitutional definition of republican
form of Government and Wanting its Indifference
to the fate of the Union dcDounces the citizens OF one
section of il as the special objects of governmental
"abhouence' aud asserts that the North and
South are not the natural enemies OF each other
Ii was not 80 with the act called the Mi
souri Compromise, winch was the result of most
anxious patient and patriotic endoavOrs to har-
monizc conflicting views and allay for the time the
frenzy of sectional strife. Nor with its repeal which
assumed to bsnsh the spirit of dfcord from the cOun
Gil chambers of the nation, by limiting the range of
Federal action, and enlagng the domain of local sOve
reignty The temper and policy of Anti-Savery Re
pu6canism, howe' er, is far different. 1t abhor con-
citation Ii diSdans peace. IL calls back the spirt
of discord. Il will have nothing to do with local
Ieigny of any Kind aud least OF all with that which
looks for It's warrant TO the consent choice OF the
people. II invokes the arm OF the Nation and pro-
claims Congressional war-war without truce or re-
lenng and, for aught we see, war without eud! Aud
so submated are ts theories that its adhcrcns cannot
advance one argument for their adoption, founded
the pain principles OF the Constitution; any argU-