New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-29

The Journal # Comneree INDUCES in Some very &C.
rous reflections on the existing state Of thiogs in
California Its representations as TO the dangers Of
the assumption Of absolLse power by the Vigilance
Committee of San Francisco, and Of the infictOn
by q secret aid irrespOnsible and sefccnsttuted
tribunal of punishments not based upon any law
nor any judicial proceeding, are perfectly well
founded. We are only surprised that while so
sensitive as /! seems to be to any disregard or over
stepping of the laws, The jSsnol should have gone
80 far as California for text for its hemily,
and .hould all the while be 80 totally oblG-
ivus of events at least 4ai,e as much open
TO censuIe, occurring much nearer home.
The Vigilance COmmittee Of San Francisco. for
the sake Of Kidding the State Of gamblers, murder
ers ard ballO!.box suffers heVing assumed discre
tionary and arbitrary Iower, The Journal Of Com
mtrce thinks it ntcessarJ to put in an energetic
protest sgsn.t such Illegal and high-handed pro
ceediDg-. Pray, what does The Journal taiDs of
the late expulsion frOin Mobile o two respectable
book sellers because in the course Of their business
they sold cepies of Frederick D)Bglasss AUTO
biz grapby or of the bani-hInens from Virginia Of
Mr. Underwood, u respectable aud high-minded
citizen Of that State for the sole osnse Of having
attended Fremont Convention
1t is fact perfectly well knswn to Tie Journal
~ Commerce, that the holding Of Fremont meetings
Ind the nomination of Fremont tickets 10 prevented
in all the slaveholding States oaly by sae terrer
inspired and the arbitrary aetsperformed 81 threat
ened BY slavehold;sg Vigilance Committees. So
leLg as the San Frsncisco Committee coa6nes L.
.lg l.. or NJ. r1 th<>A
nent of ballot box suffers we shall yet have hopes
Of the State. Should the San francisco Com.
nittee 20 as far 20 our Southern Vigilance Com
mittees co. should it undertake TO prevent the
formation at the ensuing election of any ticket
opposed to its recent acts, by sending ints Danish
~ent all Who toks any public part IN such proceed
iDgs, we should then be prepared to second all the
censures Of The .osrnal Of Commerce. The following
passage Of The. annals article which is sny appl.
cable to the San Fraacsco Committee on
supposition Of the truth Of which We see no
evidence apples with all ths force Of fact and
truth to the slAyehold.ng Vigilance Committees
which dominass throughout tie South:
"Unrestrsired by ths guarantees thai protect the
sitizen from hciS oppression under regularly organ
ied govern0e ns, conscious that their Own personal
sSfety inyoved In their maintenance OF Do Ter
wanting all reliance On the legality Of their action
which Us the only stable foundation of authority, the
Vigilance Committee Of San F,sacisco are Iresistibly
Dpeed TO policy OF repression that can be carried
out only BY reign OF terror. Hence, not sur
ped TO learn by this arrival Of fresh seventies super
added TO the public executions and secret midnight
banis hmt ns Of WHICH We have ssesdy published
accounts. The tine which has elapsed since the
orgs nizaon Of this despotc anarchy indicates that
the victims last 60 aIiced not among those whose
uv-c ds pie AIDED in justification of the original
revolutionary usurpation and violence Perhap, their
crime, Shatever may have been the pretext for pun.
hment, was objected against the Committees .over-
.ignty. That 10 the least psrdOnable and most fl o
grant OF al ofsnses i'll the eyes Of power and mere
especially OF power wroagfuly acquired and rneht
.oury giHpsd which sees revolt every Thoughtful
trUw, ard feArs conspiracy in every social act"
Had Tho Journal Of Commerce intended to draw
Il portrait Of the Slave Power in its present atti.
Nude, cosld it have succeeded better How pre-.
esey il hits Of TIE feelings win which the slave
holders regard the Republic ,n party, and the nomi
nation Of Fremont, Ho~ perfectly true, as every
Newspaper that comes from the South shows, that
tre most asg'tiCus and least pardonable Of al
,dtpses in tie eye. Of power wrongfully acquired
sbd unris ously graspsd, h the attempt to place
| the control Of sffAirs in other hands. How true
that the possessors Of power 80 endangered, set
in sSep n0,Anatiou opposed to them conspiracy