New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-29

The fippancy with which great parties are
charged, on the most insufficient grounds, or none
at all, with changing deserving their principles,
hA. been seldom more strikiugy Illustrated than in
the recent cool assertion Of city journal that the
Republicans have abandoned the principles On
which they fought their late Presidential battle
and adopted those of Senator Douglas This reck-
less assertion is paralleled by that which begins to
be insinuated in the journals peculiarly devoted to
President Buchansn-or perhaps We should say
to the patronage of which he is the official dis
penser-thst Mr.. Douglas has abandoned his Ne
braska doctrines and adopted those Of the Black
Republicans" Let us restse the truth therein SO
strangely perverted.
The Republican doctrines with respect to Slay-
cry, IA set forth in the authoritative resolves aud
maniiestoes of that party, are substantially as fol-
lows:
l. Slavery is d relation founded in violence and
force, and against natural right Its legality can
not therefore be presumed nor inferred, but must
rest on basis Of positive law.
9. This law can have no force or validity beyond
the jurisdiction Of the enacting power, saye by the
express assent or compact Of some other power,
and then only within the jurisdiction of such
power.
3. The Federal Government was never clothed
with and does not possess the power OF ensaving
men, and cannot establish Slavery within its es-
pecai jurisdiction.
d. A Territory is but a creature or dependency
of the Federal Government, and as the stream
cannot rise higher than its fountain, has no power
to establish or uphold The institution of Slavery.
5. 1t being the expires; duty of the Federal Gov.
ernment to establish Justice among those subject
to its sway TO the extent of its ability, it is morally
and imperstively bound TO establish equal and just
laws for the Territories which it may create; and
this obligation precludss the liberation of Slavery in
those Territories or any of them.
Such is substantially the Republican creed, as
SET forth in ever so many Platforms, Addresses,
Speeches, &C., &c. What part Of it is incomPat-
ible with our cooperation with Senator Douglas IN
opposing the Lecomptot swindle
Mr.. Douglas as We understood him, opened up
the Nebraska issue by asserting the absolute indie
feasible right Of each political community to adopt
such institutions aud enact such laws as to 1t shall
seem good, subject as to our own States and Ter
rtories, TO the requirements of our Federal Con-
stitution. His corolary from this position was the
inherent right of any Territory to establish saY'
cry should it see fit.
We never assented, and do not now assent, either
to the premise or the conclusion. We contend that
all political power has moral limitations and that
laws flsgrantly unjust have no moral validity. Ii
in Virginia We conform to the slave laws Of Viz
ginia, or in France submit to the despotism of
Louis Napoleon we do it az an alien who, BY en-
terng the dominion of foreign power, enters into
plainly implied compact to do So II citizen,
whether of France OF Virginia, we should feel not
only at liberty but under moral obligation TO act
in the manner we deemed most likely to bring the
despotsm of the former or the slavery OF the latter
to an end at the earliest possible day.
1t was in vain that we urged upon the Nebraska
ties throughout the last three years" You say
that the People of Territory have righttniy the
power to establish such domestic institutions
as they may prefer: We maintain that, until
Slavery is established by some competent au-
thorty, Liberty ia the right of every innocent
human adult: You say that the community has
night 10 decide for Itself whether to have Slavery
OF not but you jeLy 20 the Backs, who are a