New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-23
NEW-YORK.
TO THE REPUBLICAN ELECTORS OF
THE STATE.

fEI.LOW-CITIZEkS: In GsVcIbmeue ''i "eu -
is our own, and resting upon popular suffrage tor
ib bepefcent adminit not to cay it' very ex'
istence, no pencn clothed with the prrogatiVe OF
voter can iDnocenty intermit the exercise OF sne
important duty to which be is csllsd BY the recur-
renee Of an election. Duty to bis country, respect
for the memory AID Is5or' Of tbose who Ia'd tho
foundations Of our Republican Institutions, regard
for present personal interest, jast sense OF TIE
claims Of posieri,y, and above all grateful sppre
ciaticn of the blessings Of se government WHEN
wisely adm ni,tered all call you TO faithful exercse
Of the privilege which preeminenty distinguishes toe
American citizen. The man who Gao only be stirred
TO the exercise of thi high function by the dn OF popu
lar turmoil and excitement cannot be said TO possess
the characteristics Of patriot. nor those of msn OF
wiseom. No general election can occur in which bsd
OF incompetent may not be chosen to oh ce II vir
tuous ar intelligent citizens neglect TO eIerciset the v
iIt ee ard duty through which such result may bs
thS aed. Experience has demonstrated tn times OF
con parave sagna,cn those nOs dangerous TO the
well.tebg Of the State. II wss "while men slept
that the "enemy sowed tsres among the wheat and
it is at times when the popular miud is exhausted by
previous excitement, and public watchfdlness is
measurably with6 rswp, that men with personal inter
ests to subserve ar ambitious motives TO crafty
mort keen in the pursuit Of their objects, counting
largely upon the epsthy Of the community for the sue
cets Of their schemes. Considerations such as these
aside from Others Of higher import, call upon the Re-
publican Electors of this State to put forth strenuous
exerons for the maintenance Of their princples-de-
msnd from each the consecration Of an hour, and il
need be of day, TO the service Of the State and
country.
The last autumn al election evinced uumistskably
the fact that in New.York, well 10 nearly every
Northern State, the spt which actuated our fathers
;n their struggle for FTeedomthe principles Of justice
and equality which had been engraited upon our ns'
tutions by those who famed them-wss neither Ell
tinct in the minds Of their postery nor unspprec
by the large majority Of our citizens Ii needed hut
an occasion to witness the manifestation of feeling
as prevalent as it is 6eep-seated-a sentiment that
scorBs aId condemns injustice and tyranny, whether
Inflicted under the egs OF State laws ana the cogno
men Of peculiar institutions; or enforced upon un.
wiling citizens by the bayonets OF Fedefal soldiery
uI der the ilutory designation Of "popular sovereign
ty." No man who rightly appreciates the American
character will for moment believe that sentiment
at once just tolerant and democratic-ths eusna!ion
of feelings implanted for high and holy purposes in our
very nsiurecan be either eracicaed or Overbolne by
defeat. No. II is not in the extinction OF the honest
convicors Of the free citizens Of the North that the
Slave Democracy place their confidence. Their trnst
ia in the supDeI Of their Repub lean antsg
Their hope Of success Is based upon superior ac1sty
upon the conviction that their forces are largely con-
Brought into requistion; while the less coruptible
rural DOT ulaOn from whose Intelligence and patriot
ism they have little to expect and much to fear, are
scattered over epsrsey popu ated DISTRICTS engaged in
earnest occupation and too often prone to waive tue
exercise ef their elective franchise They point to the
recent elections ip Western States, and claim the
diminished Republican vote as an evidence OF the in.
creasipg popularity Of the present General
Administration; and derive from ostensibe ap-
pearsrces encouragement 10 fresh eXertions
sgainst the integrity of NewYork. They strive
to alien ate the friends Of Freedom fon1 each other
ard while lsborng themselves in behalf Of
an Oligarchy which sioks all considerations OF party
ard bends ell shades Of opinion into one OF devotion
to the perpeuty ard extension Of Slavery, they exto
CT the highest mpotan,e every party capice, no v
ever absurd that shall answer the one great purpose
Of keeping asurder who agree upou the most vital
principles of government. How far hopes and expect
aioDs oupded upon assumptions such a. these are tn
be realized, the Republicans OF New-lOrk must an
aver We call their attention TO the subject 10 the
earl est conviction that zsa untrng activity aud per-
sisent labor from this time TO the cosiog Of the polls
are indispensable 10 the maintenance OF the proud po
siton which NewYork holds In the galaxy oil Free
States.
OF no truth are our political opponents more thor
oughly convinced than Of the fac. that submission
Of national issues to the test OF popular verdict
would result at the last election, In their overwhsn
ipg defeat Hence their efforts to wlthd'aw the pub
he attention from the progressive inroad Of tbs Slave
Power and to turn 1t aside to the considsraton Of
questions of far less weight and magnitude Sscure
in the possession Of the Executive Judicial and L,g.
lative baIches Of the General Government theit et.
forts are 6irect to the cong Of the State
ereigntes ss the only barrier TO unlimited lnsdc ion
Seizi upon circumstances Of unavoidable necessity
they nalgn aLo dstort the action Of State Legs
lature; seek TO alarm the pubic mind in regard to
questions OF domestic policy, for the occurrence Of
which they alike responsible. and trust, through
the tradiiopary dislike Of our citizens to taxation TO
,xs VY.apUa
net be attained by fair and legitmat, means
All fleeing mind. concur In regarding the Csoals
OF this State iDhertaoce o which she hes lust
Cause to be proud. Not 40 Executive has been fou I'd
since their construction commenced Of whatever
political faith who hse not procleimed them Oh
tct WORTHY Of the fostering care OF the State sod
itch not Only in the revenues which they held 10 the
increased valuation Of property which they have pro
duced in the facilities Of transportation fdrasaed
citizens, but, more than all. in the teemng
proc uctops poured into the lap Of thi@ Safe from
ui full West, invigora,iug our coumsrce, bGudiug Hp
our cities andaddipg mmeasnrsbiy to the 1sa'th of
the State at home ard iis character abroad. s, firmly
fixed is this conviction Of the value Of oar intsras
~ p!oyemelts in the mir de Of our ciiEsos that no
party has yet been found which ha, dsrsd 70 make
their abandonment, even curtailnert of progress
an Article of distlnc i've f.ith experiment Wn %
ther.f in 1853 the legislature failed. at s regular
sesfion to make that provision toward contiuusncs
of the Enlargement Of the Ems and Oswego Canals
which Gov. ~ mour, 10 his annual message hal
recommended he convoked them toto extra sessiou
to compel the adoption OF means whereby the end h.
deemed 70 necessary shodld be secured TIE cons'i
tutiona limit Of Indebtedness had been resehed aud
TO me shert Of amepdment Of that instrument
whereby s., ,OoO coo could be botro~ed and applied
to the e,isIgemept was deemed adequate to the
emergency. Resolutions 10 this ef.ct were accord
uely reported by a joint Committee, eompo .ed
Of six Democrats and two Wbigs; sud the oon.titr
ticr al amendment thus inflated wss adopted by voe
o. % to in the Senate. and with psrfea unsumity
in the Assembly-tbus showing the entire abu,ga-
marked in this respect was the vote at the ding
session when another Legislature adopted the same
resolutious with but single dissenting vote 10 each of
sttutops amer dment was su omitted 10 popular ratif.