New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-23

Of the Post Office have for once served ago0d turn.
The memory Of Washington will be bbacously
and oratorically recalled at the Astor House TINS
evening by "the friends Of civil and religious liber-
ty"-not, We trust, by all those in this city who
have some small claim to that creditabe title, but
BY such of "the friends aforesaid as have the
Inclination to purchase tickets aud the money
wherewithal 10 pay for them. There will, no
doubt, be prodigious salvo of post-prandial co
quence, the biggest gun to be discharged on the
occasion being Stephen A. Douglas, who is 80 we'll
known throughout the country as leading "friend
"of civil and religious liberty 1t is true that
this Douglas has a peculiar and eccentric way OF
showing his deep devotion to the principles thus
indicated. We all know his achievements in the
Grill department, which have consisted mainly in
efforts to establish Slavery wherever Freedom
now exists, and which have resulted in the incom'
pu.abe amount Of civil liberty" now voucbsafcd
to the people of Kansas. In the religious line Mr..
Douglas has had the same odd method Of prov
ing his soul-absorbiDg passion for Liberty.
This be has done by splitting upon three
thousand cergymen for exercising the re-
ligious liberty of protesting against great
legislative crime. Douglas has since en-
desvored to compromise matters by giving some
land or money to Baptist church, which donation,
We cOLfe astouished us just as much as If we
had heard for the first time that Tom Paine was 8
liberal subscriber to the American Tract Society.
On the whole, We do think that somebody better
qualified, both BY his opinions and his an.ecedents,
might have been selected to talk upon such an &C.
casion. For to put this man forward as the
euogist of WashingtOn-this man, who is the
foremost champion Of despot sm in America
this man, who cannot hear of freedom
without falling in'O passion and railing
like a fish.wife-this man, Shiny from crawling
in the mre at the feet of the slayeholders-ths man,
who has shown that not one pulsation Of his heart
beats responsive to the principles Of the American
Reyolution-this man, so loathed by the humane ard
intellgent-t is an insult to the memory of the
great cbeftsin whom there is pretense Of honor
Jog. That it should come to this, that the con.
temptation Of that character should have brought
forth no worther fruit that men should remember
Washington, and remember him 10 so little pur.
pose
Mr.. Douglas will undoubtedly want text for
bis speech, and we generously present him with
several. Peihops the very small giant has been
reading up in Sparks for this occasion. If 50, has
he not ced the resolution drafted BY Washington
and adopted sat general meeting Of the freehold
ers AID inhabitants of the County Of Fairfax, 3"
July Il, IVA II is as follows:
"ResOlred, Tha, i. is the opinion Of this meeting
kb.4 nd no
slaves ought be imported into any OF the Bsh col
onies on Ibis continent and We take this opportunity
CT declaring Our most earnest wlshss 10 see an ectre
stop put 10 such wicked, cruel ana unnscr. trade
There is something for the author Of the
Nebra,k a Kansas bill pr.yerfaly 10 consider beicre
he discharges himself tonight. And does be know
that Washington wrote TO Lafayette, encouraging
him in bis scheme for the emancipation OF his
slaves in Cayenne that he wrote to Robert Morris,
declaring that no man wished more than be did
80 to ste plan adopted for the abolition Of Slavery
4" ard that for such plan bis suffrage should never
Z" be wanting" that be declared in I7S3 that ne
meant never to buy another slave that In letter
10 Charles Pinckney in 1872 lie spoke Of the
- oireful effects Of Slavery that upon bis death
he emsncips;ed his slaves The opinions OF Wash
pgton upon this question are 100 Well Known 70
REQUIRE here vouchers or Illustrations. They were
In clear and beautiful consistency with al his
political professions ard 9th bis lu.trous position
before he world. II he did not at once carry them
into practct-b be considered the difficulties OF
do NJ 90 insuperabe-he never canted in defense Of
vba. lie pronounced Fin and a wrong. Tas
uanliness OF his character usay Of his modern
- arA
how could an Everett or : Douglas have done
Otherwise Cen We expect of such men that they
MI iadi:ec.lJ proclaim to the world .hsir 0wa