New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-17


Two years ago this day, the fret National Con-
yenton of the Republican party assembled at Phla.
delphia to nominate candidates for President and
Vice-President That Convention proceeded to
frame and adopt truly Republican platform, and
TO nominate JOHN C. FREMONT of California for
President and WILLIAM l.. DAYTON of New'Jer-
sey for Vice .President-men widely known and
favorably regarded by their fellow citizens gener-
ally az hsyiog eeterved well Of their country What
delupe of fssebood and scurri!oas defamation that
nomination provoked-how Col. Fremont was held
up 10 the country ss of dsbonorahle pareDtsge and
foreign birth-how certificates and afiidavits were
piled upon each other, proclaiming him Roman
Catholic, in order to repel the "Americans y from
bis support-how he was denounced as detaulter,
pecrlator, swndler, &C., and once actually adver-
tised as having run oay-cannOt so soon have faded
from the public mind And these attacks were ss
unprovoked as they we're strocious. The Republl-
cans did not assal the personal integrity or blacken
tie private character of either Mr.. buchanan or
Mr. Fillmore We opposed those gentlemen and
supported Col. Fremont because of the principles
and public measures with which they were resPec-
lively identified, but We said nothing which should
have given pain TO those nearest to them. we leu
them worship God as they SAW fit, and left their
mothers ashes undlsturbed in their grassy graves.
We made our canvass on broad and vital issues OIL
the highest National concern, and were answered
by the arguments of assassns of reputation, clothed
10 the language of blackgusrds. Thus were the
minds of thousands preiudced and closed against
our oppeele, thus Wara We. BY the aid OF extraor'
binary expenditures of mOney-our adversarles nav
pg all the Federal offices and great preponder-
ance of the wealth of the country in their interest
oyerpowered in the ballot though triumphant in the
canvass. We were voted down BY those who
could not read and would not hear our arguments
by the stolid resistance of few Counties IN
Eastern Pennsylvania, by the votes, IN good part
Illegal of the Railroad labOrers Temporarily en-
camped in Indiana and Illinois. While "Amerl'
cans" were steeled against us by bold, persistent
falsehoods making out Col. Fremont Catholic, the
Catholic vote was cast against him with unauimi-
ty and in numbers quite beyond parallel. We be-
leye the majority of Irish votes thrown TOR bd'
cbsnan exceeded the whole number of lrishmen
legally entitled to vote in the country.
We recall these facts to-day, in no spirit OF weak
complaint or idle regret. They point US to fa-
ture full of hope ard encouragement. Whether
COL Fremont or another shall lead us In the con-
test of 1860 it is not possible that he should be i-
messuraby, recklessly atIoclously deiamed as
was our standard. bearer in 1856. Our principles
are better known; our purposes cannot be made
the bupbear that they then were. We war not on
the right of any State TO establish or MAINTAIN
Slavery if it WILL but on thoss assumptions which
had converted all the territory Of the Union into
Slave Territory aud were fast converting the Free
States into virtual Slave States. Our exlsteLce as
party is an active protest against the cesse'ess
aggressicns and encIOachmeLts ofthe Slave Power
against that naughty spirit which had succeeded IN
making u belief in the insienable Rights OF Man
bar to any participation 10 Federal Offices or honors
against that spirit which has trebled, BY purchase
ard conquest, the area Of Slave Labor under our
stars and stripes, and was on the high road to un-
checked dominion when checked by the organiza-
ton and attitude of the Republican party. IAou-
sands who ignore the connection OF cause ana
effect are quite aware that great change mas oeeh
effected aid is still in prOaress-thst the now GER
tain organization Of Kansas as Free STATE stops
forever the advance Of Slavery toward the ho'th
aud north-west-that Texas lie liLely to yield more
Free than Slave States to our Union-that the at
tempt to reopen the Slave Trade is one of the most
disastrous failures Of this Of general bankruptcy
that Missouri is clearly preparing to swell the
ranks of the Free States, and that Delaware and
others will not long lag behind. Slavery, con-
demned by the cear-sighted Political Economy no
less than by the enlightened Morality of our age, is
coined to decline and vanish in the full blaze of
Humanity and Christianity of cur sge; it needs
only that it be confronted by quiet steady, deter
mined, but constitutional resistance, to insure and
hasten that benignant contamination. We cherish
joyful hopes that 1860 will make this plain to many
who now disbelieve it.