The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-11

ton of the Republican Party. By that Decla-
ration it must stand or fall. Emasculate it, and
there are men now sustaining it who would
scout the organization, and trample it under
foot-men enough to destroy its power-and
they would do it. That Declaration is true, and
let the Truth be maintained boldly and without
equivocation, cost what it may. If you say the
Party cannot succeed with it, we answer, Just
as positively, it cannot succeed without it. But,
we say, it can succeed with it, for there is no
Principle avowed therein which is not true, and
adherence to which has not brought to it in
creasing strength. That Declaration commands
the cordial assent of large majority of the
voters of the free States, and, if honestly and
manfully appealed to, they will sustain it at the
ballot-box, whatever purblind politicians may
apprehend. The time for shams has gone by.
Slavery has unmasked itself, and boldly de-
mands universal recognition and supremacy.
The Republican Party meets it as boldly, rejects
the demand, and claims for Liberty universal
recognition and supremacy. 1t is false that the
People are not ripe for such an issue-false that
they are not up to the standard of the Republ
can Party Has not that party for the last three
years controlled the political power of nearly all
the Free States, and is it not to-day stronger in
all of them than it was in 1856?
But, what avails all this, it is asked, so long
as it shall be unable to take possession of the
Federal Government? Nothing to the spoils-
men, the camp-followers, whose hearts are set
upon Federal patronage, but much every way
in the cause of Freedom. A strong, honest
minority, like the Republican Party, welding
the power of nearly all the Free States, must ex-
ert more decisive influence in favor of Liber-
ty, although the Federal Government be in the
hands of the Slave Democracy, than could be
exerted by an accidental majority, blown up by
a popular impulse, brought into power without
principle, with no common object and no bond
of union, but pledge to avoid distracting and
sectional issues. Shall we never learn wisdom
by the things that we have suffered? Such a
majority made General Harrison President,
John Tyler Vice President, John C. Calhoun
Secretary of State, and it was while Tyler was
acting President that the Texas plot was brought
to head. What good did yonr accidental ma
iority do then? Just such majority gave
TAYLOR and Fillmore under the Admins
tration of the latter, the Fugitive Slave act was
passed, and the Wilmot Proviso Abandoned
and, so rapid was the process Of decentralization,
that that same majority solemnly affirmed, at
Baltimore, in 1852, that the Slavery Question
should no more be agitated or discussed!
The politicians who now seek to disguise Re-
publican victories, by styling them Opposition"
and propose Peoples Party, to comprehend all
the opponents of the Administration, Of whatso
ever complexion, ignoring or subordinating the
Slavery issue, would repeat the experiments of
1910 and l848. That is their policy. Could
they achieve success in such way, the FEEDER
al Government might change hands, but it
would not change principles Slavery would
still WELD its power, whoever might be the
benefciaries of its trusts; and speedy reaction
would soon restore to power the Democracy,
with enlarged capacities for sectional atrocities
On the other hand, look at the open, honest
battle fought by the Republicans in 1856.
They met the Slave Democracy, face to face
ciples and purposes explicitly resorted to no
evasion, no subterfuge, no compromise, no
clap-trap. What was the result? They failed
to obtain possession of the Federal Government,
but they did not fail to save Kansas from Sla-
very. They did not succeed in turning the
the Slave Power out of the White House; but
they did succeed in baking every scheme it
was continuing for its aggrandizement. What
has Slavery gained since 1856? Nothing.
What would it not have gained, had not its
auxiliaries in the Free States on whom it relies
for its conquests, been rendered to great ex-
tent powerless by the Republican Party?
But, is it never to have possession of the
Federal Government? Yes-only, however,
by adhering to its own Principles and its own
Statesmen. There is no other way. 1t is now
ascendant by the force of those principles and
the character of those men, in all the Free
States, except New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Hi
nois, and California in these States its growth
is steady in Illinois, it even claims a majority
of the popular vote.
In addition to the States we now control, We
need only Pennsylvania and New Jersey, to
carry the election in 1860, even without the
help of Illinois, Indiana, and California, But,
let the counsels Of the timid and time-serving
prevailed the Republican Party be persuaded
to lower its standard to put aside its princi-
Piles, to permit itself to be absorbed by Peo-
Piles Party, under the lead of National" men
socalled, and to suffer its old standard-bear-
ers to be stricken down, and how many of the
States, now recognising it, would continue to
acknowledge it =? You might gain Pennsylva
MIA and New Jersey, but you would lose New
England, New York, and the West. Where
then, your chances for victory in 1860?
Remember, Shams have died out I" Hard
Cider" and g Log Cabin" Buena Vista " and
"Palo Alto" cannot supply ammunition fol
another campaign. The discussions of the last
ten years have educated the People; they know
that they have to deal with real Question, in
volving fundamental Principles, affecting the
destinies of the Union /; and they will pour con
tempt on the politicians who shall be so i'm
pertinent as to attempt to treat them like chill
dren, and make light of their deep convictions
We shall resume the subject in anothe
number.
| The AMERICAN Treaty. WITH CHINA-Tht
reader will find, in another column, a highly in
teresting article upon this subject, from the Lon
don Times. Our Minister to China, it will b,
seen, is handled without gloves" We profes
to know nothing of the manner in which the ne
gotiation has been conducted, and we give th'
article for what it is worth We are aware tina