The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-24

reSOiullons auoPVcu 10, IrosccIiOn 10 manufac
turers. There is nothing else. Slavery and
Ant-Slavery, the Dred Scott Decision, Kansas,
the English Swindle, the designs of the Slave
Power on Central America, Mexico, Cuba. the
Prc-Slavery Despotism at Washington, are all
utterly ignored. We are to have great Peo-
Piles Party in the thirty.two States of this On.
ion, organized to elect Protectionist Presi-
dent, without the slightest reference to any other
issue, just because the iron-masters ard the
miners of Pennsylvania think their interests
would be promoted by heavy taxes on foreign
coal and iron. Republicans, Americans, and
Anti Lecompton Democrats, are expected to
lay aside all their distinctive ideas and issues
and form National Party, to secure to man.
ufacturers. iron-masters, miners, and sugar
planters, complete monopoly of the American
market, on their own terms
We are not going to discuss the Tariff Cues
ton, but we are sure our readers, whatever their
opinions on the subject of Protection, will agree
with us, that the attempt to organize Nation.
al Party on that single Principle, or the attempt
to engrsft it as Principle in the creed of the
Republican or any other National Party, is an
sbsurdity. Let the State organizations of all
Parties deal with the subject as they please. In
Pennsylvania, . prevailing sentiment in favor
of Protection enters more or less into every
political organization in other States, an I'd.
verse sentiment prevails. The endorsement BY
q National Republican Convention of Pennsyl.
vania views might strengthen the Party in that
State, but would defeat it in others, and in all,
ALLEVIATE many of it's warmest supporters.
Wsllinformed and sincere Republicans,
whether in opinion favorable or unfavorable to
Protection, will deprecate, We are sure, all At
tempts, come from what quarter they may, to
raise new issues tending to supersede the great
Issue not yet settled between Freedom and Sla-
very.
We may all recollect how reluctant the ma.
jority of the People of the free States were to
meet this momentous Question-by what de.
vices their political leaders labored to evade il,
and exclude it from party politics. That Sla-
very was aggressive and despotic, that it had
possessed itself of the Federal Government,
was dominant in the Federal Councils, and was
in the habit of using the Federal power for it's
special interests, was admitted, but the old par
ties winked at the evil, and did not dare to Crap
pie with it. One Administration would inter
pose to prevent the South American Patriots,
in their struggle for independence, from making
Q descent upon Cuba, lest in the resulting
convulsion, the slaves might be emancipated,
and dangerous shock be given to the slave
system in the South. Anothe r would invite
Great Britain to enter into arrangements for
the surrender Of fugitive slaves in Canada. An
other would pertinaciousy insist upon the de-
livery of American slaves, who in the course of
the domestic slave trade had been driven, by
stress of weather, into British colonial ports.
Another would enter into secret and unsuthor.
lied negotiations for the purchase of Cuba
with its million of slaves, to add to the secu.
rity and power of Slavery. And, for many
successive years, after 1884, the most high.
handed and disgraceful measures were taken
by Congress to repress the mere discussion
of the Question of Slavery-by denying the
right of petition, violating the freedom of dis
custom, interfering with the liberty of the press,
and attempting to subject the United States
mail to official censorship.
All these acts and outrages demonstrated
the working of Slavery as despotic and con-
trolling element in our Federal Government;
but the People generally were intent upon
other Questions, organized in Parties managed
to q great extent by shareholders, and they re.
garded as fanatical the efforts of the few Lib.
erty men who sought TO expose the EVIL and
apply the remedy.
Meantime, having effected firm Judgement
in the Government, the Slave Interest aimed
to extend its area, and com menced that series
of aggressive movements which, embracing
Texas as its FIRST acquisition, brought on, the
var with Mexico, involved the country in the
agitation of the Wilmot Proviso, led to the pas
sage of the Fugitive Slave act, and the abandon.
ment of the policy of the Ordinance of 1887,
until finally, in 1854, it repealed the Missouri
Compromise, and through violence, fraud, and
the power of an Administration utterly subser-
Went to its policy, attempted to fasten Slavery
as fact upon Kansas, and establish it in the
DRY in every Territory of the Union.
At each successive aggression, Public Opin.
ion was moved, party ties we're loosened, and
the number of those who desire to make The
question of Slavery paramount, multiplied;
but party attachments are powerful, and men
dreaded to meet an issue which must necessa.
rily arouse sectional strife and animosity.
When, however, in 1854, the Slave Power, em-
boldened by success and the apparent subser.
vience of the Northern mind, boldly assailed
the Missouri Compromise-which,c onsecrsting
the whole of our Territory north of $50 36< to
Freedom, was itself coEsecrated in the affec-
tions of the Northern People-abrogated it, and
let loose Slavery Propagandism upon Kansas,
their patience gave way, party ties were snap.
ped asunder, old political organizations were
broken up, and suddenly the masses of the
People of the Free States found themselves oc-
cupying, as Republicans, the same ground on
which the Free Soil men had stood for so many
years. The great question or questions be-
tween Slavery and Freedom were brought to
trial. Two parties emerged from the convul.
sion-the Party Of Slavery, in possession of
the machinery of the Democratic Party, and
its name, and in possession of the Federal
Government and the Party of Freedom, COM
posed of men of every variety of political opin-
on, but united by q single purpose-the pur.
pose to overthrow the Slave Power, and bring
the Federal Government under the control of
the non Shareholders. ----
Now, will those gentlemen, who are trying
to get up Tariff excitement, and those who
are talking complscently of reconstruction of