The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-20
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND ITS
ACCUSERS.

thropic association 1t is not organized for the
purpose of establishing theological opinions
and disseminating piety, or of sending bibles
and missionaries to the Heather.
A civil government that should attempt to
repress sin and spread holiness, by pains and
penalties, by fine, imprisonment, and the halter,
or which should take money from the pockets
of the People to dispense for eleemosynary OBJ
jects, would be guilty of an invasion of the
rights of God and man. II is bound TO protect
absolute freedom of inquiry into all subjects,
but it may not propagate religious ideas. 1t
may not undertake to disseminate piety, al
though it is bound to secure to every man the
right TO worship God according to the dictates
of his own conscience. 1t may not punish sin,
merely because it is sin, for that is the prerog-
alive of the Almighty; but it is bound to punish
crime. 1t may control the acts, bat it cannot
reach the heart. 1t may eonstrain respect for
the rights of man; it cannot awaken love to
God. Its true object is, to protect every indi.
vidual within its jurisdiction in the enjoyment
of life, liberty, property, and the pursuit OF hap
piness, thus securing peace, order, and prog
ress and the Principle which should govern
its action is, Equality of Rights, which is only
another name for Justice.
The sphere of civil government defines the
sphere Of politics. A Party has no right to
propose for action what Government is res
strained from doing. The limitation Of one
must be the limitation of the other.
1t is nonsense to say that, under this defni-
ton, a Political Party must necessarily be self
ish If by this be meant, that it ia not benev-
client association, is not organized for the solepur
pose of doing good to others, then it is selfsh-
but we submit that this is an abuse oflanguage.
By sel6shness, we always mean that Principle
or Feeling which leads q man to sacrifice the
rights and interests of others, when they con-
1ict with his own interest or pleasure. To seek
bis own improvement, comfort, welfare, is not
selfish, if at the same time he shall respect and
seek the interests of his neighbor-in other
words, love his neighbor as himself. As with
the individual, so with the Party If it give
evidence, by its acts, that it seeks power for
the sake of the benefits it brings to itself, at
the cost of the interests of others, or even with
out reference to them, it is selfish, and ought
to be repudiated by the People. But if, while
aiming at power, while proposing to discharge the
functions of government according to its ideas of
policy, it at the same time respects the rights of
all within the sphere of its action, and is at pains
to do justice to them all, it deserves the conf
dence of the People; and he who denounces it
as selfish because it is not q philanthropical
association, governed solely by considerations
for the interests of others is guilty of absurd
ity and an injustice. fits controlling Idea be,
Justice to all within the sphere of its action, the
Protection and Advancement of all legitimate
Interests within the jurisdiction of the Govern
ment whose power it would direct, it is all that
philanthropist or divine can ask of it.
We should not have thought it necessary to
present these elementary views, but for a
sweeping invective against the Republican
Party lately published in the New York hide
pendent by the Rev. George B. Cheever. We
are not partisan, and cannot be said to be-
long properly to any Party but we deeply re-
greet that man of the position of DR.. Cheever
sho4ld see proper to denounce so unqusli6edly
the only imposing Political organization in the
country, pledged by its professions and its acts
to the Principle of Equal Rights.
If it be true that no Political Party deserves
support, which does not undertake to define |
what is sin against God, and pledge itself to its
exterminaion wherever found, DR.. Cheever's de |
annexation of the Republicans is all right-for |
certainly that is not their position. The indivd |
uals composing the Republican Party may
agree with DR.. Cheever, or they may not. Some |
Of them are religious men, and, in the several |
church organizations to which they belong, are |
prepared to unite with him in appropriate |
action on the subject of Slavery-but they
are not prepared to convert their Party |
into an ecclesiastical body. Some of them |
are Philsnthropists, and are ready to do all
that can be done by Christian instrumental
tiles for the redemption of the enslaved every
where-but they are not willing to convert
their Party into a philanthropic association.
All regard Slavery, whoever may be its victims,
as q violation of the rights of human nature,
barbsrous and cruel system, repugnant to
Democratic Ideas, a formidable obstacle to
Human Progress, and do not hesitate to say
so-but as a Party they claim no right TO inter
fere with it, where the Government which they
seek to control has no right of interference
And yet, because the Party will not do this,
will not usurp ecclesiastical functions, will not
act as a benevolent association, will not proclaim
Slavery " a SIM" "worthy of DEATH" and, of
course, pledge itself to overthrow this SIM"
punish the sinner, and rescue the four millions
sinDed against, it falls under the maledictions
Of DIR. Cheever. 1t is guilty of unmingled
ard absorbing sel6shness )" it is engaged "no
longer in conflict against enslaving Others"
bat only in "self-defence y" the deliberate
remuneration of all obligations of Justice or
mercy TO the enslaved, the forgetfulness and
disregard of principle toward God and benevo
leuce toward man, and the degradation of the
warfare to mere strife of political superior;tv
between the slave States and the free. or be-.
tween slave labor and free, are indications
omiDous of evil II"
The thing against which majority in the
House of Representatives have been sfiffaned
and propped up to a trsnsitory display of stead.
fastness, was not the monstrous iniouitv of
forcing the Slavery of black persons upon a
State, but that of forcing Constitution upon
the State, soittOut consent Of The sclite people
The inhumanity and immortality of Slaperu
ITSELF and injustice and wickedness of enslavine
he blacks, would not have provoked conflict.
On the naked principle of opposition against
Slavery, or against enslaving The blacks, ma.
jority could not have been rallied"
He proceeds, turning over and over this same