New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-15

We have already published Senator Stewards Last
speech, and have expressed our commentator Of 1t
IN .uch general terms as we think it deserved inere
are some points Of it, however 10 which we 90 not
yield our assent; and TO avoid msinterpretatlon,
We wish to allude to them. But first we WISH 70
express our dislike TO the system OF generahzlns
upon subjects Of immediate interest, that require
practical treatment, into which some statesmen ana
legislators are prone to fall. For example, We DIS
like to be told as we were by the late Mr. Webster
that the laws Of climate are against the spread oil
Slavery in certain ATTITUDES and that therefore II is
not worth while to concern ourselves in the passage
specific eractments to exclude that very peculiar
institution from such ATTITUDES. We thank no man
for thrustinga general principe in our face reply
to proposal to do reasonable act. Instead OF
the late Mr.. Webster therefore, who was against
"Wilmot' in the cases of Utah and New Mexico,
we prefer the former Mr.. Webster, who, before ne
became subImated in his principles of legislation,
advocated and applied q "Wilmot" to Oregon.
n. Guizot while managing the political affairs or
Louis Philippe, was fond, according to his menta
theories instead of dealing with the sctual facts OF
his situation. Thus, Immediately before the revo-
luton which sent bis master into preclpitate
and unanticipated retirement, the phiosophlc
statesman, instead Of penetrating, as il was his duty
to have done, the actual circumstances around
him, busted himself in composing essays to demon
strate by an exposition of the broad considerations
of historical progress, that a revolution at that
iuncture was impossible. His phiosophic exposition
and the news ofthe revolution got publicity in several
distant European capitals on the same day Germane
TO this subject observations OF that Usual
" cear-sighted and hard. headed Yankee, Senator
Collamer Of Vermont. He is man who generally
goes directly TO the point and makes his blows
tell about as certainly and effectively as any man in
the Senate. But even he took to philosophzlng
few days ago after this fashion;
81 cannot but say at times, that if we look at the
subject of African Slavery a broad and liberal
scale, and with reference to great periods IN tho
progress Of the world il s after all very small sub
Iect very little affair think from the footprints
they have left behind it is obvious that the family OF
man makes around this earth great cycles of revou
ticn. They follow the setting sun. The human fam,
lily prompted by reasons which they cannot control
.
from the east westward At the present moment, tne
great exodus of Europe, which is throwing its ava
lancbe on tins continent, joined with the emlgrants
from the Lorthern and eastern portions of this country,
20 to swell the great tide of emigration. The family
of is led out to possess it, great patrnony. II
is going around the earth, and the little accidental
colonization of a few Africans here, compared with
this is nothing but small eddies along the margin of
the great stream. 1t is small matter in the long run,
but il seems to be enough to agtate day and our
time though | can hardly consider il worthy of the
great attention and deep regard of phlosophc states
men,.
Now, part of this is harmless part of it stands d-
recty in the way of the Senator legislative duty and
the whole of il is false In respect to the first clause
of the statemeut-that history shows the movement
of population to be uniformly toward the west-it
is not true. Taking the generaly-received idea
that the original sources of population lie to the
westward of the Indus - which, we presume,
Senator Coamer does not reject, we perceive that
the great currents of population have flowed east
ward from that source, rather than to the west
The largest portion of the great human hive lies
il India and China and not in Europe and America.
Population has not, then, thus far in its great his
toric movements, " followed the setting SUM- 1t
went first and naturally toward its rising. II
only took the opposite direction when the Eastern
ointment and the great islands beyond had become
occupied. 1t is the occupation OF the land that
checks emigraton it is its unoccupied condition
that invites it. There is no other law in the case
The present current westward owes its existence
simply to the fact that on this continent are I'M
occupied lands, salubrious climate aud free
government. There ia no occult or transcendental
philosophy in the case.
As tothe statement Of the Senator, that :" little
accidental colonization of few Africans on this
contine Mt is but the "smal eddy Of large stream
observing no great attention OF regard from phlO-
Z" sophie statesmen" We submit that his "philosO-
"phy' is quite to narrow for the subject. Mr..
COllamer ought to know that it is not as
stream of emigration that the African race has
mainly derived consideration on this continent 1t
is their personal condition that gives significance to
that race and not by any means solely in reference
TO themselves either, but in reference to the race
that holds and proposes to hold them in subsection.
Yet the E,hopianzlng Of this continent is no such
small fact as the Senator seems to regard it. On
the contrary, it is great, stupendous fact. Be-
hold the results of immi grafton from Africa The
numerous and magnificent islands Of the Carib-
bean Sea-, whose situation, beauty of scenery
ard fertility Of soil, render them almost the
garden Of the world are in African hands. The
progress of population shows that they are
gradually eating out every other race there,
and that ultimately those islands must be held in
their exclusive possession. As with them, 80 it is
getting to be with extensive portions of South
America; so il is with the Gulf States of this Re-
nnbEc. and an II is g. be with Central America