New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-20

The albany Atlas courts discussion with us on
Popular Sovereignty and Slavery 10 the Territories
1t shsll be INDUCED We will state our views as
succsctly as possible.
l. We DEFY that to epslave men and women
ard make them wear out their lives in enforced,
urpsd labor for othors, is within tho rghtiul
competency Of civil government. We further deny
that any power to establish or legaze Human
Slavery in the Federal Territories is among those
conftr rred by the Federal Constitution Congress,
or the Government or the Territorial authorities
or people. We preclude, therefore, all question of
he right Of Congress to prohibit Slavery in tbs
Territories, by den. ing and demanding chapter AMI
yerse ior the authority Of anybody to plant il To ,re.
Slavery is anotoIious, admitted violation of natural
,eht 1t can Only exist by virtue of super Or force.
Nobody imagiOes that the slaye, of any tate are
under suy moral obgati, to remsio in slavery il
they see wOy open before tbem whersbyithey can
achieve tier freedom. No man who attempts to
uphold Slavery would hesitate to embrace such az
opportunity if he were a slave. We bnld, then,
thai in The Territories Of the United States under
eur Federal Constitution there never was aud never
can be person rgbtfully held in Slavery, and that
sry peron so held ought to be discharged on habeas
oOrprs by tie frst Judge before whom lie can pro-
cure hearing Of bis prayer for liberty.
ii. But, since persons have nevertheless been
held in slavery in certain of TIE Federal Territories
We held it the duty of the Federal Government t.
provide expressly egaiOst this grest wrong by the
passage Of declsratory statute, making it ex.
prs.sy the duty of its Territorial judges to deliver
all persons who nsy 8. auy time be held in slavery
AID if Congress should reg'ec. this duty, we hold
il incumben ut on the Territorial Legislature to per.
foIm i. III short, We hold it the imperative duty
of Government (usirg the term in its wides.
sen.e) 10 protect every human being in the enjoy
ment cf his liberty and Of the fair proceeds of his
own industry, lust as il is bound to protect every
one n the enjoyment of his rightful property aud
every woman agsipst insult and violation.
III. WHIST We mmntsin then, is the right and
duty Of Government to establish justice, not III
justice-to "sscure the blessings of Liberty, not
diiuie and maintain the curses of Slavery Govern
men. may rightfully punish Murder or Arson; it
cannot rishtfully profer legal imPuniy TO either
and 20 with regard to Slavery.
". The atlas ssys of the ant.Nebrasks men:
"They soaght to retain this Slavery question with
reference to the TeIoIes within the control OF the
General Government instead OF turning is over effect
ualy and finally to the local orgsnizsticns.'
Now al we ask of the General Government is
that it shall protect every person in the Territories
in tie enjoyment Of their " inslensble rights
trils they shall remain Trrit0ri;s that is, depend
encies) of the aforesaid Government When those
Territories shall have become Soyereignties-ths' 81
is, States-tke Federal Governments responsibility
in tie premises will Of course have ceased.
". But il is not true that the Nebraska bill, OF
any other act of The Atass party, has turned this
Slavery question over, ehectually and foapy to
"ths local THAT is, the Teritorial] organiz,-
tons" This has indeed been pretended, but the
contraiy hiss been done. The Cincinnati Platform
Unto which President Buchanan has resolved him.
SELL expressly afhrms "the non-iuterference Of
"CorgrsS eitA Slavery in the Territories or in
" the District of Columbia" [msrk the omnous
conjunction and proceeds to affirm As L" the Dem
"oeratc principle :" the admission of new Stctes
with or without domestic Slavery, as they nsy
"eleet, and to recognize the right Of the People
"of al the Territories, including Kansa. and Nebras
"ks. = whenever the number Of their inhab-