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

made at Philadelphia In 1856, on the organiza
| ton of the Republican Party. By that Decla
ration it must stand or fall. Emascuiate it, anC
there are men now sustaining it who would
scout the organization, and trample it under
foot-men enough to destroy its rower--ant
they would do it. That Declaration is true, ane
let the Truth be maintained boldly and withou
equivocation, cost what it may. If you say the
Party cannot succeed with it, we answer, JUS
as positively, it cannot succeed without it. But
we say, it can succeed with it. for there is nc
Principle avowed therein which is not true, anc
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
balot-box, whatever purblind politicians may
apprehsnd. 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 Republi-
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 spois-
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
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
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 your accidental ma
iority do then ? Just such majority gave us
Taylor and Fillmore under the Admins
tration of the latter, the Fugitive Slave act was
passed, and the Wimot 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
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
met it upon the real issue-declared their prin-
ciples and purposes explictly-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 eontriving 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 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-
pies Party, under the lead of National " men
so-called, 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. "Hard
Cider and LOG Cabin" Buena Vista and
" Palo Alto" cannot supply ammunition for
another campaign The discussions of the last
ten years have educated the People they know
that they have to deal with a 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 another
number.
The AMERICAN TREATY WITH China. The
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 be
seen, is handled " without Gloves We profess
to know nothing of the manner in which the ne
gotiation has been conducted, and we give the
article for what II ia worth We arc aware thaf