The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-14
WHAT rs THE REPUBLIcANsPARTy :

The Courier and Enquirer, speaking OF the mere
mode of getting up State convention IN New York,
says "The republican party, as every one knows,
was and is composed of Heterogeneous materials
wings, democrats, and Americans--those, in fact,
who are opposed to the encroachments OF slavery"
We admit that the authority Of the Courier and En-
auirer with its party not high but it is to be pre-
sumed in this instance least that it tells the truth
Such is the spectacle exhibited OF great party
resting its claims to popular support upon the sim
gle plank Of antislavery. They are opposed to the
4" extension of slavery. That is certainly tangible
idea that is making direct issue. They say,
Gentlemen democrats you are in favor of the extern
sion of slavery we are against it" This, then, is
the issue which the wings, democrats, and Ameri-
cans make with
In the first place, we would like to get the plead
ings SO that they shall at least give us inkng of
the true facts of the case We admit that the re-
publicans are opposed to the extension of slavery,
but we explicitly deny that the democracy are ad-
vocating its extension
The democratic party have nothing in the world
to do with slavery They are neither for it nor
against it, for its extension against its extern
sion The cornerstone and foundation of our creed
upon this subject far as Congress is concerned,
and of course, far as general State elections are
concerned, is this The people of the place--the
people of any given Territory-the people of any
State-have the constitutional right to create
fuse to create recognise slavery; that is, that
Congress has no rightfu authority the subject.
Is We think this is most sensible doctrine and for
this overwhelming reason: That, having tried the
question by the assertion of the right of Congress
to create prohibit slavery in the public Territories,
it has uniformly turned out in the end that the peo
pie of the Territories would still take the matter
into their own hands and settle it for Themselves Set
tie it for themselves These are significant words,
and constitute a volume of argument in support of
the selfgoverning principle we have laid down on
this subject rgrs5.as,....
Then it follows, if we right that the people of
tho place the proper parties to decide this ques
ton, that the bottom of the republican tub has
utterly fallen OUT in other words, it is more than
idle to form party to do that which somebody else
must do---to do that which the party thus formed
cannot in any case do. 1t would be just
sensible, seeing how the floods have damaged prop
erty in the great valleys of the West, to organize
party with view of avoiding hereafter heavy and
continuous rains; or to prevent the explosion of
steam boilers which under the charge of ire
sponsible engineers. The republicans have no more
real power over slavery than they have over the
foods or the boats of the Mississippi. This is
by what has occurred in Kansas and everywhere else
They could not prevent slavery in Texas because
the people of Texas would determine the matter for
themselves. They could not prevent slavery in
Kansas; because the people of Kansas would decide
the question themselves
lit is, then, perfectly safe in this condition of
things--as we think it is in all othersto be per-
fectly honest. The republicans have right to OPP
pose the democratic party. We expect them to do
So and should have great distrust Of the accuracy
of our positions should we receive any noteworthy
endorsement from them. We do not court the ia
vor, fear respect of the opposition. They not
honest in their opposition to slavery; Or granting
that they are honest in that, they clearly dis
honest ia organizing party upon that basis, be-
cause in respect to the end they propose to accom-
psh reach, their agency is utterly powerless to
effect it. This take it, they understand as well
as we do. They did not, in all their legislation,
including the Missouri Compromise the Wimot
Proviso, and the whole Kansas rebellion, exert
the least possible influence over the question of
slavery extension or prohibition. They succeeded
by fierce partisan exhibition in rousing the
South to make fight in Kansas and in that they
accomplished one thing only--they contrived to get
the South in position equally absurd and unjustif-
able as that which they had previously occupied.
The South could not force slavery into Kansas, for
the people of Kansas had an exclusive jurisdiction
over it, 1t was indeed their question: their business,
their interest, and they the proper parties to
settle it for themselves. This is what we call nom
intervention.
In other Words we of the democratic party be-
ieve, as general principle, equally applicable to
political and social affairs, that each community
should attend to its own business We against
intermeddling from without, satisfied that out
sders are not as we'll advised insiders of the real
opinions of the people and what they really need.
We call npon the pulpit to attend to their
cred avocatons; and 80 long they indulge in the
luxury of purely religious instruction, we indulge
them in any amount of eccentricity and folly. Pre-
csey 30 1T is with some half dozen northern abo-
Gtion States; they may get up ever so much ridicu.
lous display about negroesit is their own affair and
nobody cares copper's worth what they say or do
They playing the fool within their own urisdic