New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-05

stituton and the Union, there are some things
| which be will do we'll 70 take into consideration.
There are se7eral ways Of destroying Ccnstita
toD and the Government established under it.
One is 70 crush i by brute military force, as Be- na-
parte tie First crushed the Directoriai Constitu.
ton uIder which he had risen 10 fame and emf.
| nepce, and as Bonsparte the Second crushed the
late Republican Constitution which, in his character
OF President under IT, lt had again and sgain sworn
| 70 supp oIt. But there is another way OF crushing
Constitutiors, which, though Lot go demonssratve,
nor so striking to the apprehension Of the multi
| tude, is not whit less effectual and complete.
Tie outside forms cfs Constitution may all rcmain
undsturbed viii the inside substance Oft may be
as completely hbstracted as that Of an egg sucked
by fox, or bank safe operated upon BY ftaa iu-
lent Pre- sdent aud "a careless Board Of Directors
The Liberties Ct many Republics have persisted in
| this way. Everybody knows the familiar example
OF Rome, where all the forms of popular elections
| the choice Of cOnsuls. prartors and other magis-
trates and the deliberations Of Senate were kept
| up for more than century aftar the Government
| had become an absolute monarchy.
In fact this latter method Of attacking aud over
| throwing Constitution is infinitely the most
| dangerous Of the twO-a truth especially spp-
| cable TO our own case. Suppose the worst
forebodiDgs of our frightened Chief Magistrate
, at Washington should be fnlflIed-suppose the
| Southern fire-eaters should take occasion from
the rejection of that impudent fraud the L.
compton Constitution, to undertake to give
practical effect TO their long-cherishcd plans Of
dssOlving the CniOn In that case il is quite
within the verge of possbility-for we take il for
granted that in such an event President Buchanan
| would forthwith give place to somebody more
adequate to the emergency-t is within the range
of possibility that the conspiratOrs and rebels, in
stead of destroying the Constitution, would only
succeed in destroying themselves, and that. these
irritating parasites ON the body polite being, by
the seasonoble application Of little sulphur and
saltpeter, administered perhaps by Dr. Harney, got
rid of, the Constitution would find itself more vgor
GUS and stronger than ever. But even suppose that
these saTehodiDg rebels aided by the cowardce and
imbecility of our snperannuated President if not
indeed secretly encouraged by him, under the infu
ence, we will suppose, not OF malice agaIst free
labor, but of senile hallucinstiOn-eyen suppose
that, under circumstances so favorable to them,
the shareholders should succeed in running of with
fourteen States, We should still have left larger
number Of States than the original thirteen. much
wider extent Urtcrritory. "A much more numerous,
homogeneous, better educated and more intelligent
population withwhichsill to try under the Federal
Constitution, the great democratic experiment of
free government, aud that, too witheut being
loaded down-ss badly of in that respect as poer
Christian himself-with the terrible burden Of
Slavery.
Suppose, however, that the operation against our
democratica Government is to be carried on upon
the other plan. Suppose that the Shareholders with
Mr.. Buchanan to chip little hole for them through
the she'll are to be allowed quietly and stealthiy
to suck out oil the contents. Suppose that, with
all the fcrms Of democracy kept up, and plenty OF
Office seekers and office holders to talk bunkum,
like the President, about State Rights and Popular
Sovereignty, the principle is to be introduced and
established that the minority, whether of States or
of individuals is to dominate over the majority;
that fourteen States are to carry the day over sew.
enteen States; and that in all conflicts of feeling
or interest, three hundred and fifty thousand slave.
more of non. shareholders. Should this operation be
allowed to 90 on as ii has been going on for eight
or fen years past and as Mr. Buchanan is so urgent
TO have it continue, in that case we shall awake
some day, and that no very distant day, to the
friebtful consciousness, as horrible as that of the
stockholders and depcsitors in certain banks, that
the inheritance We counted on and fondly hoped to
g. ha.-n
hope Of redemption or recovery.
So far from seeing in the insolent threats Of
Southern politicians any reason whatever for sub
mtting to OF compelling the people OF Kansas TO
submit TO the Lecompton Constitution, We see in
those threats an additional and very strong reason
for rejecting this attempted imposition upon our.
selves no less than on the people OF Kansas, with all
the contempt and reprobatiOn il so richly deserves
If such is the bond of connection between ia and
the South-submission ON our part, without objec-
ton or murmur, to any fraud, any delusion, how
| eyer harefac,d, to any political swlndle however
pat,nt. which they may see fit, for the benefit OF
| .lsveboldne and the extension OF Slavery, TO i'm.
| pose upon us-if We must be ready to swear, as
| they may successfully suggest, the same thing to
| be- NOT merely camel, weasel. whale but black
| to he white. cheating TO be the true basis Of
| lawful government, two thousand Federal bay
onets the impersonstion of Popular Sovereignty,
and State Constitution forced upon Kansas by
Congress an exempGfcation Of Congressional nOn-
interyenton-f these are the only terms on which
our Southern brethren are willing to remain in the
Union. the sooner We know it the better. If there
is as there is said to be, conspiracy throughout