The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-04
UNION OF THE OPPOSITION.

Great efforts are being made to unite a. the
elements of opposition to the present paa y IN
power. in the support of common candidates Tor
the office of President and Vice Presidaat IN
1860. The cry of union comes up from North
and South. from Anti-Slavery Republicans and
ro-slavery Americans. But we have remark
ed II as singular feature of this negoti .tion
for union, that the weaker party proposts as
its ultimatum to the stronger, that the litter
make complete surrender of its name, its rim
cples, and its preferences as to men. The Re
publican party is called upon to disband, to give
up all its professions of opposition to Slavery
and Slavery extension, and to unite cordially in
the support of conservative statesmen" oethe
old Wing school, for the offices of President and
Vice President. On these terms, the magn ami
nous Southern Opposition have agreed to o7er-
look past offences, and possibly to divids the
spoil with their Northern allies. The neg tia
tors on the part of the North have not respS nd
ed satisfactorily to these terms, but it canno be
denied that they have shown most concilia' Dry
disposition They still profess to be oppose,- to
the extension of Slavery, but they are will ng
to waive the assertion in the platform of he
right of Congressional legislation, and to all
back upon popular sovereignty. They agree~at
the same time, to support for the office of z s.
ident an old line Wing, whose platform, as d
down by himself in long letter to the pull C,
entirely ignores the Slavery question, and >e-
nounces the agitation of the subject as pc. l.
cious.
The Southern Opposition, on their part, G a
cede nothing, but, on the contrary, take ~
cided step in the opposite direction. They sfe
no longer satisfied with non-intervention ~
Congress with Slavery in the Territories. THY
now demand slave code for the Territori 5,
and only fall short of the most ultra deman S
of the Southern fre-eaters in not insisting upSn
the revival of the African slave trade.
The Opposition in Kentucky, heretofore e
garded as the most liberal portion of the Sout5-
ern people, have assumed this ultra Pro-Slavesg
position distinctly, and they are now urging t
strenuously upon the attention of the publ :
Their candidate for Governor, and their Leading
organs, the Louisville Journal and Frankfort
Commonwealth, insist that the right of holdir
Congress and by all departments of the Fe5-
eral Government, although the whole body +
the people may be DESTROYS of excluding tt
institution.
The Richmond Wing, another able, ente
prising, and leading organ of the Southern OF
position, has also, within few days, take
similar ground, and insisted on it with the yes
of genuine Slavery propaganda. The Vii
ginia Opposition, during the late contest ft
the office of Governor, RETAINED from taking
this ultra position, and it is not little singular
that it should do so after the immediate tempta-
ton to make professions of devotion 10 Slavery
has passed BY The fact, however, indicateF
the growing popularity in the South of Mt
Wises new dogma of Congressional protection
to Slavery in the Territories. In North Caro-
lima and Tennessee, we have yet seen no evi.'
dence of the reception of the slave code theory,
1t is highly creditable to the Opposition in those
States that they have kept aloof from it. But
we fear the effect of the example of Kentucky
and Virginia Ia the Gulf States, the OPPOSE
ton demand slave code, and in one instance
prominent Know Nothing candidate for Con-
gresS, Mr.. Judge, Of Alabama, avows himself
in favor of reviving the slave trade.
Such, then, are the elements Of Southern
Opposition, with which it is proposed to unite
the Northern Republicans. 1t is almost super
fluous to say that the idea of uniting such
jects IN common. The Republicans desire to-
exclude Slavery from the Territories The
Southern Opposition desire to establish Slavery
in the Territories No two principles could be
more antagonistic; and yet the question of the
extension or non-extension Of Slavery is the
great question of the day.
Heretofore the Republicans have been called
upon to waive distinct assertion of their Anti
Slavery creed, and to unite with those who pro
fessed Indifference on the subject. But to
unite with the Southern Opposition, upon the
basis of their recent avowals, the Republicans
must not only cease to be ti-Slavery-they
must become Pro-Slavery, they must pledge
themselves to protect Slavery in the Territories,
as an indispensable condition to secure the CO.
operation Of the Southern Opposition.
The above statement of the case, which we
have made without the slightest attempt at ex-
aggeration, should, we think satisfy every in.
telIgent man in the country of the folly of the
proposed union Of the Northern Republicans
with the Southern Opposition.
1t is evident that the Southern Opposition
are determined to take care of themselves, re-
CARELESS Of their old conservative creed and
their reputation for consistency. They have
determined to secure, if possible, the control
of the State Governments, and of the Federal
representation, not by adhering to the conser
vative principles of Henry Clay, but By pro-
Tossing a more thorough and Incorporating
devotion to Slavery than the Slave Democracy
themselves. By taking this course, they have
broken the last link which bound them to the
Anti-Slavery Opposition Of the North; and
those Northern men who are willing to unite
with the Southern Opposition, with its 6e.
mand for Congressional protection to Slavery
in the Territories, must cease to be neu-
trail, as Messrs Fillmore, Winthrop, and men
of that stamp claim to be; they must stand
pledged to protect Slavery, and abolish the
unfriendly legislation" of the Territories.
We are free to admit that it is highly desira.
bic to conciliate the Northern Opposition who
stand outside Of the Republican psfty, and to
secure their cooperation. But even this end
may be sought at too great a sacrifice The
| Republicans in several of the States have al
ready made advances which seem 10 amount
10 an abandonment of their distinctive principle
Of Slavery restriction. They have, to say the