New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-28
THE REpUsLICAN POSI- rsoN.

OF all the Democratic orators who have addressed
the debating society which bas possession of tho
Hall of Representatives at Washington, Mr.. Curry
Of Alabama has been the only one who has aspired
to rse above mere party politics aud President.
making, aud to ,onsder the relative position OF tae
slaveholdng and Don-sayeholdng sections OF tns
Unon from philosophical and ststesmaniiks poiot
Of view. He professed deal Of candor, and vol
uDteered to acquit the Republican members Of Coo
gress of the ultra doctrines aud designs Of over
tuning Slavery in the Statts in which 1t
now exists, through means Of insurfection,
which other Democratic orators, on the
,tvength Of the John Brown raid aud the
Helper Endorsement, had charged upon them
At the same time, while admitting great range OF
opinion among those at the North opposed TO
slasery-In which opposition be Justly rtaSei tbs
great body Of the population to coneur--he Thought
proper 10 take the EXTREMIST Of these opinions as
the type OF the whole, aud as best calculated ts
convey q correct idea Of the real points 10 eontro-
versy between those who seek to restrict Slavery 10
the States in which il at present exst- aud u limit
il to the character Of local, and exceptional, aud
temporary institution, and those who seek to
give TO it national character, tn extend 1t into
nav Territories, To add to its strength and psrms-
nspcy, and to make it the eoatrollag nter,st
ard governing power Of the Union. Mr..
Curry places the opponents Of Slavery IN the
position of maintaining, 81 that property in man
:" is a crime, that the African is the equal of tbe
"whIte man, that he is a citizen of the United
Estates, and that he is entitled to the privileges
land immunites of other cislzens." A vastly
more correct general statement OF Anu-Savery
IdeOs would, we think, be ss follows: That
property 10 man is au oppression, wrong
"bluuder, which Ike other wrongs and blunders
"makes itself felt by those who commit il IA well
"as by those who are the objects of it; that tho
african il man, and that being man. he is
'entltled to the common rights of humanity, to
wit, the protection of the Law for his person. bis
family nlatons, and the enjoyment of tue fruits
" OF his own ingenuity and industry IN the prodnc-
"tiOn and accumulation Of property" This is a
statement of anti Slavery doctrine to which we
suppose the great body Of thu Northern people
would readily subscribe, and it is these points tn
Which, If The Anti-Sayery sentiment. we do not say
the North merely, but OF the civilized world, is
operators mus; be prepared to address themselses\
But, though it is undoubtedly true that indiyid-
ual members of the Republican party, of whch
Mr. Curry so peremptorily demands the disbsnd-
nent, do entertain sentiments on the subject Of
Slavery substantially such as We have above s.t
ioIih, still 1. has not been any purpose OF CON-
Pelling or inducing the Slave States OF this UDiou
TO make those sentiments the ba,s Of their Internal
and domestic policy that has called the Republican
party into existence TIE Republican party is
national party. having exclusively in view national
objects within the scope of the powers Of the Ma
tioOal Government; and nobody in the Republican
ranks has ever yet suggested that the National
Government has sny authority to interfere with toe
institution Of Slavery 10 the States in which it ex-
Isis, any more than it has TO interfere with the
other local laws in reference to property,
the domestic relations, and personal rights.
IL is not Slavery in its bearing upon the African
population which has made that question thelesding