Daily national Democrat., 1859-08-23
[From the Sacramento Union.1
Important Letter from Horace Greeley--
The Kansas QuestiOn--Advice to Re-
publicans.

to address the people of this or that locality
on the politics Of the day, and have in three
or four instances complied. have now
many such requests before me which am
unable to obey, partly because am untitled
for travel by bodily affiiction, and partly be.
cause must commence my homeward Jour
ney the moment am physically able to un-
dertake it. Meantime reports of my remarks
at Auburn and Sacramento have been pub
llshed which certainly do injustice to my
convictions and Il am confidently to my state
ments as we'll AS on the strength of these
reports my views have been editorially ar
raigned as unsound and inconsistent. made
no reply and shall make none to those mis-
taken criticisms; but it seems simply lust to
myself and to my friends that should briefly
set forth, through the medium of the public
press, the views whcl actually cherish, and
have endeavorod in my political addresses to
commend. With regard to the vital Ques-
tions underlying our current politics, they
are as follows;
First. | hold with Thomas Jefferson, in the
Declaration of Independence, that human
Governments derive their Just powers from
the consent of the governed . that it is their
proper function and imperative duty to pro-
tect every rational, innocent, human being,
within their respective jurisdiction, In the
full enjoyment of their "inalienable rights !"
that among these are "lfe, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness" by means not preiud-
cial to the public well being.
Second | hold, consequently, that any
! Government which, instead of upholding
each rational non.crininal citizen or subject
in the fell enjoyment of their "inaienable
rights" DEGREES or connives at their over
throw in the case of minority, portion, or
even one of its subjects, is recreant to its
most sacred obligations, and is so far false,
usurping, tyrannical government, undeserv-
ing of support or obedience
Third. | hold therefore, that Thomas JEFF
ferson was exactly eminently right in report
ing to the Continental Congress of 1884 an
Ordinance for the government of the Terri
tories of the United Tor Confederated) States,
and in providing. by said Ordinance, that
human slavery should, after the year 1900,
be forever prohibited, not merely in those
Territories while Territories, but in the States
into which he proposed previously to divide
them-eight of those embryo States covering
the Territory now forming the States Of
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Missis
sippi, and then belonging to the States of
Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia.
Fouth. Mr.. Jefersons Ordinance aforesaid
having failed for want of the required vote
(hough sixteen members voted for it and
only seven against it). l hold that the last
Continental Congress was entirely right in
passing the glorious Ordinance of 1887,
whereby slavery was forever excluded from
the territory bounded by the Ohio, the Mis-
sissippi and the Lakes, then known as ''the
Northwest Territory, now forming the States
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Michigan. | only regret that its author, Ma
than Dane, did not with Mr., Jefferson's fore
thought make his Ordinance applicable to
the government of Territories thereafter to
be acquired by cessons from States or from
foreign countries, instead of making it appli-
cable specifically and only to all the Terrific
ries then possessed 10y the Confederation.
Fifth. hold that George Washington and
the first Federal Congress were right in re-
enaeting and confirming the express prohbi.
ton of slavery in the Federal Territories,
contained in the Ordinance of 1887, as were
subsequent Congresses in upholding and con
6rming that prohibition in the several Acts,
organizing successfully the Territories ofI
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wiscon-
sin
Sixth. l hold that the Congresses of 1902
3-4 were entirely right in denying, on the
report of John Randolph a Virginia slave
holder, the petition of the Governor and
Legislature Of Indiana Territory, then EN-
bracing all the Northwest Territory. as afore
said, except the State of Ohio, to be permit
ted to hold slaves for limited period, and
that said peremptory denial probaly held the
Northwest from the scourge of slavery.
Seventh hold that policy devised by
Thomas jefferson, himself stakeholder and
representing slaveholding State sanctioned
10y majority of the Congress of 1884 when
nearly every State was slave State, re.af-
tirmed by unanimous vote of the Congress !
of 1887, when most of the States were still
slave States, and again by that in 1889, with
the Presidential sanction of George Wash
ington, and affirmed by the Congress of
1923, on the report of John Randolph
stakeholder and champion of slavery, can
not with justice or even plausibility be stig
matized as sectional" on the part of the free
States which uphold it, or as warning on the
rights of the South, though older than the
Federal Constitution. The policy of Con
gressional psohibition may be truthfully said
to have grown with the growth of that In
strument, after having received the sanction |
of the founders and devisers of our present
Federal Union. am not aware that aught |
which is hereinbefore set forth or assumed as
fact is denied by any we'll informed press or
person. and while there will always be con-
troversy so long as public justice stands op-
posed to seeming personal interest, it may |
he we'll to bear the above facts freshly in |
mind during the pendency of the question !
respecting the right Of expansion now set up
in behalf of slavery, remembering also that
it is not denied that all the territory covered
by th Ordinance of 1881 has since been
gradually and quietly transferred into free
labor States. while most of the Territories
organized without a prohibition of slavery
therein have grown into slave States. 1t is
not denied that the Ordinance Of 1881 gave
us peace with respect to slavery to the ex
tent of its operations, while Texas, Kansas
and New Mexico (the latter Just transformed |
into full fedged slave Territory, under the
most inhuman and Internal slave Act which |
ever disgraced any statute bool), prove that,
in the absence of Congressional prohibition,
we have the naked choice between submit |
ting to slavery extension or being driven
into what is virtually intestine war.
Eight. A word now as to Popular Sover
egnty then, in the Territories. hold that
each Territory, when duly organized by Con
gress, may enact any laws for its own gov
ernment not inconsistent with the "lnaliena-
BILE rights" aforesaid. and such only. pro
test against the assumption that the vote of
a ana ID can Hsten on y IhaC restitution ol
all civil right, known as slavery-even if G |
shall be allowed to vote himself on the ques
tion; still less where he is not allowed any
voice in the premises l deny that Joseph's
brethren had any right to sell him into Egyp.
tian bondage. even though they were ten to
one, and hold to popular sovereignty in the
Territol les, only so far as it is exercised in
accordance with the dictates of eternal jus
tice, of inalienable right; and repudiate it
when set up to legalize or fortify polygamy,