New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-03
NOW AND THEN.

~ ~ Editor Of TIE " y. Tribrz~ Id
stx: twenty-five years sirce in the C.S OF Nsws
Yo~k-then as now, the acklowodged &C ater Of The
commercial activity, political influence wealth. mi
social refinement of the Western World man Of
reco gained learning eloquencs, and pety, oecopynga
prorIasDt position as member Of an honor,a proi,s
sion, was driven with his family from his hoas, sub
iectei 20 the coarssss public Decentralization revied per
secuted threatened with personal violence, ami finally
comp iI-l to seek in friendly asylum refuge from
the e fury os besotted Rob. who sac ed the
dwelling in the paaaeabe enjoyment of which raonci
PAL hority unable to protect him. He yas one
OF the hs martyrs m the cause Of free Speech NJ the
model modern RePGblc. His property and ,erscn
were tins endangered, not became he had violated
any las human divine; not becaase any act q his
had preadSced the liberty peace N his fellow-cn-
zens; ret because hs had outraged sound moral
seuse "The head md front Of bis offending hao this
extent: that he had declared the equality Of oil len,
reai IN ne the doctrine of the Declaration of indie
pendenos, without any "isothermal' exception, and
believed GOD 10 be no respecter OF coupexions
Few friends then staOd BY hs side. Even those wio
ane ed with him soumen for tse most part, ave dsd
any expression OF sympathy and its probable come
ouences. Bat the Law which govern Public Opniou.
surely ssany ord aanee OF God have been In steady
operation during the last quarter OF century. The
" Grid has moved. Free Thought, Free Speech Free
Principles hive asserted their dignity and to-day hun
dreds of thousands boldly proclaim, and pledge them
selves the support Of opinions The suggestion OF
which onossubec ed Minister of tho Gospel TO the
uopular sovereignty OF Metropolitan mob. The time
has happily become historical WHEN u free Man OF
Free State Dare not stand forth boldly for Free Men
eyerywbe,es
Incident " a change 50 fortunate, indsa trans
foin alton most melancholy. The recantation OF
martyr il rarely recorded Sacrifice for cause rs
rightly regaIded seal Of since ny and no Is doubly
traitor who deserts The service for which he has once
suffered but what sbkll we say Of him who forsakes
his coors lust as the moment of visiory What jud-
ment does he incur who proves false TO principle just
| o. il secures triumphant ascendanoy
Monday evening the 4" Southern Aid Society" held u
meeting. What the ayowed papose OF this society
ton of her peculiar institutions including the chattel
zng of human beings, TO aid Virginia in securing
and choking the John Browns of the North does not
clearly aIpear-nor is il greatly important. The OBJ
ject OF this particular meeting TO have been te
aid in Reviya not of Religion, but of the a ican
SlayeTrads. Such an inference, at least, must be
drawn from the principal speech delivered on inc oc-
carton, which indeed constitute the substance of the
proceedings reported. The speskeT after aEecung
the salvation Of falling Uniou, according to the
most orthodox faith and form, tins referred reat
practical question of the time:
"whsieyer might be aid Of kdnsppn The shore Of AM
God syopideaes ~ God iod good OBJ
eomPih n IL means 70 ect ne eonser' ioH IF he
nsgroes by thu acts ofthe hsp svho ihe thu Good
thus csgpe out Of evil"
We have here pet pro-siaye-trade argum ent, pre-
senied in the best style by Northern adyos ate We
see here that tender soctude for the soul u negro
which animates the breast Of SLAYER even wi ile no
coyets the ebony csket containing the mmo kpark.
True the idea Is not original possessing ind cd the
authority of venerable antiquity. But il ID re- fcshmg
and suggestive II is refreshing ~ che 'opiSn f 4
citizen OF Free State at this critical period Of he
pagn for Freedom IL ia suggestive fV rnising the
reverse Of the picture frst sketched. Mar WI ose
memory extends over per.edoi twenty-s vii
regret the moTfyng fact thai the origins of zach por
trait is the venerable the eloquent Sunu Ell IaCok.