New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-15
HISTORY INDICATED {:
TO TIE HON. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS ON ms
"HARPER" ESSAY.
A LETTER

Hbtu " CoDClLhyc OPpt.rDte oOs Lao i"s-SA ."
creased their number ard confirmed their resoiu-
bel, now evident II has had this result both al
the North AID aud st the South, and Tor very ~
tehsible reason. Most Of the American People
who have any purpose whA.eyer, earnestly desire
s,,Asr that Slavery should that It should not be
enabled 70 difuse itself through the Federal Ter
,tar,... growing with the growth AID being
strengthened with the strength Of the American
Republic. Very few are Indifferent TO this over
sbadowiDg issues few except professional politicians
even affect to be. You preach, therefore the gospel
sfmdiference, Of negati0n, ofimpotence, 10 mainly
unwilling ears. 1 cannot feel, in reading your
s,cubration, that you believe il yourself Think
NE not unchsritable, but answer TO yourself this
question Suppose you were officially aPPrised
sbst majority Of the Squatter Soyereigns Ofone Of
our TeIritories-We viii say Utah, for example
had voted that the minority should be reduced
70 and held in Slavery for the benefit and in the
service Of such majority, aud had proceeded
70 enforce that determination By FIRE and sword
would you, IS a Senator, hesitate to decide and
declare that this rapaciOus, iniquitods purpose
most be resisted aud defeated BY the power of the
Federal Government i know you would not.
You would, in that case inevitably recognize and
affirm the duty of Congress 10 maintain Justice in
she TeuitOries-to protect every innocent man ~
the peaceful enjoyment of the fair rewards Of his
ewn industry, and in the possession and enjoyment
Of Liberty, Family, and honestly acquired Prop
srty. The matter is too plain for argument, too
certain for doubt. IL then you uphold the right
Of ,Ome men ~ hold Others as slaves in the Terrl-
tories, you do it ON tbs assumption that those
ought to be masters and these ,sves-that the
Slave laws of Virginia Texas have rightidl force
and effect in Kansas or New -Mexco--or on some
other ground than the naked assumption Of Pop
~ular Sovereignty" in the Territories That you
must allow me to tell you is but politicians
dodge, devised in l943 by Gen. Cas-, under the
spur Of pressing danger an urgent necessity,
and only accepted By those who discern in it
means Of escape from similar perils-s handy neck
yoke 20 enable them to carry water on both
shoulders. The Sovereignty you defer to is that
Of political necessity, not that of the People Of
the Territories.
But do not propose TO traverse all the logical
subteties and hairspittDg distinctions Of your late
elaborate essay. / did, indeed, at one time cherish
strong desire to reply TO it at length through the
pages of the magazine which gave i! to the world;
but on iDtimatDg that purpose TO its editor, was
denied hearing in his columns though 1t was
aracioufly ntmsted that q similar demand from
one of " the leading Republicans might perhaps
be fayorably considered. OF cour,e, that puts
me out of court; but whom doe, it let
int I cannot tel. Republicans are rather
amused to being led; hence natural
scarcity of Republican leaders. Gov. Seward,
to whom you seem willing to accord the character
Of q leader, 10 known to be absent in Europe, and
not likely to return for two months yet; so is MI
Sumner; other leading Republic ans" are hardly
within easy reach of the documents essential to
your systematic refutation. Yet it seems to me
important that your misstatements of fact should
be clearly exposed, even though the task should
deyoye on one so far from being leader. Though
the pages of Harper are shut against me- and those
who have read your monstrous perversions OF His
tory will never ,ee their exposure, am impelled
TO undertake,the task confnng myself strictly to
the historical features of your essay.
Your fundamental proposition is this: The genius
and spirit of our free institutions plainly require
that the people of Territory should be enabled aud
encouraged to establish and maintain Human Slav-
cry on tie soil Of such Territory, if they see fit.
The Republicans deny this insisting that no Gov-
eminent has any right to deprive innocent human
beings Of their liberty, accounting and holding
them the mere ehsttels Of others They deny the
right Of any Territorial Government to establish or
uphold such Slavery insisting that Congress is in
duty bound to prohibit and prevent any such injus
tee and mischief in the Territories which are the
common domain Of the whole American People.
On this main question, We are utterly, irreconcl>
bly, at variance. do not propose 10 argue it, nor
30 review your arguments upon It. But you pro
coed to usert, and to make history uphold your as
sertion, that your doctrine is that of the Revolu
hopary Fsthers-thst the Revolution was made in
its behal-thatit was paramount il the earlier and
purer days of the Republic On this point l take
issue, and appeal TO the indubitsble records
Here is their testimony:
The IXtb Continental Congress, under the
Articles Of Confederation assembled at Philadel-
phis, Nov 3, 1888, but adjourned next day to An
napolis, Md, where it was to have reconvened on
the Both, but 8 quorum WAS not obtained until Dec.
18th, and the attendance continued so mesger that
no important business Wal taken up until Jan. 18th,
1854 The Treaty Of Independence and Peace
with Great Britain was unanimously ratified on the
14th-nine States represented. The House was
soon left without quorum, and go continued most
Of the time-of course, doing no busness-tIl the
LIST of March when the dele gates from Virginia, in
pursuance Of instructions from the Legislature OF
that State aligned the conditional deed Of cessOn 10