, 1859-04-22
3atrsa Griih1t1tf;
THURSDAY, APRIL; 20, 1853.
THE CONTEST OF 188O--THE
PRINCIPLES AND THE MEN.

We do not claim the right to speak authors
atively for the Republican party with recr-
,nco to the policy to be pursued by ii IN tile
Presidential contest Of 1860; nevertheless we
,elnve We understand its composition well
enough to give assurance in its behalf, that its
standard will not he lowered zone jot or tittloe
in that contest, wllateycr may be said Of the |
Of concliatiug sections, or Of the |
doubtful advantages Of q triumph gained at |
that price Better, thousand times better,
defeat in 1860, coupled as it would be with m |
assured permanent triumph hereafter, with the
central vital principle Of the party preserved
as q basis for administering the government,
than temporary success purchased by tile
or the ignoring Of that vitaliz'ng
idea, sure to he followed by the permanent
nscendency Of the Slavery Propaganda But
why talk about the abandonment or even the
modification Of principle? What hut its prin-
ciplcs has made the Republican party "apower
in the Nation?" What also has given it the
courage to meet and the strength to over
throw the Pro-slayery Democracy in nearly
every free State Of the Union, in nearly every
county, township and municipal contest in
these States? What else has given us III
members in the lower branch Of Congress, and
p in the Senatc-rcpresentatiyes Of party
not yet four years beyond the dutc Of its Or
gauization7 Has any other party within our
government ever accomplished 20 much in so
short time? The strength Of Republicanism
is result Of its vitality, and its vitality is the
Immediate outgrowth Of its principles. These
principles take bold Of the human heart, they
appeal to whatever is noblest and highest in
man, and as sure as God reigns in tho Cni-
verse, and Justice and truth arc His law, 80
sure Is tue final triumph Of the Republican
party if it continue loyal to its vitalzlng prin-
ciplcs, while their abandonment would be rs
certain prelude TO its destruction.
We repeat, the standard must not, will not,
be lowered. If success were the only object,
it should not be; but when success is souly dcslr-
able in that it insures the application OF great
fundamental principles in the administration Of
the government, which will remove national
rcproach from us by rendering the ac-
ton Of the government consistent with
those great principles Of natural and iuallcna-
bic rights upon which it is founded, loyalty to
those principles becomes paramount TO every
other consideration. In the adoption Of
platform for 1860, nothing that has aided in
rendering Rcpubicanism powerful and triuu1-
phant must be ignored. Not only that but in
the selection Of standard-bcurers, mon must be
chosen who are heartily in sympathy with lis
distinctive principles-wio are, in word,
representatives, both in their action and ideas.
Of tllosc great truths first enunciated in the
Declaration Of Independence, and which are
essential to the permanent existence Of free
republican government. We do not believe the
Republican party will accept Of any platform
OF Of any man that ialls an iota short Of this
cxaction Nothing will bc taken for granted
-nothing On trust. There must first be dis.
t'nc,ive declaration Of principles, and then an
openly ayowc1 adherence and practical dcvc-
ton to them on the part Of whomsocycr would
be tue Republican standard-bcarcrs.
The coming contest is to bc one Of Principle
rather than Of Policy-ol principle which is
fundamental, aud, therefore, immutable aud
eternal. us distinguished trom policy, which is
temporary aud which must change with chang
lug circumstances The old sclf-eyident truths
embodied in tue Declaration Of Independence
have again to lie discussed and enforced. The
war oi l776 is TO be fought over again in 1860,
with this difference, that instead Of the contest
being between Great Britain as the represent
at'vc ol despotic power, aud the American Col
onies and waged on battlc-irlds, the Pro
Slavery Democracy now stand opposed to the
Declaration Of Independence and the Rcpub.
can party uphold it, while the ballot-l,ox will
determine the result. We may talk Of policy
hereafter hut now VIC have to do with pri1l-
clplc The central and vitalHing truth Of tho
Declaration Of Independence, Us we'll as Of the
Republican organization, il the natural and i'll
alle'lable right Of all u,cu to life liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness" But for that rri.,-
ciple, written by the finger Of God upon the
heart q every human being, the war Of the
Revolution would not llayc been fought, tic
Republican party would now have no exist
ence. The Pno-slavcry Democracy every
where, whether i'll the North or i'll the
South deny this fundamental principle
Of free government, and seek its
practical overthrow by The aciun Of the fcdc-
eral government. In the slayeholding States
the principle is oyerridden by statutes and by
courts. It is the mission Of tic Republican
party to stand by and sustain this great self
evident TRUTH and TO render it practicb
within the sphere Of tic powers Of tue federal
government. A National Republican is, there
fore, opposed to such 4 lerversion Of the power.
OF the federal government rs wo>.lt
make it in any way responsible for the exist
ence Of Slavery within The States or for its extc
sion beyond tue limits Of the States in which
it is established. A State. Republican is op
posed TO tile establishment Of Slavery within
his own State, and in favor Of its earliest prac
tlcable removal by tic action Of the State !;
already established. He eau take no otlc
ground; for he holds with the Declaration o
Independence that property in man is viola
tlon Of natural law-an usurFation Of powel
tolerated neither by right nor by justice. 1
lie take any other position, he a1nndous the
whole ground Of controversy, for Slavery is
naturally aggressive, and, without the oppos
ton which these principles insure it will ge
every where and perpctuatc itself for all time
to come. Hence we say, the struggle between
the despotic idea and the principle Of natural
right is to be fought over again in 1850. The
antagonism is palpable, the tsetruggle can
not be postponed.
And this brings us to another important
point There have been three parties in tie
field since the organization Of the Republican
party. The first arc for active aggressive edo,t
Tor the extension and ferpetuatlon Of Slavery
the second for active and unccasing resistance
." W. "tl'c +1e ta4Ia pall} IL III ItFot ol Z
passive state, which permits the first to 20 on
with its aggression, and opposes all opposition
to it. The last style themselves 'Conscrya.
tives;;" and it is for thc sake Of securing the
cooperation Of this class Of men that modi-
hcatiou Of the Republican platform is insisted
upon in certain quarters. But as before said,
modification Of the central aud vtalizine idea
nf Repuhlicanism il nar1irulont To m ,,ttnr