New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-03


Mr. DcOelas, sbi 10 this general statement OF the
feet ve quite agree with him, "unterli-s our COM
"plex ~ stem Of g,serunen nt aud ell ofol political
Institutions rest upon it We~lso fully agree
with Mr. D,uglas, "tbat tn. p-sce the harmony,
" and The per rpetu ty Of tie Repab.Ic depend uPoa
maintaining that principle inviol.ts, as it s.'
"viLdiosted BY cur revolutionary f,.ters-" It's
perfectly es.y to spyl! this principle Of self goS-
erpmeIt TO new Territories atd ne~ States 10, ned
BY the seth ~. nj Of o1r ~n people on lands pre-
viou.ly vacant; nor have the a,EeIa.icns hth.r-
TO msde, lid to s0y msteriil or long
coniipued sbardor uehs Of il But Of the
already sett.ed Territories on cur borders.
it is only trose belonging TO Great Braia
and Inhabited by people speaking the sims
lapgusge. haviog the same origin, snd in substance,
the sane poiii al IDEAS and in'titatlons with our
selves, that ~e could proceed TO annex without at
the same time abandoning, Is 70 the Territories 50
arneIed, the principle of 'elfgoye'nment. What
va. done by Mr. Jefferson and BY his supporters 10
CoDgress-much more enthusiastic adyocste. of the
great principles Of State Rights and Popular
Sovereignty than are commonly ~ be met with
to-day, at least within the ranks Of the Demo
cratic party in the Case Of the Territory OF
Orleans, may sford some slight indication Of
what it would become necessary IN do in tue
case Of the acquisition of Cubs or OF Mexico.
In the Territorial Government established for the
settlements newl acquired by the Louisiana ce,.
sions, of which New. Orleans WAS the capit>. the
,pla oh t.1 he
Douglas of Popular Sovereignty and selfg 'vern-
melt wss quite cast aside. The white inhabitants
of that Territory were some twenty-five thousand
in pumber, ana they we're owners Of az eq lal uun-
Der Of slaves TITUS, the population WAS sufficient,
according 10 the then ooeTessoua ratio TO have en-
titled the inhabitants to imnl date admission a.
State. But of this white population the large ma
jorify sxere French creoles, decendauts % the
original French cOlouists, With a certain al
mixture, however Of French, Spanish AMI Bnt-
i.h emierart.. TIE attachment of many of
these people to the American connection wss
but dubious, While their experience in
self go,. rument was very limited Under France.
the cOlopis's bad possessed hardly any political
power; uuder Spain, none at all The new govern
nent set up BY the United States included only
cautious ard limit departure from these desPotic
models. The President was authorized not only "
sppoiut the Governor and Secretary Of the nee
Territory, but annually to nominate the thirteen
members who were to compose the Legislative
Council. This provision though strongly objected
to and. once struck out by the House of Represent
btvts, ns cODtisry to democratic principles, was re-
insisted BY the Senate, and, on the report Of
Committee Of Conference, was finally asreed TO-
So trifiDg portion Of the Orleans Territory nsd
been settled at the period Of annexation, that the
rapid fow' into it of an American population soon
led to the reesta o,bment there of the principles
of popular sovereignty. Bot such result could
hard be expected in the case Of Cuba, aud much
lees in that tf Mexico. Should We acquire Theses
countries il would be necessary to govern them by
a .ort OF proCOnsuar administration as sucject
Territories, thus abandoning Mr.. Douglass favorte
pru cipls Of popular srlfgovernueIt, and striking,
as he insists such al abandonment would b.,
fatal blow at the peace, harmony aud perPetary Of
the Repu blc If the existence of domestic slavery
in some Of the States, aud the departure therein
from the doctrine of the Declaration Of Indspeud-
ence, that ali men are born free and equal, has so
shaken the foundation aud threatened the Perm$
neuce Of our political system, what must We, As
reasonable men, expect from the still further de
psrtore from that great principle in the steup. to
auuex to the Union body Of subordinate and sub
ject States The experience Of Ataens, OF Rome,
ard of the Swiss Cantons ought 10 be solemn
wsrhipg to US how We attempt anything Of tnat
sort.
As to Mr. Douglass preteuse that the weak
"and feeble powers adjoining us IN Ameic. are
"our natural allies and that we have greater
I" interest in them than any foreign pow,r-an
/" interest that they should have firm and stable
government such an assertion, ii sincerely
ulsde, only prove. Mr. Douglas 10 be sadly issorant
both OF history aud the philosophy of politics.
just so Per,ia claimed to be the natural aly aud
protector of the feeble Greek States on her boz
der, perpetuaily disturbed as many Of them we're
BY intestine cOmmctioos. just so England clsiIned
TO be the patursl ally Of Wales, lrelsni and
Scotland. Whereas every well Informed pers IN
knows, both from reason and experience that
great and powerful States bordering on weak
ones are the natural enemies of the latter
always seeking 10 swallow them up - and,
80 far from having an interest in the stability
their governments, always seeking TO Interfere ~
slimulste rebslhons aud lntern> dissensioBa.
That is what all our NJ ni.t.rs have constsuty done
in the case Of MEXICO and CentIal Amer.a, aai
thA, IS what eur people haze loDs doce aud are
Row doing IN the case Of Cuba. Ii would De just
as IT rtssonabe to say tnst the wolves prUsIng