Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-05-20

soon to assume very prominent shape
in the politics Of this country, and
which We think will obtain = cstegori-
cal reply even before the crisis Of the
next general election arrives. The
question is now fas, taking the form
Ia there = Republican patty We
apprehend that before it will come for
ward in the decisive shape Of IN in
disputable proposition, the con-
senting voice Of vast majority of the
people will deelsEe-the Republican
party dead ! The miscellaneous con-
yregation e elements which passes
under that name will dissolve for
want of any common principle OF as
ISOLATED purposes or interest, through
divided counsels and antagonistic opiL-
ions. Indeed it has for some time
past been undergoing the throes of
partuIltion, in the delusive hope that
the result would be the production OF
a new organization, of more than ma
ternal hope, for winch the denomina-
ton already fixed should be 1.-The OPP
position" This expectation is in IT.
self foregone svowal OF the weak
ness of the Republican power aud
name. The enquiry must come up
opposition to what! Is it to the pre-
sent Democratic administration. Such
a rallying point would clearly be gu
pe,fluous, because we do not understand
that this is likely to be any matter Of
contest. New men, and to an extent
which may prove satisfactory to the
ruling sentiment Ct the country, new
measures, will nnquestionably be pro-
posed. The course of time itself does
and must necessarily work great
changes in this respect. Or is it OPP
position to the slave power, so called.
supposed to be represented by the
Democracy,ln the main, and which has
furnished the chief ground OF resist
ance to the present administration OF
the government
In this respect also, the very foun.
dation of the party has been taken
away by the progress of events just
as one of our southern rivers eats into
the heart of some uprising bank, and
carries the soil and fiorid vegetation
along with it, to be Dissolved in its wa
tiers and be no more seen forever. 1t
was early last winter, in the discussion
upon the Army Bill, We believe that
Mr.. Seward declared in substance, il
not in language, that the anti-slsvery
battle had been fought, and the con-
test was over. And it was perfectly
true, that the issues upon which, not
merely the Republican party, but a
large majority Of the people North
and South, stood equally in opposition
to the extension OF slavery for politi
cal ends, had then been already deci
ded. The admission on his part was
probably inadvertent, though entirely
consistent with his more recent course
of remark; quitting that ground at
together upon which the Republics 4
party was organized and brought ny
to the contest 10 1856, and taking the
extreme position, that all the State.
in the Union must become slavehold
ing, or else slavery must be altogether
abolished. This is mere abolition, o
course, since the introduction Of slave
~ into the free States is impossible
and the second alternative OF his pro
position alone remains.
THIS also is the doctrine distinct,
put forth by MIR. Wilson IN his recen
letter upon the amendment. to on
State Constitution, claiming the anti
slavery cause to be parau cunt issue
u which all considerations must yield
And undoubtedly they, as party men
have done the best they could in tax
ING that position, because there was
nothing else for them TO do. If they
could bring the Northern sentiment
up to their point, then they might b.
successful ; IN any other event they
could only reti,e from the field. Ii
one sense, they are wise to resort t.
this expedient, since they had no othel
hope. If it were beam, it would sup
port them but as it is only straw
where are they Few, except thos,
whose hopes delude their judgement
can believe that the main body of tn.
Northern and Western people are t.
be engaged in a political canvass solely
upon the unconstitutional and unfra
teInal. basis of devotion to the anti
slavery cause. Resistance to the ex-
tension Of slavery involved politica
reasons of substantial weight. Thu
anti-slavery cause in any intclligi
BILE sense, means the exclusion of slavery
from the United States, which no on,
in his senses imagines could be at
tempted byany considerable party with
out bloodshed and civil disruption
or could be accomplished, if it be eve
possible by any forcible means.
The Republican party, therefore, W
say, which numbers of its prominen
and influential leaders are endcavorin,
to convert into a mere anti SLAYER
organization, is even now, for that yer,
reason, practically defunct. Supposin.
it possible. though we believe it impos
sible to carry single State in til
Union on this bare issue, that Ne,
Eoglsnd we're found to be SO thorough
" abolltionized - where else coul
such party find support /! Pennsyl
vsnia is at this very moment maxim
her own industrial interests with thos
Of the rest of the Union her para