New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-29
THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY THE
HARPERS FERRY AFFAIR


To a. rs,O, Of asx " ryassA
Sin. There 10 at present much alarm, true or
AT, cted in respect to the recent tsnsscton ~ hN
pe,'s Ferry. There may be question, however,
xb.,bsr the real danger is seen and spprshspdeA -
u ought 10 Be. 1t may take some words to explain
mi. There is in this country most peculiar nsttu.
ton 20 say the least Of questionable morality There
-. .oms GOOD reasons for regarding il - serious
rol;,;c,I evil. Even when acknowledge 10 b local.
.nA claiming 20 be let alone on that very ground,
va. ,,ill regarded, ard justly regarded, a. having
more or lees bearing upon the general welfare Since
tbsnce /. has passed those bounds and claims to
he national IL demands Introduction, -
matter of right, into every nev Territory,
and protection there, irrespective OF any national or
local legislation to the contrary. IL claims TO be
GOOD. ne, se, and not evil although history shows
tina. il has destroyed every nation that has cher
i.hed il. A power connected with IT, and drawing Ito
own strength from it, has, incidentally for many long
years controlled the Administration, the AgislAtioa
and at last obtained full possession Of the Judiciary Of
the nation This ns.uton has connected with il eer-
tain most vital and inseparable consequences. II
carries in its train wherever introduced, evils other
than the great and primary evil In every new Ter
rtory or State into which il comes this comes along
with ia gross inequality Of political representation,
injurious to other members of the copfsderscy. There
comes with it, inevitably jest that state Of insecurity,
ard that consequent peril, which has been lately
brought TO the public notice in 50 striking man
ner.
II is admitted by its very advocates that every
rev community in which this institution 10 permitted
to get footing places itself and ali its future inter-
ests, ever ,motbered political volcano. Undeniebb
facts have proved that In such community, too,
there can be no free discussion no free press, no free
church All this goes in its train; sod all this shows
how extensive are its bearings, and what interest a.
tsches TO it, net only in the localities where u 90
cisly cherished, but in even the remotest paris OF
the United Nation. 1t has other consequences, more
indirect indeed but none the less deeply affecting the
political rights of other members Of the confedsrscy
claims that what it calls property, though IL be the
common consent Of mankind unnatural property, shall
be property ereryrhere, while what other States
make citisensAp shall be citizenship ~orAere out 81
such States. In other words, that the one thing,
though the lorer thing In its best aspect though IN
natural in this particular species, though design
edly left unmentioned in the Constitution shall
be national, while the higher thing, citizen
ship. though expressly mentioned and pro-
tected therein, shall NOT be national ct all. The
man whom Georgia makes q Stare may be carried
as slave, and held as slave, 10 Nebrssksi the man
the same man it may be-whom Yer mont makes Q
citizen, cannot 60 as citizen into tho same common
territory. Such confusion has it introduced into
fundamental political IDEAS and for SUCH PaIaaosss ne
Of the Judiciary which itself has imposed upon the
nation.
Now in this fair and undensble statement, We have
used no railing terms We have said nothing Of ns do
mestic immortality or of the startling fact that shuts
out four millions of nen-yes men, sons OF Adam and
human brothers of Chrst-from the most common
rights Of humanity. Our argument sstsfea With its
trOduced and seeks to render permanent in whole
social state. This power is on the advance; nas
destroyed national compromises; has occanoned ior'
eRn wars; il has demoreized our politics; II mas 10
short, become not local merely, but great nsaonN
So At least Think very large portion Of the best men
and best thinkers of our land There is no legal or
S.sst ss x:ry locally
though such party would, of course, DO UNNECESSARY
uus6sd and put down by force. But in tho Union q
large such party has at length arisen 1t 10 opposed
to this slave power 10 thing, by the way quite distinct
from Slavery sel) solely ito national aspects 1t
demands that there should be stop put to S further
extension, that the Overgrown domination which It has
ment should be diminished, that false decisions Of
Courts deeply affecting the rights OF other States,
should be reversed. II maintains that as there "a
undoubtsd conflict Of ideas and one or the other must
give way, servitude must be pronounced local and
osded as special while citizenship, and the right Of
each State to make citizens should be left a. free and
as universal as the Constitution expressly says x
shall be.
Now, to say the least, these are great qus..
moral, and conservative party, such q
party as has at last arisen for their maintenance
They dignfed questions. Compared with the issue
they present, banks and tariffs and regular nominA
tons, and "psrty usages" and the spoil. Of Office,
and cheating platforms, and everything of
the kind that has heretofore divided parties
among us, .ink into insignidcance. There IS
row party sopbisms, the email schemes Of small mon,
that have done 90 much to dwarf a. Vel ~ corrupt
our national mind; it introduces US into the broad
arena of history; it demands the investigation OF some
of the deepest questions of political philosophy; tin
wolves constitutional questions yes those deeper ideas
that Lie back Of constitutions, even the ultimate ideas
of sovereignty Of nationality and Of the inherent duty
of every nation to preserve itself.
Such are the questions, and such the party.
honorable to those who take the other side that they
should have such a party in antagonism. But here
comes in the strange fact, to which We would can
special attention. Is so out OF the course OF al
and all history. Here comes the prePoserous issue
supersedipg, in fact the other issue Of Slavery extern
sion, and bow for the first time made Such party.
il is eravey maintained, must not, ought not TO BE-
SLOWED. II is not simply that il must be opposed,
party, but il must not be permitted 70 exist as sacn:
II il secioLa they say and notice this - the first
and n oct foolish OF ali the opposing arguments. Such
party is prevented by the force and Lynch law of
majority from holding any meetings In some OF ths
Stsies; and then it l. seriously maintained, that
should lot EXIT at all because il il not universal.
is Just the same though the people Of Vermont in
indignant retaliation, soDuld prevent any Democratic
caucus from berg held among them, and then claim
that Democrats should disband everywhere because
their party has not il foil organization In every Stats
Of the Union.
But the Republican party is not TO exist In any.wy
and on any ground. On this grandest Of historical ana