New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-10

Every now and then, some one of the hair-splt-
ting genuses of the South thinks he has discovered
new point or position to bother the adversaries of
Slavery, and parades it with great competency
when be finds what he considers good opening for
display of his reconcile ingenuity. Thus Soma
tor Clay of Alabama interrupted Senator Trumbull
of Illinois, the other day, with the question how
he, Senator Trumbull "recOnced, consistently
with the personal integrity of the signers Of the
Declaration Of Independence, their holding slaves
"with the assertion in that instrument that all men
care entitled to life and liberty" Mr. Clay, IN
this question evidently intended TO imply that 1t
could not be recOnciled any other suppOsition
than that the Declaration only meant tohute men.
1t is such luminous logical deductions this that
these champions of Slavery hatter themselves and
asnuse others with.
Now, We beg to answer Nr Clay's question by
asking another. Did Mr.. Jefferson, who wrote
the Declaration, consider Slavery right wrong
Did he mean what he said, when he described and
condemned il Was that great apostle Of original
Simon Pure American Democracy jesting when he
uttered the memorable words, as he surveyed
Slavery as it existed around him in Virginia,
I" tremble when / think that God is just la a
wsrd does or does not Mr.. Jefferson, in his pub
Ished works recognize and assert the Inconsistency
of the existence of Slavery with the doctrines
advanced in the Declaration, and the principles DIS
tinotly epuncated in the Federal Constitution
Lie surely does.
Dir. Clay's implication, then, directly impugns
Mr. Je1erson's "penOnal integrity" or the inn
ploation involves falacy. That fallscy consists
in the assumption that every statesman does or
should square all his acts BY certain abstract UNI
bending logical propositions Thus, Mr.. Clay
implicitly argues that if every is entitled to bis
liberty, Slavery should be instantly abolished, aud
that no who believes this doctrine can preserve
his " personal integrity who holds q slave a day.
This is tho position Of our extreme Abolltionists
and We hope Mr.. Clays testimony may afford them
some comfort. But We defend our early statesmen
and fathers of the Republic from this charge OF
Inconsistency, on the ground that no statesman
ever did, and no statesman ever can,
always carry out all bis abstract ideas OF
government in its practical administration.
The best he can do and all he do, Is to approx
mate 10 his ideal. Thus though Mr.. Jefferson, MIR.
Mason, Dir. Madison, and their compeers, felt
knew, and declared that Slavery was wrong and
botch and disgrace upon our Government, neither
was impelled to therefore insist that every man
who held slaves should instantly hberate them.
Yet Mr.. Senator Clay grayely intimates that such
was their duty if they held to the literal interpreta-
ton OF the Declaration OF Independence We trust
Mir Clay will not press this view Of the case upon
the Republicans when they come into power in the
National Administration. They will desire to
administer the Government honestly, fairly, aud
with moderation; and it is the last thing Con
eeryatiye Southern statesman should De dong at
this iuncture to assert or at least very dstantly
intimate. these radical and revolutionary senti-