New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-09

tcipailOr and expectancy
Tie unitsry bs.i, upon which Mr. Dcugl. PRO
poses = place the DEM cratic P.r'y ft the eo'a'
ing Pre.identi,l campaign ha, this tile p~cai,rV
About il that At this mom-ut rot siug gle De n 'cr,s
ststd. upon il not even Mr. Douglas himself
Using the term " Democratic party 10 the sense,
We presume not ofwhst II is, but 81 what b. thlak
il cuph. to be. Mf. DOugl.. represents that psrt!"
holdioz tbs. Il is the right OF the peopl. Of every
State. Of every Territory, snd every pol'ti'a'
" community this Coof-dsrscy to decide tue
I" question Of Slavery to suit thrmsel'es.' Tbs'"
TO cav, % far as iEe questi,n OF Slavery i' con
cerred there is 20 Uoon and 90 FEDERAL Con.e'a-
ton. Ifupon this question of Slavery Zach state
e,eh Territory, aud e,ch political comm unity has
the power TO suit self then the state Ut Ms.ssiP
ri has the riaht to revive the Africsn s.v.trsie,
| and the State Of Massachusetts, to decline acy
| further rendition of runaway negroes Tai', hoT-
yer. We presume, is q length To which not even
Mr. Douglas himself is yet prepared to goa
presumption in VII ch so far ss the latter prspos-
| ton is conserved We see m to be justified by toe
| fact that be sevotes no uncomfortable portion of
bis speech 10 the enforcement of the duty Of re-
turning rupswaJs, however little the people OF this
or that State may be suited by that operation.
1t is very true, as Mr.. Douglas asserts, th.s in
colonial times Virgins asd the other colonies did.
from time to time, resst the power Of the mother
country to interfere with the regulation Of their
affairs But it 10 not Iets true-a fact which MI.
| Douglas seems to have oyerlOOked-taat upon the
| Federal Government of their own ereston, by
which the contfo, oversight, and common authority
Of the mother country were replaced, the people OF
the United States did confer every one Of those
sovereign powers the exercise Of which had been
brought into contest between the colonies aud the
mother couotry including even the very power OF
taxation out Of the dispute cones rniog wai,h the
Revolution had sprung. This, With many other
essential powers, were OFFICIALLY denied u tae con-
federated Government, bu. q short experience
proved that a central and common authority spon
all points of common interest was absolutely essen.
tial to national existence. Mr Douglas may not
be aware of it, but there is all the difference OF
liberty and despotsm between authority freely cot
ferred BY the people Of the United States up n a
Congress elected BY themselves aud the control
over the colonies which the British Parli, nent
claimed to e1erci,e.
As to the parallel which he attempts to draw be-
tween The power exercised by the Congress of the
United States over the Territories and t1st claimed
by the British Parliament over the Colonies, it is
i.l.e and sophistcAl. The power Of Congress over
the Territories is to DO lksDed to tina. OF father
over bis children. 1t is temporary in its nature,
ard the Territories will soon, 10 the due progress
of nature, succeed to all the rights and privileges of
States. The authority claimed by Param mt over
the Colonies Tesembled, the other hand, that of
master over his slaves. 1t was perpetual. IL had
no limit Under it the Colonies never could look
forward to any period when tssy would be- per-
mitted to act aud decide for themselves.
Whether or not the question Of Slavery, and its
extension, is in its nature proper subject for the
exercise of the authority of the Federal Govern
meDt, must mainly depend upon the fac! whether
or not it involves questions Of common interest
Mr. Douglas seems to think that il Involves no such
questions Whether Slavery shall or shall not be in
troduced into any new State, be appears ~ think
matter Of indifference to all toe rest of toe
Union, and therefore properly to be eft to the de-
cison of tie inhabitants of the embryo Safe. IL
is upon this view Of the case that be undertakes 70
justify bis proposed basis for the unity Of the
Democratic party. But the very interest which
the question o. the extension Of Slavery has ex-
cited shows that upon this point the people of the
lifted States whether those of the North OF thDse
Of the South, do not agree With Mr.. Douglas. Th-y
do regard the question Of the extension OF Slavery
as one inyolsng interests exterior to the ne State
t.tlf, AMI as having an important aud direct besr
ing On the fut ire policy of the Union; and as such
they regard it as falling within the scope of the
power and objects Of the Federal G vernmens
Mr. Douglass project of hsrmonzipg the Demo
cratic party upon the basis Of utter uncOncern as
~ whether Slavery is extended or no., may do
very well for trading politicians who have no
other object 10 view except to make things easy
sid con Portable while they are being elected to
Office 1t will not 90 down with the great bodj
Of he people either North or SOutb DO look be-
yond III. peuding distribution Ct offices, and 10.
cude within the scope Of their hopes and fears the
future ias~ OF the Union.
The great body Of the Northern people regard
the institution OF Slavery with the mos. decided
rePugnance Apart from ail its religious and moral
aspects, they look upon it as great political evil
| They esteem it, and justly, IS the nurse Of inc
| quslfy and OF ari,tocratic distinctions They con
sider it 10th in theory and in it's practical opera
ton as deadly hostile to the whole system of demo-
cratic Institutions Regarding it in this light i. it
not great piece of impudence on the part of Mr
Douglas to ash them to orego all opposition to its
further extension; to forego the authority which
the Federal Constitution has conferred upon Con-
orass and uh;ch hat NOD from 6,st 70 h..