New-York daily tribune., 1859-08-06
THE Lesson IN KENTUCKY.

THE GBSSON IN hENUO(Ah'
The Opposition have no~ been defeated IN Ken
tucky, a. they were in Virginia They fought taei'
battle with much energy and much talert. Their
men were abe n the arts of election eering-if any
thing. abkr than their Democratic opponents
The issue was squarely and boldly msde. As N
virginia. they co1tended that the Democratic party
was upsound or Che Slavery question; th't IL TACT
IL WAS tainted with the virus Of Freedom;
and that it was only in the Opposition camp
that the beet of institutions could fad protect N
and security. They sone loudly declared them
selves in favor of that great de.ideratum,
Fed. raj slave code iusuring 10 property in saves
the same legal nunimenn as surround other
property in the Territories. This was their grand
idea. To the length Of reoPehiDg the slave trade
they did not eo-s prudent abstinence, since Ken
tucLy can make more money by breeding than oy
importing negroes. But on the question OF + ed
eral slaye code they rung all possible changes,
chief, with charges Of abolition tendencies against
the Democratic leaders. Thus these former Wings
and Americans, msby Of whom Lad, 10 doubt, here
tofore followed HENRY CLAY when he ccntended
for the extinction Of sl,very in the State sought to
get into power by degree of superserviceabs ser
Witty to the negro interest which the Democratic
party did not think j. necessary to initiate. Their
tactics in this respect would seem to have been
borrowed from the Softs Of this State, all Jealous
Free Soilers q few years since, but now ready
to engage in any base service which their more
manly and consistent rivals, the Hards, would
never stOop to.
We rejoice that this disgusting prostratlon
II Il. A. L., fxif re
ward. After making iteelf contemplate, the eiec-
ton has made it ridiculous. THIS result viuticstes
not only the law of political justice but the good
sense of the people of Kentucky. They are not so
simple as not TO know that Slavery 10 safe with
party that has stood BY it, tough. its hardest fights
broken down the Missouri Compromise, made the
Dred Scott decision, engaged in the fraud and
bIoodshed of Kansas and sacrificed itself in all the
Northern States in obedience to the dictates Of the
slaye power. Besides, the Kentuckians uoder'
stood perfectly that the triumph OF such an OPP
position must be q barren victory. Suppose It's
candidates had all been elected. what then = How
could tbey have procured the promised Federal
slave code Why, only BY going IN with the Demo-
Gratis, for from the Repu slicaDs or even from mod
crate SoutherDers, nothing Of that sort could be
hoped for Of course, then, sensible men would
take the shorter cut Of voting for Democrats 10 the
first ns s.snce. And so this Opposition, withodt
reason, without policy and without object, except
ofiicial spoils, has come to not untlmey end
In a Slave State there are two modes OF opposing
the Democratic party, which may be comprehended.
The first is that adopted in Missouri, where, assail-
ing the false pretensiors the extravaganza, a7orlt-
ism and corruption of that party the Opposition
have also adopted the time hcnored opinion OF the
Fathers, that Slavery is an evil and curse, NOR
ally and economically. Accordingly they propose
to clear the State of it, ard to put Free-labor In
its place. This is a genuine Opposition, full OF
benefits to the State, which it is even now daily
building up to prosperity aud spower that the
stupidity and stsgDation Of Slavery could never
even conceive. The other kind Of ineligible OP-
position is that which we have nov seen in Tennes
see where laying aside the question OF Slavery other
matters of local policy have been brought forward
and the need of q more honest, economical,
and truly Democratic administration OF the
Government forciby insisted on. This, though lar
less comprehensive, less vital, and in its ultimate
fruits less beneficial than the policy of Missouri Is
vet not without respectsbility aud usefulness Nor
does il entirely cut of the possibility Of patriots:
cooperation on national questions between the men
of Tennessee and the men Of Missouri and the
great party of which the latter form part
But while the Democrats Of Kentucky have thus
crushed the spurious party that had come against
them with such loud and hollow pretensons, ths
germs of complete and permanent Opposition
= ~. ,r.rt;n, in that Ststa We refer of cDurse
to the body of professed EmancipstiOnists and Re
publicans who are found there. Apparently few
in number and weak in influence, with only single
leader, tie fearless CAssIUs NJ. CLAY, they yet
hold to the principles and represent the policy on
whose future triumph the greatness of the State
and the happiness and progress of her people are
inseparably dependent.