The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-08

Union anu me C0nBtituuOn, tne u0mOctaCy auu
Fernando Wood, whom the Sun abused and
they will, therefore, soon leave the Sun in afog.
Every democratic reader is deserving It, as rats
desert sinking ship. Such is the revulsion In
the nigger-worshipping press.
The Opening OF COngress-The Vital
Question or tho Day.
Not long since we called attention to the
present Congress as being likely to be the most
exciting one since the formation Of the govern
ment under which we live. Thatwe were right
in this prediction is made apparent by the ex-
ceedingly stormy debate which has sprung up
in the House. even before its organization, and
the discussion In the Senate upon different
branch Of the same subject which the House
has taken up. The House debate Is apropos to
an incendiary publication, "The Impending
Crisis" which bears the name Of II. r. Helper
as author, and which has heretofore been made
known to the country by means Of copious ex-
tracts In this journal. The Helper book ad-
vocates insurreotioa, murder and treason, in the
following words y
So seems that the total number OF actual slave owners
including their entire OF bringing ckspe, against
whom We have % contend but three hundred and forty
seven thousand hvo hundred and twenty Two Against
this army for he defence and propagation Of slavery We
t1txk 4 WlEh2 81 sey master-ndependent q ths
with an opportunity to cut their masters throats and
without accepting OF single recruit from either Of the
free Sates, England France or Germanyto muster one
its utter extinction We determined TO abolish slavery
at all hazardsn defiance Of all the opposition, Of what
hrinr III 0f this M ua moi AM
govern themselves accordingly
It is this work, which has been endorsed by
over sixty members Of Congress, by the repub-
lican leaders, Seward, Weed, Greeley, Sherman,
Grow and others, and for the circulation of which
they have subscribed large sums Of money.
The question is brought before the House by
representative (Mr. Clark) from Missouri, who
moves resolution to the effect that any mem
Der whose name appears as the endorser of the
Helper doctrine should not be chosen Speaker
Of the House, the third Office in the gift of the
republic. In the other branch of Congress- a
motion to raise special committee to investi-
gate the Harper's Ferry affair gives rise to q
most important debate upon the general merits
Of the question at issue. That question-and
it may as well be stated plainly-is one which
can only arise in republic like ours. 1t is
whether or not one section of the Union being
dissatisfied with the action of the other, is JUS
tilted in Withdrawing altogether from the fede-
ration. we are not aware that the question of
dissolution OF, or secession from, the Union has
ever been met so plainly before, except in the
simple instance of South Carolina. Certainly,
it has never been so boldly and squarely put
by any number of States, or any considerable
number Of persons outside of the fre-eaters and
negro-worshippers. Now, the question is dis
tinctly stated by Seward and his coadjutors
thus" Either slavery must be abolished, or
the Union must be dissolved" That is the
argument Of the bloody and brutal Rochester
manifesto; that is the plain English Of Helpers
insurrectionary and reasonable book.
The question, then, b brought quite home to
usl Pen or twelve years ago it was cut on the
BID Is of Mexico. No more slave States,
W. CRY. Then we had it in Kansas,
be ruffanly behaviour of the politicians,
on bon tides, would have disgraced sepoys or
SouthSea Islanders But the Territorial issue
is dead; the Kansas question is settled, and the
managers of the republican party have to look
about them like the directors Of the theatres, for
a new sensation. Helper and John Brown
bring them what they want Helper advocates
general throatcutting as gentle method Of
phlebotomizing the STAKEHOLDER, and, as far as
his means will carry him, John Brown puts
HELPERS doctrine into execution.
Thus the black republican party appears as
the direct foe of the Union. The question is
presented distinctly and directly. It is seces-
sion or abolition, in plain English. This may
frighten some old ladies, but the conservative
masses of the American people will not be
afraid to meet it. The fact that the matter is
discussed and mentioned does not prove that it
is settled, OF that the country is going to ruin,
as some Of the effete governments Of Europe
would fain believe. Our form of government
is one which can stand debate, discussion, even
abuse from its own friends, even rebellion, in
surrection, or treason, without going to pieces.
Our strength is in the hearts Of the people, not
the bayonets of standing army. History is
not without case parallel to ours. For more
than six centuries Rome was ruled by her
Senate and people. As with us, the proudest
boast of millions of men, high and low, rich
and poor, was, II am Roman citizen" That
legend, Sum ciuis Romaaus, was passport all
over the world, from the time of Tarquin to
that Of Augustus Caesar. In all this while the
Roman republic was far from being in state
Of profound domestic peace. There were GER
tain dstracting questions-su such as that of SER
vile labor, agrarianism, and SO on--not dis
similar to those which now agitate our country.
And they talked then of disnnion and seces-
sion and civil war, and not only talked about
it, but absolutely did it. In the end, however,
all parties were happy to seek shelter under
the eagles which so often led the armies Of the
republic to victory. As in those days, SO will
~ In in {hooa