Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-03-21

The Democracy thought they had reached
point that would stand the test of logica
sequence, when they declared that SLAYER,
was natural right, which government mus
protect, but could not prohibit but here thei
logic runs against the slave trade, whicl
government not only does not protect bu
makes piracy; and civilization is not yet s.
far advanced that any party would like t.
take the ground that the slave trade is
natural right, entitled to government protec
ton. In this, rs in most cases, high mora
principle is wonderfully sustained by profit
and the breeders of the domestic African ar
the most reliable bulwark of the moral senti
ment against the foreign slave trade.
Douglas tried to define principle tina
would settle the Slavery question. He foun'
II steady employment so would any on'
who would undertake to define Douglass
position now. The result Of his effort is no
encouraging. Popular sovereignty is SC
mighty a principle that it would be absurd
to limit it by a shade of the complexion; anc
when Il comes to "voting slavery up" OF
nyotine II down"-as the abbreviated Gian'
expresses 1.-THE logical sequence of this
power will no more stop at color, than tn
prciudiccs of the superior race will, wheI
the patcrnal principle drives.
Mr.. Bates, whom his friends have beer
training for a two-horse act in the Presiden-
tial race. has undertaken to hit the question
between wind and water, by going against
the extension of slavery, and for the admis-
sion of slave States Our excellent cotempo-
rarv, the Gazette, which has ''cottoned' con-
sideraby to Bates, yesterday drops him, as
not of temperature sufficiently high or low
TO be retained on the Republican stomach
and it lays down the principle which, it says
all Republicans, whether radical or nominal,
subscribe to. Wequote:
'No person can, or properly should receive
the Republican nomination for the Presl-
dency, whose views, openly and unequivo-
cally ayowed, do not come fully up TO thc
STANDARD of Incorporating resistance 10 III
extension of sidUery into any Territory lohereih
il is not alJeqdy established By local td'o."
This. then, is the Emission of the Republi-
can party, for which its elements are willing
to waive all "minor" political questions.
Slavery is "already established by local law
in Kansas, or was recently; SO it is in New
Mexico. This reduces the mission of the
Republican party to pretty fine point; and
growing beautifully less; for if local law will
establish slavery in territory, it would seem
that the inhabitants of the territory have the
thing entirely in their own control, and this
would bring the mission of the Republican
party to an untimely end, thing not to be
mentioned without grief. We hope that this
is not the intention Of the Gazette.
But why should local law be 50 much more
sacred in the eyes of the Republican party
than general law. This great people have
been wont to regard the Constitution of the
nation as the end of sanctity, and to look
upon the disregard of federal laws as nullifi-
cation. Why should the Republican 'mis-
sion" roquise to change ends with our
ideas, and set up local law, the law enacted by
squatter sovereigns, as the end of the slavery
controversy If local law can establish slavery
in territory, can not general and constitu-
tional law also? The distinction seems curl
Gus; and if the establishing of slavery in q
territory is thing which can be done by law
and Congress has power to legislate for the
territories, as we presume the Gazette ad
mits, it is difficult to see why federal law
should have any less virtue than local law, OF
constitutional and judicial law, to which, be
fore the mission" of the Republican party
began, the people were accustomed to lool
for the fnality of all questions; and yet the
Gazette declares that the Republican candi-
date must 'repudiate the Dred Scott decision
and all its logical sequences" by which tho
Constitution establishes slavery in the Terri
tories.
We are obliged to confess that we hav,
beel unable to see how slavery can be estab
lished in territory by legislation. We be-
lieve that it is not established in most Of tn
slave States in that way; and the "logica
sequences" of the Gazette would demand
candidate who would "come fully up to tn,
standard of uncompromsing resistance" t.
the establishment of slavery in those of the
slave States where it is not now established
by legislation: yet the Gazette is conservative
republican: but if the extension and estab
lshment of slavery comes within the prov.
ince of law, it is hard to see why federal ant
judicial and constitutional law should be dc.
posed from their ancient supremacy, and loca
legislation of squatter sovereigns, set up a
the finality of law.
AS we remarked at the beginning of this
article, it is pretty difficult to lay down a
logically impregnable platform on slavery.
We do not pretend to be exempt from the
difficulty; but fortunately our position does
not demand that we should undertake this
labor, and we naturally look to the great
parties who have made this matter their
mission, for an exposition; and we must con-
fess that our logical dove finds no rest for the
sole of its foot in the Gazette's Republican
platform; and we are almost persuaded that
the Republicans are facetious when they talk
of sinking "minor issues" for such an inap-
preciable point.
"FerGusOn" in New York.
The Legislature of New York is trying to