The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-07
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

position OF the hepuOllcan party, Ill WHICH
it entirely ignores the political claims of
the colored man. The tribune doubt
less has authority for this elaborate and
distinct definition of its party. It's doubt
less the distinct enunciation of the Repub-
lican party and the line of policy by which
it is hereafter to be guided.
1t has ever been the political policy of
the "Tribune" to grasp after success, even
if it had to depart little from its own well
defined principles. 1t pursued this course
in its wonderful endeavors~4o elect Henry
Clay to the Presidency 1t did the same
in its assistance in the selection and
subsequent labored efforts to elect Fremont
TO the same office; and now it evinces a
preference for any man who can be elect
ed fron the Republican side, without re-
gard to such past antecedents or present
declarations as insure real anti-slavery ad-
vance.
Indeed, the "Tribune" plainly remarks
upon the great point involved that "the
questions are not the equality and citizen
ship Of the negro, but that he may have
the right to his family and the common
privileges due to humanity" ''But even
these" says this leading Republican jour
nal4 ay be left out in considering the
political aspect of the country, since the
main question is not the amount of injury
done to the negro, but how much the whites
are injured by the existence, spread, and
perpetuity Of slavery. 1t concentrates the
power Of the government into the hands of
the aristocratic few whites at the expense
of the many.
The ostenSible object Of the Republican
party, if we are to believe the "Tribune,"
is TO promote the interests of the lower
classes of the whites at the expense of the
higher. If it opposes negro slavery it is
merely to prevent this higher class from
obtaining more power, and the lower class
from having less, and not from the unjust
ness, unlawfulness, and unrighteousness of
slavery itself.
1t is the political, economical, and moral
degradation Of the poor white population
that the Republican party and its leading
organs would defend only in their war
against negro slavery; to all of which we
reply that if said party have higher, no
nobler aims, no juster views, no Sounder
principles, the sooner the concern is blown
to the winds the better--or rather, lacking
substance, it must perish of inanity.
One would think we had enough in the
way of constitutions, organizations, and
parties for the especial benefit of the white
man, expressed or understood. Sobriety
and truth will be redeemed of their child
rem. A principle without party is infn-
itely stronger than party without prin-
ciple The Republican party, we fear, if
it be not already, soon will be classed in
the latter category. The public feels and
the South admits that it was work of su-
perogation for the Republican party to
defend itself against the charge of compile
ity with John Browns movement or with
John Brown himself. 1t was too we'll
known, too thoroughly proclaimed that the
Republican party was white mans party,
for such charge to be entertained by any
well informed person.
As it approaches the fight of 1860, ex-
pansion rather than concentration is the
characteristic of lis platform. 1t is far
more anxious to embrace men rather than
principles-to get votes rather than char
acter-and the Conventions Of next summer
will approach each other 50 nearly in doc
trines that it will be hard to tell from their
platforms alone which is Republican and
which Democratic.
Mr.. Seward, the only prominent man in
the Republican party who represents the
approach to principle, is already thrown
overheard, and there is taken up in his
place Mr.. Bates, who outdoes Buchanan
himself in ST. y "negrophobia."
When such papers as the Evening
Post" and the Tribune" which have done
manful fight in behalf of negro suffrage in
our State, adopt, without protest, the doc
trines of Mr.. Bates that the colored man.
free and enslaved, is nuisance in the
land, what can be hoped for from the party
whose organs they are-organs which lib
eral minded men have regarded as in ad-
vance Of the party itselfT