The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-07-30

exercised at the rapid changes and complete
miscarriage of their plans and calculations,
which the political revolution now going on In
the popular mind is working.
We are not surprised at it. The politician by
profession never comprehends the operation Of
great principles These overthrow all organi-
cations, all bargains for Office, all the antci-
pated distributions of spoil, by acting through
the masses of people who have no part in cor
rupt and selfish arrangements. This is the pro
cess that is now going on, and the people
everywhere are seeking the true principles in
volved in the present campaign, instead Of
obeying the behests of worn out and selfish
political organizations. 1t is this process which
is rapidly ranging the masses under the ban
ners of Breckenridge and of Lincoln, and leav-
ing to the Douglas, the Bell, the Houston and
the Gerrit Smith party managers and wirework-
ers nothing but the empty she'll of party
existence to be traded for and sold out
for the benefit Of the creditors and
residuary legatees. Two parties only, In
the present contest, have any real prin-
ciple underlying their organizations. The black
republicans have proclaimed self-satisded and
seductive theory, that Northern society Is more
religious, moral and pure than that of the South
and claim that, being more virtuous, it is more
happy. On this ground they are urging the
country to an "irrepressible conflict" with the
South, destructive alike to the great principles
of the constitution which establish the equality
of the States, and to the brotherhood, the social
intercourse, and the great material interests
flowing from that equality.
This the people see; and that fact has ope-
rated to diminish the popular majorites of that
party in the North, and to make its banners the
symbols of an aggressive war on the South. A
Fictitious character has been given to the con-
test by concentrating it for a while on the
question OF Territorial sovereignty-one of the
constitutional questions which has not been tho
roughly ventilated and decided by the people,
This question rests upon certain simple, fixed
and abstruse principles of government which
cannot be departed from without leading to
other departures from constitutional prin-
ciple, which are full of danger to the
government and to the Union. The
old and now defunct democratic party had
acted in the past without reference to these
principles, leaving their discussion and settle
ment upon a permanent basis to the future.
That discussion is now going on, and the time
has come for it's decision. Although the ques-
ton has been presented before now, in the
shape of Wilmot provisos and similar PROPOSE
tons, and always with formidable and widely
aOito nbar 4 not NJ
brought forward that Pandora's box, the Kan.
sas-Nebraska bill, that the real discussion was
opened.
When that bill was brought up in 1854,
the farseeing and sagacous among the leaders
of the democratic party perceived how neces-
sary it was that the great principle involved
should be formulated and expressed without
reference to political partisanship or personal
preferences. The policy that then animated
parties is thus stated by Senator Benjamin in
his speech in the Senate on the 22d of May
last -
grcss Of the United States had the power TO govern the
Territories ard that there be found In the const
csing tha power 30 as 10 exclude slavery; and they
therefore went for excluding slavery from the Territories
by the power OF Congress, which bad admitted power
10 govern thom. The southern members Of the demo.
cratic party, with some Of the members from the North
agreed with the republican party that the Congress Of
Uni,ei States had tho undoubted power govern the
Territories but they held that there a limitation to
that power TO he found In the constitution OF the United
Sates, which imitation prevented the Congress Of the
United States from exercising the power to exclude
slavery, but on the contrary, imposed IL duty upon
Congress to protect property IN slaves Just as ali other
property The third school held that the sole power Of
Congress institute organic act they termed
IT, that the sole power to give, as II were, cons,tu
brought other in organized FORM and that when the
people thus brought together In organized form,
IN legislative capacity, they possessed inheren, sove
W slavery just as they pleased.
All of these views were more or less biased
from the true principle by local interests and
party aspirations and in order to save the de-
mocratic party from the inevitable dissolution
which would follow an adhesion to local aspi-
rations, instead Of great national interests and
constitutional principle, they all agreed to abide
by the decision Of the Supreme Court the only
passionless and disnterested interpreter Of the
constitution. To this vie agreement Senator
came in 1857, in the celebrated bred Scott de-
cision. The black republicans undertook to
get rid of that decision by announcing the Court,
and Mr.. Seward, again and again, in the Senate
and out Of it, insinuated and charged that there
had been bargain between the Chief Justice
and the President Of the United States That
utterly groundless charge has recoiled on him
everywhere, because it is confidently believed
that in bis accusations against the highest and
purest in the land, be judges them by princi-
pies Of action which would have guided him
hai he been in their place.
The principle established in the bred Scott
decision is well known. When Mr. Doug
las went into the contest for the
Senatorship of the State Of Illinois,
he had not the courage to fight local battle
on great national principles in opposition to
the evanescent preiudces Of the day. He
shrank from his obligation and duty as a na-