The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-07-23
THE PRE- StDENCY.
CERT Smith on the Presidential
Question.
sS~~~~~-~>~~>~~~~~->~~
HIS LETTER TO FRED. DOUGLASS.
HIS Platform Temperance, Freedom
and the "IrrepressibIe Conflict"
Cant Vote Tor Lincoln, Breckenridge Rsll,
Douglas or Houston.
little Hope for Temperance or
7 Freedom in Our Day"
SPEECHES OF SENATOR DOUGLAS.
&s., H., u.
Little Hope for Temperance or
Freedom in Our Day"
PyTlRBoRo, July 10, 1900.

fBrnkBoRO, July 10, 1S00
FRDKMcK DouetAse
M DEAR FRHSD-I am frequently asked what the
friends Of temperance and freedom should do at the ap
preaching election. My the that which
for so many years / have given 10 the question:
They should vote for the uncompromsng enemies of tho
dramshop and for those who knowing law for slavery,
accord not the least legality its least pretensions
The Of temperance prostrate Who Frustrated
S Its protested friends Howp By traing with it and
trampng II under foot at the polls by voting for candi-
dates whom they knew 10 be in favor Of licensing the
sae of intoxicating liquors for beverage No who
believes in the rghtfuness of such is 1T for any po-
cai oce; for the sole legitimate Of every such Of
fee protection of the people, and hence they and they
only who love to be, and study be- their projectors
ht for such Office But they such protectors who
license the dram shop-thlt mandatory Of drunk
ards and paupers only but also Of madmen murderers
and every other sort OF crminalsY Certainly not. AS
well might we elect Shareholders to political Office; and
how unfit they who buy and sell people be entrust
cd with the protection of the people does surely
| need to be argued. Nevertheless these friends OF
temperance, yielding other interests and parakng OF
the frenzy OF party politics. rush TO the polls
drunkards and drunkard makers. The rumseer himself
is not more responsible drunkard maker than he who
licenses him. And If here there Ia an earnest man.
whose conscience sterny forbs prostitution Of su
fanatic or a fool. They procaimng that tho
dramshop is the greatest Of all yet they arc
ever voting to maintain it, Ia this their matchess in
fatuation or their amazing Hypocrisy
Ike eachery explains the Ike low condition Of the
ansavery cause Aboltionists have from year to year
voted againstt until at last there are fewer abolition
lists than there have been at any time within twenty
years. The mass Of those who were onco intent on
aboishing slavery everywhere do not go now for ts
.Is,ftt.1
tension has taken tho place of the uncompromsing
principle Of abolition.
In the year ls44 than sixty thousand men voted
for James g. Brney They would have refused 10 do 60
had he not been opposed 10 the returning Of fugitive slaves
to the continuance Of slavery in the District OF Columbia
10 the continuance of the slave between the states
and 70 the admission OF slave States But four years
had gone BY another spirit bad entered them
now even Martin Van Buren,, with all his pro slavery
upon him, III TO be voted for by men, had 81 re-
Gently consecratcd their votes TO that repcntaut slave
Birney. Of these SIXTY thousand probably NOT on,
thousand would now demand In their candidate tho
qualifications which they demanded in 1874 Who
Of all the sixty thousand would have voted as no
did, had Birney ayowed himself in favor of a white
mans party, or Of any however slight discrimination
against the black man IN the whole multitude Of political
rghtsy But now how very few Of them all would with
hold their votes from their candidate because of such an
atheEuo ayowa Oh his parn say a,heistcfor xhat Is
palmer than be who makes IL does believe 10 the Cod
who made OF blood all nationsyo Very few OF tho
sixty thousand but would now denounce candidate as
foolish or fapacal Tor placing himself on any Of those
high grounds which Brncy stood forth 30 openly ana
firmly and nobly Now the sixty thousand aIi Tor cnn
ming their candidate Then they insisted on integrity
Then tho candidate must be grandy moral A well "a
gandy intellectual in order TO DC worthy Of their
Now be must know how TO shape his creed TO the popular
favor and be skilled in conlrivances TO get votes Thus
increasingly rapid are the downward steps mors!s.
What mighty host would the sixty thousand have be
come had they not fallen into the fatal error Of giving up
truth for numbers. They were impatient for succos-
not knowing TINT they already had IT, and would con
tuuc have il SO long as they adhered 10 prncpe Zoe
not only Is true that such adherence works out and
surrounds Itself with every success but that it ia itself
The highest form Of success. The sixty thousand had
grown nom seven thousand In four years. A hr less
rate Of progression would have put the government, OF
was the hour IN which they listened proposal TO
purchase speedy victory az the price OF their principles
mo price was paid BIT no victory and no good In
retHrn Thanks for the eternal ordination that 10 good
car be pgrchasedat such price
The reirogradaon of Northern Legislatures in respect
TO slavery Illustrates the decline u Northern sentiment
that subject
Vermont Il Acknowledged 10 be the most anti slavery
Of All the States but would her proscnt legislature re-
solve by even bare majority favor OF aboshing tho
utter State slave trade or slavery IN the District Of Co
iunba; or In favor Of refusing the admi of
slave States? The disastrous elect Of such resolutions
the coming election would be cnectual plea against
them Nevertheless iB 1873 heT Senate voted
ly In favor 81 all these. and her Assembly by such
overwhelming reclamation that no negatives called
for
The only anti slavery to be found any the present
parties an unsteady opposition 70 the establishment OF
slavery IN Territory. Occasionally surrendered, II
be also occasionally renewed TO the ehdhat apparent
albeit wcllnigh minutes NAL dicrcacc may be kept up
between the republican and other parties the question
OF slavery. republican voter needs 10 hear and say
something now and then against Territorial slavery, noe
only 20 prevent others from oonfoundng him with
Douglas democrat, but to preserve the hairs breadth d
ference in bis own consciousness At every other point
than this Of Territorial slavery all tho parties allow
slavery ts full swing And how Inconsistent and vain
would be earnest and steady opposition slavery
AZ this point, " accompanied, the present vacatlng
opposition h. by the admission that slavery may EXIT m
siate-yes, IN every Staei for what IL slavery but
tbc practically asserted claim OF property in mann And
tho rghiiulntss Of that claim IN state n conceded IS
u a izO Ia
tnywhcre IL property everywhere That "wbat the
make property property" ono q the things in the
laws but God alone ordans what property To the
school q great nature, and not u the enacments and
and subjects 81 property That government may author
ze the destruction Of property In where Il has be
deny. But do deny that this admitted power affords NJ
some maintain ground for the claim that government can
can away from The Ugh, of nature, conmon sense
AID common law 10 determine what Is property. Per
has instead dsayng that government may authorize the
Obstruction 81 property, bad better said hs, may
thorze the destruction Of that which the rights Of pro
pcIty are already forfeited or lost.
Would theu any political party consistently and eiec.
tualy oppose The Introduction % slavery Territory
i must recall every admission il has made in svor Of
The lawulness Of slavery IN State Al this point Of
Territorial slavery the antisquatcr sovereignty demo
Gratis have on the scorel consistency, an immense al
vantage over The republicans and nOugassites. IL
may be property IN state II follows that he can be
righiisly carried as property into territory These
s @s ss nenssys strong ~ sdoptpg this In
jccing g. But taese democrats would make themselves
far stronger they would push their consistency further
and insist on the right ~ carry this property not
Only luto any Territory, buuinto every State also And
they will yet come 70 this, and bring the nation
10 This, provided the aboitionists do not suc-
coed IN the meantime with their counter doc.
trinc that man IL property nowhere. Either
Jtficrson Davs Wendell Phillips In right All
between them, be il Mr. Douglas or NJ Lin,on or who
ever else, are wrong. II the being made the image Of
God may be slave anywhere, he may be slave every
where, and n not Every where then nowhere Wee Pre-
silent Breckenridge In his letter m acceptance just
pnbsheda letter BY the way evnsivc Of VIC high order
81 his cultivated mnd-says: Nothing ess than sove-
rcignty destroy impair the rights of persona
pfoperty." sound proposition this, were tbs vords
"less than sovereignty omitted. But Q very urnound
proposition n, vb6h sovereignty thurman hwsl
above Nature snd God. ne rights q Psrsoas apd Fo.