, 1860-01-30
Fer lis Tfess md Tribune.
The New and the Old--Tsro Defiui-
tiuna OF popular Sovereignty.

with pa lful and engrossiug anxiety, your pres
cat struggle for liberty. Though, in your Gle
vatcd sphere, our existence is scarcely known
to you, We are yet members Of the great family
Of nations, and owe to each other our sympathy
in the good cause. There is, however. paral-
lei between our present positions which is not
merely curious, but, one would almost say,
Proyidential. Ton the eldest, and ne the young
est, Of our common family, have been chosen to
assert ut tile same time, and in opposite quar-
ters of the globe, the great principle Of tho p1e-
sent agc-the freedom Of the people. Over
strange as it mag seem, the ellrontery aud the
ingenuity of cur common enemy, the oppres-
sors OF 1naukiEd, hare dared to atiix to that s4-
cred word n double meanisg. You will scarcely
bclieyeEt!iis; but the history Of our life will
soon c0ny1nce you that the same arch tyrant
who has forged your chains, and cheated you Of
your promised rights, has also been ut work in
The New World, with his same old syxteul Of
cajolesy and deceit.
The freedom Of the,people is here called s.pop-
ular Sovereignty" Tl.s new christening was
not because another nape was wanted, hut
another definition. When we, q bansnS, we're
first making our appearance in the world, our
natura! guardians, the Federal Government OF
the United States, being determined TO extend
tls institution Of African Slavery. and having
used for that purpose all tile territory they
could lay their hands on with any show of
right, concluded to devote OURS, which had
been expressly reserved to freedom, to the
same iniquitous purpose.
They, therefore, repudiated the contract which
secured us from slavery, and substituting fur
the name Of the freedom Of the people that Of
"Popular Sovereignty" organized !hctcrritory
OF Kansas, aud threw it open to the operation
of the great principle which tley pretended
was recently discovered or course every body
laughed ut this pretence Of discovery, suce We
all know that tue principle vas as old Us tie
American Revolutions; but it was passed over as
harmless pisce Of coueeit on the part Of poll
ticians who were not over nice as to the means
Of obtaining credit for statesn,auship. But,
alas. we soon found our mistake. This c!aiiu
u discovery was no pretence, but I terrible re-
s1ity. Popular Sovereignty Was not in
tended to mean the same thing as the freedom
Of the people. 1t meant simply Is temporary
e1pedient for introducing Atrican slavery into
our territory, The assertion Of the right Of
tue people tu form their institutions was only
intended rs theoretical denial Of the rights
which had accrued under that contract bs
which alf territory, north Of our south boundary
line, was secured to free labor. The iutroduc-
tion Of slavery was to be consummute3 By
force.
From eos. and west, from north and south,
the people poured into the uEoccupied lands Of
Kansas Territory. 1Aey began Ut the proper
time to take measures to form government.
But no snoEcr was the etteulr. made than Il
systematic opposition WAS be.a1 br the Fed
eral Government, q al who wished 10 exclude
slavery from our lin:!ts. Al the ballot boxes,
Judges OF election, executive power. and inter.
| nal police being in the hands Of tue tyrants,
those who desired the Introduction of slavery
| were allowed 10 vote, and their oppo-
| ncnts we're preve IT'D. Milit.ry for
protected the ono pa ty and opp1e cu
Tho other. Tho adyolates Of freedom NJ
hunted down, imprisoned, shot, robbed und
driven cut Of tic territory. The outrnges com-
n,ittcd By the champions Of African slavery Gil
their neighbors were not only unpunisted, but
connyed at and encouraged By the Federal
Government; md bands Of law1ess 1utans
permitted without molcsta.ion to commit The
most enormous oltEages. For long time thu
| contest WAS doubtful. Our men Lere murder
ed, our wives and daughters brutally insulted,
| hnt retaliation. Then We fought-we drove tho
cowardly lnise7eaats from our borders, and
having secuted the right to hold onr elections
| undisturbed, and gave q true expression of our
| opinions, We formed our constitution. uur pop
uation il formed Of free an4 enli 'htcned cifi-
| zcua, Who hare had til: inestimahle be,lclt u
| free schools, free press, aul the influence of
three generations of free institutions. OF
| course our constitution WAS free. We could
choose no other. Joyfu!ly, and with cIated
| hearts, represented cur claims to the guardians
| who had 50 zealo.aly encouraged us 10 acquire
| sovereignty, and become fnember on equal
terms Of the F:ier.l Union. Judge Of our
| dtsnav and rsge, when we were refused tho
! boon for which We had s" fought, lied aad Euf-
tered, and for ostenssle reason, except that,
fro'n the nature at our constitution, instead OF
| beng oil the side of slavery, we shonld count
| On tie hide Of 1:eedom! "Reminiscences we're
| Of no avail. Our generous choics had deter
miucd our unjust fate. Then did NC learn, too
1atr, that "popuiar Sovereignty Instead cf
being mas name for IN old principle. was 8
reality ut itseii-a separate entity; and we
| now know it TO have been Il new trick Of despo.
tista, va!ch having done its work, is laid ASIDE
| as useless tool. Then we learned tha, instead
OF laughing at the innocent rant, of .4iia whc
! falsely pro.cssed to have discovered new and
sacred principle Of freedom, We should rather
have abhorscd him for l:ayinG reached 1owsr
depth Of deprarity in tLe service Of despotism
! Than the world had ever ret seen.
Uur a.caIts ere fai:t. We Arc weary in the
unequal contest. No snoner do We, by lncredi-
| bic sacrifices, appear to have overcome the last
/ obstacle, than treachery and sophistry raise
new wall Of separation between us and our
goal. We are powerless and hopeless. The day
| ecens to be closing in around US, and thc dark
night OF decpotism 10 cnfo'd us in its deathly
embrace.
but now, In the hour OF Our ersatest aesyon-
dency, The cheering soicc Of coming victory sa-
lutcs us from beyond the sen. Italy, the vencr-
able aud perennial seat Of Christianity Of lib
crty. cf commerce, Of philosophy. poetry, art,
Of all that can bless mankind, Of a1l that raises
him aboyc ignorance. poverty and despair, has
| struck for freedom once again. Centuries OF
oppression and Of spiritual tyranny have rot
quo tncked i, her bosom the sacred spark. In
spite Of inauy seitr4tsoas Of iynarance> >ot poy-
erty, Of slavery, Of silent suffering, she stili ua
| free men and women, she still has statesmen
who are competent 10 "sct1e her domestic insti-
tuiions" without the hell, If invaders aud usur-
! pers- With erect aud manly bearing. their
hearts swelling With gratitude to the t'ivcr of
| all cood, with proGonod conSs;ousac:; of the
| so!rmnity of their position, thut admitted moi
| even tho semb!ance of disorder or tumult, tho
| slaves Of yesterday aud the frecmen Of to-day
registered their calm and silent decree III favor
| offrcedom. Tue words Of tho orator, the pen
Gil Of tie artist. are gowetlet1 to describ: The
majesty, The awful sub!in,ity of that hour. But
the deed is done. Its influence shall be felt to
| renlo:est time. The right ofthe people to reg
| utate their own institutions" has been yndca-
ted. The shallow csut Of trrants and charla-
tans has been r:buked. The peaceful dignity
| to u Missouri riot, and from the oppressed na-
| tioualities nf The old world, the free people Of
tho new have learned yet another lesson,
/ Shstl We. then, who hare suffered hours only
where ltsly has iAagcishcd ages; whose tor
lures hare been but as the pr.ck 'of 4 ncrtle
/ WHITE nEib AkhS 1ECu AuE AutNC3 ~ EEAt1
| whoEe tyrapts arc but faction, while hers
were q continent whose po1ers wsre in full
visor while hers were fast verg,nGtowafds decay
whose life OF oppression has just begun while
hers MAS neatly ended; shall ne, Who hare
wealth, intelligence, moral power to fight with
Us against ignorance, slavery aud desperation.
shall we, then, desrs,rr God forbid. Tho y;g.
orous life-blood that assiu courses tlrcush tho
veins Of the earlest nasioa Of Christendom a1so
quickeus the pulse Of the youngest, and never,
never will We spare ii while our tyranss draw
the breath Of theig dastardIy life.
Venerable, beautiful Italy! ETcr young, cyer
glorious; but never more beautiful. never more
Venerable thau in th;1 your latest stand for free
dom and human rights, afscr the 1org but fiif:1l
sleep oftyranny md oppression. The i Alael;ran
People thank you for this last and creates: les
son Of your second youth. the bcsiuuiu. Of
your eternal manhood. Your noble accents
| coac over the wave frtishted vlth hope aud
encouragement "a The mass:s o. rour latest
children, struggling 1T fearful cubs nCaiust q
| new, u fascinating, an odious, sn unnatural or.
preston. Our hearts beat ever tlie her with lore
aud gratitude for the ancient champion uf
Christian liberty, md in the name Of that God
whose protecting Eg;s corsrs his latest as well
| as his earliest ebode. we trnstfu'ly and thank
fully accept the glorious boon Of human SYM
t patty be las last bestowed upon us,