New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-12
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ::
Its Origin, Necessity & Permanence'
4 SPEECH BY CHARLES SUMNER,
Before the Young Mems Republican Union Of sew
York. al the Cooper Institute, Jay IL, 1861

o,eled for numbers, intelligence, aud eh'hssi"siu "O
a porticsl meeting in the City II New-loTh. Inc
,,otfor-n was FLIED; the seats were filled; ne oooes
were packed 70 overHowing
when Mr. Sumner made tis entrance me appliance
vas Geafcnug. All present rose 10 te' feet gl'lus
cheer after cloer ladies' waved thei, nandkercets,
ard s.emed - excited IL ;he rest.
Mr CY,YlFs T. Rooms PIesiGct Of the louuy
Mems Republican Unicc, nominated the Hon. ABIJ'H
M,sS IA the President # the evening, pres' og hun
With a qavel made Of wood from tie ' I'D log M use
whore Mr. Lincoln resided in carte. days. Mr.. Mann,
ing N cl air at once preseted the orator Of the
evening TO the audience
Mr. SUMNER said.
Fv,rov-C,rIzrSs or NEw-foRK: OF al men in
,or history there are two whose influence at t5is
moment is most peculiar. Though dead they yet live,
ak and act in the conflict OF principles which divides
the country-standng face 20 face ike two well
matched champions. When add that one Was from
South Carolina and the other from Massachusetts Won
will see at once that mean John G. Calhoun, and
John Quincy Adams
Statesmen both Of long career Of marked ability,
and of unblemished integr:ty-acog together at rst
sitting in the came Cabipet-whicb they quitted-one
o become Vice President and the Other President,
hen for the remainder oI their days bait ug in Con-
ore,s and diving theIe-el.h leader IL lie, INT
each iss become IN death grander lead y slu.
Mr. Calhoun possese an lntelle T ci anu ~ original
ity and holduess and, though waLti1g Ia hc clluro
of a scholar made himself tI m council and ia d-hte.
To native powers unlike, but mol inferior, Mr. Adams
added the well rpened fruits of long Experience IN tur-
een lal g. and Of stqdss more various and complete
than tho,e of any public man in bisf ~, beside
indomitabe will, ana that spirit Of freedom which in
spired his father when in the Continental 'ongresi re
40 eloquently maintained he De -araon Of Ia iepend
ence making himself its colossus on that floor.
Sitting toge her in The Cabinet of Nr. Muuros, they
copcurrtd in saDctonng the Prohibition of Slavery ia
TIL ssour Territory constitutional, and 20 advised
the Pr sidelt Bat here the divergence probably be-
esr-though Tor long time it Was not made ,uilss
The Diary of NJ. Adams shows that al Ia ,riy Day,
when Slavery had been Gte discussed, h. saw ~
epoImi.y with instructive qu kuess, and des; ibed II
with corresponding force Ire record II less ida with
regaId TO Mr.. Calhoun but when in iaer lie tiny az
peor,d one in the Senate, and the other III The House
OF Representatives, each openly assumed the post III
by which he VIII be Known ~ hls Dfy-0ne as Jle
Iad.r in al the preteasoUs of Slavery AMI Of slave
mas ers ard the other as he champion on Freedom.
Mr. Calhoun regarded slavery as permanent ll-iI-
tuition; Mr.. Adams regarded At as transi'Ory; M'C
houn Wanted IL as form 81 clNli!laio"i -uI ADAMS
scorped il as an urquestiOnsbe bar)a1ism Mr. Cal
hou did not hesitate 10 call II The mos stable basis Tor
free government; Mr.. Adams Vehemehly del9ulS5o
il as .urse full of eakness aud moekery aud dJuD!g
Offensive in a boastfnl Republic Mr.. Calhoun, not
content with thus eXalttg Slavery, proceeded 20 de-
nopuce the early OPTIONS of Washington and Jefferson
a. folly ard delusiOn," 70 assail the seltevld-nt
tr,hs ot the Declaration OF Independence absurd"
and then TO proclaim that human beings are properly
M der the Constitution aud az such, may be transport
ed no the Territories and there heidi Slavery; whde
Mir Adams added t. The glory Of his long ID Divert
fed career bg persselt efforts, which are better Tor
his fame than having been I'resldent-uphodiog the
great rights of petition and Of speech; vndcang the
s.kevdent truti Of the Declaration Of Independence
exposing the hateful character Of Slavery; Insisting
upon prohibition in the Territories; denying the as
serted property ia man; and specially aud often ex-
hibitng the uDus power in the Nato al Government,
usurped by what he called the little cluster of slave
masters, whose yoke was TO him intoerable.
Such, most briefly told, were the Antagonist opinions
of these chiefs Never great conflict des lined 70
involve great country more distinctly foreshadowef
All thai the Republic party opposes may be found
IN John G. Calhoun. All that the Republican party
now maintains may b. found in JOnn Quincy Adams.
Choofe ye, felowcitizens between tho The /
rule OF Z" Principles and not men is hardly applcable
70 man whose life bears the sacred seal of deaf
and whose name Is the SYNONYM OF principles yet do
not sstae 10 say that our cause IL best appreciated
in lis precise objects and aims. Proud rs We may De
70 ,rt ad where John Quincy Adams leads the way,
there IL guide Of more commanding authority found
IN the eternal laws of Right, and the concurrng
mandates of the Constitution itself, when properly
interpreted which teaches the duties of good cizen
Such is The guide of the Republican party, which,
sav fearless1y where most known, Will be most
frosted and which when understood in it's origin, viii
be teep to be accidental fugitive organization,
merely for an election, but irresistible necessity
which in the nature of things must be as permanent as
the pretepsOLs, moral ana pOhuca WHICH II beehS u
constrain and couneract
Let us dwell then, OH the Republcao party, lts ORR
gin i's necessity, and is permaaence
An must admit that if no Republican party existed
now-eyen if that hdcyon day 50 often promised by
eaioDp politicians had come when tue Slavery ques-
don v as 5eted-stil there would be political neces-
sty for great party Of Opposition 70 act az check on
the Administration. A kindred necessity was once ex-
pressed by an eminent British a,es who gave az
a toast, Z" a strong Administration and strong Oppo-
sitiop1 Parties are unknown in despOtlc countries.
They belong to the machinery of free governments.
Through parties public opinion 10 concentrated and d,
rected Through parties principles are maintained
above men. And through parties, men in power are
be,d 10 a Just responsibility. Bot if ever there was
occasion for such party, It is now, when The eorrup-
TONS of the Administration have been draggeJ 70 lght
alone good light be summoned TO rescue the Gov
erbment of our country.
Lis now az attested fact that Mr.. Buchanan became
Pre,idspt through corruption. Money, tamillarly
known as corruption fund, first distilled IN snal
dripp;ngs from clerks aud petty Officials, was swollen
by lie larger cOnrbu ions OF merchants and CONTRACT
ors AID with ID is c1nuatiOn vOtss were purchased
In Ph,sdeph H. enough 70 turn the election III that
oreat metropolis and ia the chain of aud effect,
10 assure the triumph Of ,he Democratic caldlda,e.
speak pow only what has been proved. Fraudulent
natura zaton papers in blank by VIII n ths WIS per-
petrated have been produced before Committee Of
Congress 1t was natural that Administrator thus
corrupt in origin, shOud continue to exercise power
through the same corruption by which power was
gained but nothing else than bat Inssnslolty 70
acts OF shame, which is bred by familiarity can ex-
plain how all this should be done with such absolde
mdeeeney OF exp sure-wearing scarcely 80 much aS
kglesf.
letter from a local politician addressed to the
President hin sef urging without disgu5e the giving Of
large contract for machinery 10 particular hOuse
Philadelphia, employing $50 mechanics, with view
the approaching election, WAS ncosed to the Secretary
of NAVY with this Enforcement Il N ,vvu