Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-03-22

Fre1tnemtint LttfutuEes
Hon. Edward Bates hath spoken. His
reticence, hitherto, has disturbed those con-
scrvatiye and operative Republicans, whose
requisite for Presidential candidate is, that
he shall be Republican in sentiment, but moi
a Republican. Mr.. Bates has responded to
the letter of the Missouri Republican Conven-
ton, (rather close corporation) asking his
opinions on certain questions, in view of his
nomination to the Presidency. His letter is
"judcious," in the sense used by the always
bold and out-spoken old hero of the Hermit
age, in expressing his ante-Presdential views
on the tariff, when he emphatically declared
himself in favor of "judicous tariff"
The letter is a very artistic specimen Il
Presidential literature, and argues favorabll
for Mr.. Bates's tact. He declares himself OPP
posed to slavery, and to any interference
with it in the States; not differing from the
rest of mankind in that respect. lie believes
Congress has the power to permit or forbid
its extension into the territories. This Is
'judicious:" It avoids the dangerous question
ofinterfering with it in the territorieswhere il
has established itself, and as the same process
will establish it in other territories and as
Mr.. Bates also goes for admitting new States,
with such Constitutions as they may choose
his doctrine is a practical settlement, on the
let-alone principle; while it will probably suit
the Republicans. He denies the doctrin,
that the Constitution carries slavery into the
territories, and holds that the only ques-
ton decided by the Supreme Court in the
Dred Scott case was that Dred, being of Afri-
can descent, could not sue for his rights in
the United States Courts. We suppose this
is satisfactory to Republicanism; but to an
original observer, whose mind was not COM
PEELED to travel within the limited circle of po-
litical platforms, slavery wouldseem humane
institution, compared with the idea, revolving
to humanity and to civilization, that human
beings are excluded from redress in our
courts, because they are of inferior birth.
We are aware that slaves arc practically ex-
cluded; but this is very different thing
from declaring it as legal principle that, be-
cause citizen of the United States by birth,
is of African descent he can not have legal
redress. Among nations of less pretensons
to civilization it has always been held that
the law was made for the protection of the
weak, the humble and inferior.
In some of the States colored men have all
the rights of citizenship, and by the Consti-
tuition these are citizens of the United States;
while by the Dred Scott decision, as accepted
by Mr.. Bates, they are deprived of lagal pro-
tection but Mr. Bates and Republicanism
seem able to stomach this practical mon
strosity, while they exhaust their force in
repudiating the mythical abstraction that
the Constitution carries slavery into the ter
ritOries.
Mr.. Bates is opposed to any inequality
among American citizens; (exceIi, of course,
on account of color.) He goes for colonizing
the free blacks in tropical regions Suppose
the free blacks refuse to be colonized; would
Mr.. Bates drive them? That would be a
pleasing and humane task, eminently fit for a
great political party.) He is for Pacific
Railroad under the auspices Of the General
Government" Candidates can always come
out strong ON measures which involve gov
ernment plunder.) He is for Homestead
Law and the admission of Kansas.
Mr.. Bates has expressed himselfquite fully.
How much practical value there is in the
greater part of these principles is not i'm
portant. They are, like all other matters Of
faith, small enough and great enough to di-
vide mankind, and it would be absurd to
suppose that they do not constitute sufficient
planks for political platform.