The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-01
THE WEEKLY. PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

nearly approach 70 o perfect harmony with
all laws, moral as we'll as others, and will
also progress in al the avenues of civili-
zation. shU
Time, too, will surely explain to men
wherein lies their true interest. II slavery
is opposed to any moral law, it must be op-
posed to human interest. If it is opposed
to human interest, sooner or later those in
terested will surely find it out, and it will be
discarded by the very men who now uphold
it. We make these remarks simply as
showing that the question now before the
country is not unique; that it is simply a
political question, and subject to the same
Interchangeable laws as all other political
questions, and must be met and treated in
the same way.
There is no greater mistake with regard
to Republican institutions, than the one now
so prevalent, that the majority is absolute.
Were it true, no Government could be q
worse tyranny. Nor perhaps can the line
be clearly defined when the action Of a ma
jority should be considered outside the le.
gitimate scope of Government. But it may
be safely laid down as a general principle,
that the more strongly defined the question
at issue, and the more intense the feelings of
the opposed parties, the greater the necessi-
ty for moderate action on the part of sue
cessful majority.
Men must make up their minds in the
present age, that even if they have no re-
spect for others opinions, they at least
must respect their right to entertain any
opinions they may choose;-and if they differ
from us, who is to decide? Who demon
strates that we are right and not they?
and if we demonstrate to our own satisfac.
ton, so do they to theirs. We blame the
religious wars of past ages, but will future
ages have the less blame for the moral civil
war into which we are about to plunge
the country? Is war to propagate moral
principle, more justi6able than war to
propagate religious one?
And we say this, not that we are in favor
of a peaceable secession or anything of the
kind. We don't believe in it. We believe
that the issue is the Union as it is, or war.
But we do believe that the times call for
compromise and concession on the part of
the North. That it is apparent that the
principles of the Republican party, even if
they are correct, (which we believe now less
even than before) cannot now be fully
carried out that the, time has not come !;
and that it is the duty and the high privi-
lege OF Republican leaders to recognize
these facts, and to abate their demands and
modify their programme, and await more
favorable time for their full development.
In doing this they sacrifice no principle
act from no unworthy fear or intimidation,
but simply prefer tberole ofgreat Statesmen
to that ofpetty narrow minded Partnership.
Let US hope that the Republicans may
now in this dark hour of our country, re-
member that although elevated by their
party, they now hold the interests and the
destinies of great nation, possibly for
many centuries, the interests of human
civilization and advancement, and let us
hope that they may remember this rather
than the creed or fate of their mere party.
Should they do this and secure the border
States, the American Union may yet live
peacefully, and unstained by fratricidal blood.
DR.. FosTER.-We have neglected to no.
tice, inadvertently, the withdrawal of DR..
THOMAS FOSTER, from the editorial profess
sion, consequent upon the discontinuance of
the Minnesotian. The Doctor was one of
the best partisan editors we have ever known
he was intensely, unjustly, bulldog
ishly partisan. But Democrats, now that
all our old contests are about over, and new
fields of political strife are opening up, are
very free to confess the force of blows given,
which his own party friends could not ap.
preciate, and never rewarded. Judging
from the Doctors valedictory, be smells the
coming strife from afar, and we would not
be surprised to see him soon again at the
tripod, adding his own extravagant season.
ing to the present milk-andwater Journal
ism Of his party in the State. But if we
are incorrect in this surmise, we hope Father
ABRAHAM will take the Doctor to bis bosom
and remedy the injustice Of local politi.
clans. .t-,1fe4.4 -. 4ea
ssThe Day for Cancellation Gone By"
The citizens of Boston, to the number OF
$4,000, without distinction of party, signed
respectful petition to Congress, asking fol-
the settlement of the present difficulties
upon any just and honorable basis of concil.
iation. Ex- Chief Justice SHAW, EDWARD
EVERETT, e. @. WINTHROP, and Others
onnvopnd fho ,,ntition n Wooh;rrfon nj