New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-09
MIR. EvERETT's DEFENSE OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Mr.. Edward Everett, gentleman wen hno"n
as the Bell candidate for the Vice-Presldency
in the recent canvass, has written long letter
to some person in Virginia which The Boston
Courier prints with the slightly cool observation
that the writer " defines the position of the ANTI
| Republicans OF the nation" Now Mr.. Everett
in this letter makes distinctly the following ad-
missions:
l. That " the South placed the conservative
"North in false and indefeDsibe position by
" the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and
" the perseveriDg attempts to force Slavery into
" the Territory Of Kansas, by surprise, fraud
" and violence against the known wish Of an
overwhelming majority of the people,"
2. That " leading Southern politicians have for
thirty years been resolved TO break up the
Union as soon as they ceased to control the
United States Government. and that the slavery
question was but pretext for keeping up
agitation and rayiDg the South"
8. That I" the South has levied an unprovoked
war acains. the Government of the United
States, the midest and most benefcent in the
world, and has made it the duty Of every
al good citizen to rally to its support"
A. That " after the election was decided, the
q" Disunionists would not wait for ooert acts,
+" because they knew none could or would be
"committed."
5. That after the Presidential election " the
" accredited leaders of the Republican party,
including the President elect, uniformly pledged
" themselves" to respect a" the constitutional
rights" of the South-the two Houses in like
manner pledging themselves.
6. That the leaders of the Sc cesson movement
were " determined not to be satisfied"
z. That " this conflict has been forced upon
Gus, to crafty the aspirations of ambitious
" men,"
We may be mistaken, but we really cannot sec
why these plain propositions are not sufficient and
eectua defense of the Republican party against the
persstent charge that it is responsible for the rebel
Iona charge made day by day in such news
papers as The Journal cf Commerce, with terribly
solemn earnestness 1t may have an excellent effect,
il may be very promotye of Constitutional Christ
ianity, to utter these untruths. Falsehood may be
sovereign salve for the wounds OF the body polite
slander may be the most sautary thing in days OF
public danger. The repetition OF stale accusations
and of apocrypha charges may be our only Panacea.
But Mr. Everett is clearly of another opinion; and,
albeit he has been an Embassador he declines to tell
lies for the benefit of the country. With the mag
nanimity of a gentleman, and with the ygor OF an
experienced statesman declining to join in the jack
daw chorus of a knot Of small, sour and uniorgving
men, Mr.. Everett says: "It is not true that this
" treason is result of the Republican success; it
I" is not true that it is provoked by the probable
"policy Of the Republican administration; 1T is
q" not true that the Slavery question is more than
pretext for keeping up the agitation, and ralying
" the South" and The Courier responds that this
is the opinion Of the anti-Republicans of the
" Nation" Why, then, we may properly ask, arc
they anti.Repubicans at all And why, especially,
do they continue to a
"Distort the truth, accumulate the he
And pile the pyramid Of cslumnyT
1t was the repeal of the Missouri Compromise
and the consequent Kansas distractons-pro-
Slavery outrages there, and pro-slavery mschin-
ations in the Cabinet, which called the Republi.
can party into existence. OF all this cruel vio-
lence, Of all these mise-sN' "chinations and