New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-27
GONGEaaION--WAR.

The albany Ercning Journal is mistaken In
assuming that we deprecate any discussions what
ever to which it sees it to invite US, except in SO
far as they may do harm to the cause OF our cOun-
try in her hour Of extreme peril. W. wien IL
distinctly aud forever held ia remembrance that
The TRIBUNE believes in the principles enunci-
sted in the ChicogO Platform, and especially IN
that which afiuns that there is no constitutional
power under our Government to plant Slavery
upon a angle foot Of free soil. Hence we'did
not and could not assent to the Crittenden Com
promise, which proposed not merely to surrender
but to consgn all Federal territory south of $50 30
to Slavery. The Journal took different view
or rather, part Of It did, FOR one of its editors
publicly repudiated the ground taken by the
other Had the lead of the latter been followed,
and the Republicans, having elected President
on the dis,inct ground Of hostility to the Exten-
sion Of Slsvery, consented ard become parties 10
such Extension in order to q peaceful enjoyment
of "tbs spoiis," no language could have meas
ured the depths Of their infamy, the intensity Of
the popular loathins. We rejoice that we ore
ut ali events saved from that abyss.
to avoid civil war by surrender Of the vital
principle OF the Republican party, while it accuses
The TRIBUNE of choosing TO let the Gulf States
90 peaceably out Of the Union rather than seek
to hold them in it by force. 1t says Of The
TRIBUNE:
Hiasit.S s,ce,rion II R,aeouyagd N. Gpf Stgta Re6s,
declared y4eH the FeopIe u vo a. state' mad. ~
hd 1h 10 ssede II followed Up the work Of Di.uoion In
successful eor duve the Border states out with neG
How utterly dIscordaut with the truth is this
statement, our readers can bear witness. We
have many times shown that under the Federal
Constitution, a State has no more right 10 secede
from the Union than q township has TO secede
from a State The whole theory OF Secession is
utterly monstrously, impudently false. But We
did affirm the fundamental doctrine OF the Dec
laration of Independence, that /" Governments
derive their just power from the consent Of ds
"gorsrn.d," and that " it is the right OF the
=, People to alter or abolish" any form Of gov
ernment that they deem hostile to their inaen-
able rights Hence we desired to bring AL the griev
ances of this OI that section TO the arbitTament
Of q National Convention ike that which framed
our FEDERAL Constitution. Had such ConVen.
ton been promptly called, We believe this war
could have been ayerted; and had tho North
generally said TO ,he dissfected States, Ii you
are determined 70 leave US, unite in the cell
" of Convention, which viii have power either
Z" to redress your alleged wrongs or that fall
ing, to sanction your withdrawal from the
" Union" We do not believe that three States
could have been induced to secsde. 1t ia by
perpetual harping on the profit Of the Union to
the North and our sn4iety to hold on to il for
that reason, that the Southern oonsprstors have
been able to aenate the affections ef SO many
of their people from that Union. Those cOnspir-
stors could not abide a peaceful solution: they
must seize, aud rob- and bombard, and thus
wage war upon the mildest and most iorbearing
Government on earth in order to inject their
fellow citizens With the madness Of Secession, or
they could not nave iOrcod those neighDors into
this aagitlous rebellion
The TRIBUNE frankly but kindly told the
Border States that while We earnestly desired
the maintenance Of the Union, We could not,
even 10 secure shat end, become party 10 the
Extension of Slavery. If that suifced to drive
the Border Stages out" We did il, aud We
stand by it to-day. Di.union would be msfor-
tune while Slavery Extension by our nelp would
be @ crime; aud Of the two We must prefer the
former. II We ara called to suffer ior our
choice, so DO it.