New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-01
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III il be true, as Mr. Sherman asserts IN his
reply TO the invitation to public dinner in Phil
adelpba, that Slavery can never be established
in New Mexico it is folly to expect that oiler'
ING her admission ns Slave State now will be
accented as sufficient concession to pacify the
South. If it is not true that Slavery can never
be established there, then the concession is one
the North should never make. In either case,
the proposition is On unwise one, as concedlng
either tso much or too little, and one which does
little credit to those who made it.
Let il be understood and remembered-and it
ought not TO be necessary at this late day enforce
it-that, when the Republican party asserted at the
baIotbox the doctrine of "no more Slave Terri
tory" they meant that that dictum should apply
not only to all territory belonging to the United
States now, but to all that by any possibility ever
should belong to it. They meant to put this ques-
lion beyond pcradventure, and to give notice, to
hold good thenceforward and forever that the
extension of Slavery, whether possible or POSITIVE
was prohibited for evermOre. This was good
doctrine on which to 60 through the canvass; 1t
is equally good as a sound principle OF govern
ment, az we all believed; and now let us stick
to it,
There is no safety for us else. 1t is not i'm
possble-though we hope not probabe-that the
South may accept the admission of New-Mexlco
as q State as sufficient compromise. Suppose
they do this; will it be because they consider the
privilege of carrying Slavery into that State all
they need seek for Not at all; We all OF US
know better. But it will be because they well
come a concession whereby the North fails to
enforce the principle of the non-extension Of
Slavery, trusting TO time and opportunity to turn
that concession TO their own advantage. And
the time and the opportunity will not long be
wanting.
We will say nothing Of Cuba, which everybody
knows is down on the programme OF Southern
future. But we ask the reader to turn to any
map of Mexico and cast his eye over that region
Of country lying South Of Texas and New Mexico
and between the twenty-third and twenty-eigth
parallels of latitude. Ii is country containing
more tbon 400,0 900 square miles, and certainly
not less than million Of inhabitants, Of oil the
variety Of hues with which the human face
divine 10 painted. 1t contains every variety OF
ing beneath its unpromising surface the richest
ores especially Of silver, TO the rich bottom lands
of the coast peculiarly adapted TO tho cultivation
Of Cotton. On this vast region the Slayery-pro-
pagandists have already fixed their greedy eyes
and are looking forward TO the time when its
rich mines shall be reopcncd by the labor OF
slaves, while its fair fields are made to smile
with cotton. Admit New-Mexico with the priyi-
lege of holding slaves if she peases, and there is
a precedent to plead in favor Of introducing the
institution into adjoining r"ci'ns' h"a "' any
rate the way is paved for new struggle, new
contention, more l-blood, to precipitate the
country at some future time into civil war
more dire and more disastrous than in any event
can befal US now Let us retract nothing; let
us not yield single inch; lot us be firm under
every provocaton and every threat.