, 1861-02-05


cent Presidential conflict to witness with
any degree Of patience the detection ofany
one who bore a conspicuous part in that
memorable struggle. The principles around
which the Republicans rallied principles.
which commended themselves to the req
son, the conscience and the instincts Of
men, and thus drew together an army
too mighty for the trained cohorts Of
slavery to overcome -are still echoing and
re-echoing through the Northwest, arc still
pulsating in the hearts-blood Of our people,
arc still the guiding star Of millions Of free
meu, and TIC should be recreant to every
sentiment Of honor and Of patriotism, were
We to stand by silently and unconcetncdlr
while those principles are being betrayed
in the house Of their friends. Weshall not
do it. Whatever Is to be the immediate
issue Of our present troubles-whethcr
treason is to be bowed down to, and per
mitted to exalt its insolent front in:the high
places Of the land, whether freedom is to be
temporarily cclipscd and its adnerents call
ed upon to suffer on her behalf, as they have
been called to suffer before, the TRIBUNE
will still hold up the standard Of Repub-
icanism and march only under its sacred
folds. -;
If KepnbGcanism is right, it is right fun
dsmcntally; and no man who has embraced
its principles: can surrender the slightest
portion Of his political creed with
out surrender Of patriotism and Of.
personal honor. Take, for example,
the following enunciation : Of doctrine
from the Chicago platform: "That TIC
"maintenance Of the principles promul-
"gated in the Declaration Of Independence
sand embodied in the Federal Constitu-
"tion, THAT all men arc created equal;
"that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights; that
"among these are life, liberty, and the
pursuit Of happiness; that to secure
"thcse rights governments are Instituted
"among men, deriving their just powers
"from the consent Of the goyerned'-is
"essential to the preservation Of our Re-
"publican institutions; md that the Fed
"eral Constitution, the Rights ofthe States,
and the Union Of the states must ano !
shall be preserved.
That the normal condl11on o1 ell 1ne ter
f1ltory OF the United states Is that OF f1ee-
"dom: That rs our Republican fathers,
when they had abol!shed slavery IN all ouf
r..
NATIONAL territory, ofdainea 9ha1 no pei
son should be deprived OF lne' liberty, o.
property without due process OF 'aw' II
becomes our duty, by les1sla1'on' '"nehe'-
'er such Legislation = necessary. % MAINTAIN
this provision oi the const1tutlon against
all attempts TO Vlolate II; anu We oehy 'hc
authority OF Congress, ,of a territorial legs
lature' or OF any individuals 70 glEe legal
existence 10 slavery N any lel7i!ory ol INC
United bfates' These doctrines. We.say'
ere fundamental, and no man whose con
science and reason are convinced Of thelf
correctness, can honestly, ~honoraoly or
patr7otlcaly give them, or any portion oi
them' up NO matter what INC 'mmeola1e
consequences may no oi aohcrence 70
1hcn, no mattcr Il taer oppopenls IT.
umpa LOT the nour' nno' as al"ass
happens ~hen : despot7sm ef'unpas
over Heeooms- snoulo execute s"4's
venganco upon inc defenders OF me 4al1ef'
still the calamity would be lnnniteIy less
to the world than the surrender OF the
principles onWhich alone freedom can exist
Nor will it alter the tacts TO assume that
these fundamental principles do not Lie
against the amendment OF the Federal Con-
stitution- They. do lie against amending it
in any one Of the particulars named, as
much a. against the adoption Of q law in
contrEvention Of the Constitution as itnow
stands. Are VIC to be told that while
Republicans "deny the authority OF Con-
gress, Of 3 Territorial Legislature, or Of in
dividuals, to giTe existence to slavery in
any Territory Of the United States" it Is
not q violation Of their principles TO- favor
the altering Of the Constitution SO IS to
confer that authorityS It would have been
better, much more: honest and manly, for
any professcd Republican who, in the pre-
sent crisis, consents to such m alteration OF
the Constitution, to have taken refuge be-
hind the Died Scott decision and given his
support to Breckenridge and Lane.
True Republicanism can make no com.
promise that givcs one SIM gle foot Of free
territory to slavery. Beyond the guaran.
tees which are given to that institution il
the Constitution, it has no terms to offer
for its principles are radically ind funda
mentally opposed to slavery everywhere
else and under all other conditions. Ths
moment q professcd Republican propose;
to surrender this position, that momen
he ceases to be Republican, and be
comes something clsc--something which
Republicanisn' was organized to fight
Nor can true Republicanlsm concedc tl,e
point TINT "thc Slavery question hn.
"ceased to be practical question: It wu.
never 80 tearfuny epractical !" as at thi
moment. ), Never before were its demand.
so insolent, so oyerbcaring, 80 arrogant
preposterous; never before has it gon'
SO far in its Efforts to destroy the: go4
ernment The fact is there Is no otlle:
question than the Slavery question nov
Iefore the country. Tia. has absorbed o
over1iddenall others. And are VIC to be told