The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-17
Is the Republican Creed Founded on
the Principles al the Revoiat i"nary
ISaf

Is The Republican Creed Founded ora
the Principles al the Revolutionary
Fathers.
All the republican orators i'll and out of
Congress. the New York Tribune and most Of
the organs Of the party. contend that they are
standing by The principles and policy Of the
founders Of The government, just as if the right
of the Southern States 10 carry their institution
into the common Territories were n new claim.
They are ctcrnally citing the Declaration of
Independence, drawn up by shareholders. a
quotation from il is main plank in their
Chicago platform. But ii is idle for the
republican leaders to resort for aid and com
fort TO the Declaration Of independence
which. so far from eountenancing the claims
now put forward on behalf of the negro urges
il as one of the charges in the indictment
against Ming George that he excited insurrec-
lions among the slaves Of The colonies in order
10 SGT them free. And how absurd the idea
that men Of such character an intellect a.
Washington. jefferson. Madison. and the rest
should 50 siultify themselves as to declare the
negro equal to the white man, and entitled to
liberty, and YET as long a they lived continue
10 hold him in bondage. At the time the be-
claratiou Of independence was signed every
British colony held slaves by the common law
which is still The law where not abolished By
statute At The time the constitution was
adopted every State bui one held sla, q. Con.
scqucntly the provisions in the constitution for
the protection OF The freedom of the American
citizen. including the habeas corpus. can h~e
no reference 10 the negro. II is very obvious
that slaves are not parties to the constitution;
bu, the security provided can only apply 10
! The parties.
| in 1900. just after the constitution was raii.
| fed by the States, tho census shows that Of the
| go G9G slaves in the colonies Connecticut had
| 2.164. Rhode Island 9is New Hampshire ljs.
while New York had u $40. New Jersey more
| than hale that number. and Pennsylvania 3.7j5
! So late as 1920 New York had upwards of Il .noo
| slaves, New Jersey more than 1909, and even in
| 1850 The latter State had 2,2ji bondmcn. Why
| have the number. diminished aud finally slavery
/ ceased TO exist in the free States? Not from
/ obedience TO conscience. but because ii ceased
| to pay The immigration Of white labor and
| the climate settled the question. But il that
| any reason why, in climate suited to The ne
gro and not ssiled to the white Iaborer. the in
stituion should not continue TO exist. or that il
should become very sinful when Northern Pu.
ritans can no longer make money from IT,
Before the Revolution the slave trade wa,
| carried on chiefly by the ships Of the rurlans,
who, under The sanction and by lie authority
OF the mother country, forced slaves imported
from Africa upon The people Of Virginia and
the other Southern colonies, against their
| earnest reGonstrances and threats Of resist.
| snce And IL was their cruelty in the manner
| Of carrying on this traffic which led John
Wesley to denounce il a. the sum or all vii
lsnies;'' whereas his great colobofoitef, Whit
field. pronounced domestic slavery to be emf
ncntly Christian, and suited for the deyelope
ment and prosperity Of the colonies, as vel
as the civilization OF the African II Is well
known that the ruritans who migrate TO ths
South at the present time are Tho only hard
ma.'cps CT the negroes, whereas The native
PlaoieIs are invariably kind and indnlgent