New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-02


failure, and should have been thrown away, like
piece Of bad rubber goods because it would not stretch
to the dimensions Of justice without breaking. Our
constitutional Obligation to let Slavery alone in the
other States could possibly outiye their earnest de-
termination to abolish it.
Let us look ct the A b C ethics, and common sense
Of this natter My right to defend my right, at what
ever cost to the wrongdoer only when the law
steps in to do for me- and less cost to other parties
When the law fails TO do 90, and, much more when it
purposey takes sides with the wrong.doer, my right
reyves, and it ia only question with me whether
can afford to exercise it, and with my friends whether
they can afford TO help me. man has right, be-
lieve 10 eat bis own chickens however poor he may
happen TO be- and no who ia not hungrier pos
sibly have any right to steal them. Neither kid gloves
nor college education justify the thief Nor does
he become less criminal by taking, along with the
chickens the owner to cook and them for moth
ing. Here might quote Blackstone, who denies that
even Legislature can abridge or destroy natural
riQht in any being who has done nothing TO forfeit it.
But what's the usel No was ever yet fool enough
to believe that his right to enjoy the fruit Of hs own
labor was the gift Of Legislature, which it could take
back at its pleasure; still less that Legislature conld
riehfuy take from him what il did not give and could
not possibly compensate him for. Now, no fact IN ths
whole universe is palmer or surer than that no law IN
Virginia, for example, steps in when slave Is de-
priyed Of bis natural right TO liberty and the fruit OF his
labor TO vindcate that right. Therefore, though all
the Judges on earth should thrust their venerable
ostrich skulls wigs and ALL ten thousand nthoms into
sand bank TO ignore il, the slave hd' the right 10
strike for his liberty; and John Brown has the right
by the same token to strike for him, whether The slave
strikes or not. Robbery Is not the less rgh1ully re-
sisted because the victims babies too weak or too
ignorant 10 resist for themselves.
Hence the Chicago multitude, doubtless with the
most amisbe disposition in the world, when in the
same platform 1t disclaimed both the right and the in
tention 10 interfere with Slavery in the State, and
condemned all invasions like that Of John Brown,
made an enormous fool Of itself. Both propositions
cannot possibly be true unless savehoding il virtue.
II no Government is TO interfere for the slave, John
Brown was right. II John Brown was crazy, it
must have been because there at least fair pros
pect that the Government Of the United States in de-
fault Of the State of Virginia, would do in a more
eaectua and lees costly way, the right thing which he
attempted and the Chicago platform was silly and
self-conuadictory to deny il. fyou comfort your
selves, my Republican friends, with the Apostles ex.
take care now that you have your position that you
do not betray Christ The memorable logic of your
condemnation of John Brown WILDE after you with
weight as crushing ten thousand mistoues, if you
now ,how the white feather to Slavery and you cannot
escape II by shutting ycnr eyes.
The Southern Seceders took you sincere and seDsi
bic in the condemnation Of the Harpers Ferry move
ment and therefore thought you had made up your
minds TO DO what they conscious you ought 70 do.
They have stepped out Of the Union, after having
robbed il in manner that would do credit TO the god
OF theves on purpose 20 fight you TO better adyan-
tage in case they should fail to make that unnecessary
by Tightening you out Of your wits. Had they not
done lhis, you and your excellent President would
have been in a much more pltiable predcament than
you are now. They had only 10 keep quiet and hold
you To the Chicago platform for four years, To make an
end of You and in the time you would have been
u,,fu to them catch fugtives and repel nyasions
They had you morally in the hollow Of their hand
For. IL neither Government nor John Brown bad
right TO interfere with Slavery in States resolved to
perpetuate it, then Slavery Ia right and Of there
IL no good reason exclude II from Territories any
where They nigh. have killed Republcanism with
its own platform
But, thank God the SHAREHOLDERS arc not as wise as
"the champions Of Free Labor are foolish. They
have given you credit for being nsneere in at least one
Of your grand concessions TO Slavery in the States
and this leaves you a logical chance justify its
clusion from the Territories. They have aso put them.
selves in actual rebellion against constitutional author
ty and this gives you the opportunity, In spite ofyour
own .hor-ghted Interpretation of the Constitution to
do what ought long ago to have been done, and which
must now be done Shareholders will give their own
awless law to the whole Of this oontinent-to make
Union real and peace perpetual by annihaing Slavery
from the whole of it. viii you do i'll Or will you
eat all your brave words against Slavery in the Terri
ores aud subsde TO the meanest doctrine that mean
men ever subscribed to- TO wit that all human rights
are Of political manufacture, and that powerful plum
deres are always TO be submitted to for the sake of
peace, while only the weak ones are TO be proceeded
against. Have you not made concessions enough
already, and more than enough AT Chicago, you
stood on the very platform of tie Compromise Of 1850
that platform where Daniel Webster stood, and, TO
placate the shareholders pledged the North to commit
the meanest and most abominable crime OF which
a civilized State can be guilty-a crime which
God knows is not required by the Const-
tuition, though all the lawyers in the
earth or under il should say so, and which that
crime had been actually committed, over and over
again snking TO the very skies, and only asked that
Slavery which Lad shameless violated that and all
former compromises should not DO extended any fur
Their. The people voted you into power-I among the
rest-as tie bea thing that could be done. Now, DO
you think that you purchase valuable peace OF
open rebels by another compromise VIII you pro-
coed on the beautiful tactics of the old Ephraimte of
Of Gibeah, who when beset by certain rioous dealers
in human fesh was ready to give up his maiden