New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-10
mx. cxrrrENDEn,s COMPLAINT.

patriotic remarks at Columbus. Ohlo on the 9TH
inst. the venerable Kentuckiau saw ft TO cen
sure the Republicans 10 part for the present dis
tracted aud caIamtous condition of our country.
Though we have ooce printed those remarks IN
fnU we reproduce such OF them as seem to
bear upon tho Republicans, preliminary to their
careful consideration. They are as follows:
IAN ar, "a things to blame. The South has. a. be-
lew. most neoJossy forced Ibis upon needle''iJ be
cau a, wrong. Of which they could comp"n could better
bYe been remcdied In the Union and under thr Connoo
than by any 80, Of @ no, without blame oT
only yesr ago Winter h could have adopted measures Of
psce which ere endsted by rssoons the u secur
g pesce then sni but their psry pIds prevent
ell bo from accepting the plan proposed ohs insisted upon
this other upon that ill bsiween the ms and mat o.
parties. the present unhappy quarrel has been forced uPon u'
MIR. Crttenden here assumes an undoubted
truth ehat certain measures or propositions were
submitted in Congress a year ago last Winter
which, had they been accepted would have pre-
vented the SHAREHOLDERS Rebellion. We presume
he refers to tho resolves framed by caucus OF
Democratic Senators which Mr.. Douglas and his
devoted friends opposed; wherenpon the bolt at
Charleston and the division of the Democratic
party. But. whether the reference be to this or
some other project the fact is clear that the
Democratic party could NOT Be united on those
propositions. Had there been discovered any
ground with regard " Slavery Extension where
on that party could have been united aud rallied,
il must have carried the late Presidential Elec-
ton. and destroyed the immediate preteIt for
Secession. The naked undenable fact that the
Democratic party divided and went TO wreck on
the question Of Slavery EItension-that is, on
the right of shareholders to plant Slavery IN the
Federal Territories--is Of itself justification of
the alleged unreasonable tenacity Of the Rcpubli-
cans. We blame neither faction in this recital:
We a.sumo that their difference was honest aud
vital. and could not be- compromised away.
Now consider the position OF the Republican
party:
That party was called into being BY strenuous
exetions to extend the domain aud increase the
power OF Human Slavery in this country, by
planting it iu and fastening it on the Federal
Territories. The Republicans, deeming Slavery
a great moral, social and political evil, felt con-
strained to oppose such extension. They said:
within on existing State, Slavery can be abol-
"shed only by the action OF the People OF
" said State; but the Territories belong to the
whole UnioD-to ihe whole American People
"and all have an interest, all should have
voice in determining whether Slavery shall or
Z" shall not be planted there. We say it should
" not and viii exercise whatever power We have
10 enforce Mat determination" Such is the
essence of Repubcanism: such the fundamental
basis Of the Republican party
But all the projects of settlement, adjustment
compromise peace, &c, involved the complete
and explicit rspudiotion Of the Republican prin-
ciple Even Mr. Douglass g Popular Sow
eregnty" implied this. Mr.. Crittendens own
plan of last Winter went further, and required
an explicit recognition and legal establishment
of Slavery in large proportion OF the Federal
Territories. The Senatorial platform Of ls19-GO
as also the Breckenridge Platform based thereon,
affirmed the right to hold slaves in any part of
tiese Tcrritories, whether South or North OF So
80, and whether authorized, tolerated or forbid
den by local laws. There has been no compromise
proposed al aay time ,ohih did not require hs
Republicans TO siaitJy themselves al asserting 10
u.
promise on any compromise platform as yet pro-
pounded is to cease to be Republican.
Mr.. Crttenden's censure, therefore, 50 far as it
reaches Republicans, implies just this: You have
no right to conviction respecting Slavery in the Ter
&" ritores or no right to act on that conviction. II
q" you believe Slavery wrong, you arc welcome SO
&" 10 believe, provided you do not act accordingly;
- but you must not allow your opinion to guide
" your political action. On the contrary, you must
" vote that right which you honestly believe to be
&" wrong-vote that you have no power where you
" honestly believe you hare power-if not, the
b" Shareholders will get up rebellion and destroy
" the Government, and you shall bear portion Of
- the blame"
Is that fair
If it is, we are aesr the end OF Representative
Government and Democratic institutions. When
we reach point at which the voter must
cast the ballot which represents not his convic-
tions but his fears-must vote not Tor what he
thinks right, but for what some faction tells
him is the east it will take as bribe for not
proceeding at once to overthrow the Government
and shatter the Nation-then voting has become
sorry and slayish farce, which should be put
aside at the earliest moment. A voting slave is
more ptiable than one whose degradation extends
only TO cottonpicking.
But We insist that Mr.. Crittendens censure,
80 far as il reaches Republicans, Il unjust Teoy