New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-05
PROGRESS ON TmE MAaN QUESTION.


PROGRESS ON TEE MAaN QUESTION.
The Rebellion which now threatens our Ma
tional existence is based--as Alex. ii. Stephens
Vice President of the Southern ConiederGcy,
and the ablest man in it) has well sald-on the
fundamental idea of the natural and eternal
inequality Of Human Rights. Said MIR. Ste-
pbens. in his Disunion Speech at Savannah,
Georgia, March 22d, Is6l-0ust halt way be-
tween Mr. Linc0ns inauguration and the bonn.
bardment OF Fort Sumtcr):
IN, new Couiedea,e Constitution has put q. re.t for
al al atins io,uon: =, pec.ns our ocl'.
Line Nero in our form Of civilization mi. the inmeai
ate ce Of our Lite rupture ard present vluuon Jeer
son IN lis forecast had Anticipated his a. he rock upon
vycn tr old Union wsud . IT, lie dght. Nhat was
n conjecture with him l. now realized fet. BIT whether
Le ended the gseat truth upon which that rock 81
eneltsn, by him and most the leading stle.rneu At tie
- ~ t5s niou Of tbe IA FEDERAL Constitution weIe
the en.aseue1to Of the African "ss ia vosion 81 'Dr
laws ofrsue; that VS. "oge IN p,np'1 so.ny' n,
ally ard PoiceAy nc ,, 'a,',i ." ss'pio OF
the FL siry Til. was a. error II YVES sa'y
ioundaiil, and The idei .. so'rr'-ent Ssi 1'n ~ WIZ"
the = I'm clue az tire Wind D.rN, 4 tclF
Our Govcrnmrut Is fol ded uPo" the exactly oppo
site do: s fuuda laid AZ, IT. oorneTtone re-.
noon H. t.uth that lie negro ia 1T equ, to The ~e
, a S.i.er, su0ofdnati ~ to the superior eoe-is S
natural arl normal eoad ION. ,rD.-u,cs :, u, h,,.
/. 4
h-ps'id basel opoa ~ get P'y ,eH t''' ~. I'D
.j tbst our .ocid fabric Is tuuly pissed aid clnno
teruit myas doubt the uiin'te sncc"s. oi sIui i'o
niuon 81 his po2e thioostc1t tie CIVILIZED a"" ''''
With and upon that principle, rs Mr. Ste
rbens truly II aintalns, the Shareholders Con-
iederacy must aud Will stand or iall. Whoever
heartily accepts that principle has at least
leaning toward the traitors and their reoel'
lion. lie nay wish them baflled, for tie sake
NJ our National unity, but he would not have
them hurt; and be- would at heart rather have
the Union restored under the sway OF Jeuer-
son DAVIS than under that OF Abraham LIN
coin. lie thinks the traitors right IN princip1e'
wrong only in the means BY which they s'eh
TO yndcate that pr nclplc. And nearly all our
mat tuilures and miscbances have resulted
from the drplorable fact that two-thirds OF our
Military officers, with many OF our civilians,
haze in fundamental principle accorded more
nearly with the Coniederacy taan with tAr
Union. Hence iuciEicency, sloth,usncs', lac"
of vigilance. want Of earHestDess IN many oil
our military chels-lcnce their comPa''aHeo
to the mpudent demands OF Na'cholaiug
traitors that their fugitive chattes shou'd DO
restored 10 the embraces Of their pa;rlarchal
COW hide.-hence the threats Of our earlier COM
maulers 70 crush out any attempt of the slaves
Ia revolt against the authority Of their Rebei
masters-henco the shameful betrayal OF slaves
who had rendered or sought to render us im-
portant service to the vengeance OF the traitors
they had oncnded-hence the exposure oil our
cause to tho frowns and bulctnys OF right
cons God.
al this is being steadly changed. No Cen
eral IN the Union service would think today
Of Issuing such Pro-Sla'ery proc'amations a.
those wherewlth Mcclellan and Patterson
opened their first campaigns. No |. ). officer
would dare openly surrender an active unlonist
into Slavery to a notorious Rebel. Bad a.
matters still are in this respect, they have
greatly improved within the past year, and are
certain to improve still further. OF TINS, Gen.
Buffers recent order gwen IN our lasi)
affords n striking illustration.
Gen. Ben. Butler IS by nature Pro-siGyery
Democrat of the worst school, because the
greatest sinner against light aud knowledge
That one who grows up Iiliteratc aud ro"dy
ON the banks of the Wabash, the Illinois, or
the Osaae. should call himself u Democrat, and
/ thereupon insist that Blacks should be- ensaved
e,ilel. or at least denied all political rights
NAV prove only n confusion or paucity Of ideas,
a deficiency Of spelling BOOKS, and an ignorance
of dictionaries; but that graduate OF Massa-
cLuset.s common schools should fall into The
same ri, argues perycrslty of moral nature
addiction to evil company, and prcmaturely
developed fondness for bad WHISKY. We con-
fess our inability 10 conceive oil one thus
trained and thus holding as guided by moral
principle and promp. to obey the Dictates Of
his own undruggcd conscience.
/ Yc, ten. Ben. Butter. scarcely year after
he figured largely n. a Breckenridge delegate
N the Charlest0n Convention, was frat 10 de-
lcrmino and declare that the slaves Of Rebels,
being extensively used in iurtherancc of the
rebellion. were contraband OF war. and
could not, therefore, BE- gwen up to known
traitors Sound as was the conclusion, it
roasted on Il narrow aud technical rather than
a broad and generous basis IL was rather The
clever dodge" Of a sharp Yankee lawyer
than the bold cnuncia,ion of grand and nut
/ iul truth. Cd John Brown wond have reached
Ike practical conclusion by route that
would have caused tie slaychOlding traitors TO
respect him more, despse him lees. and hate
him just exactly the same.
Gen. Butler has pursued a Pro.Slayery pol
! icy in hls South Western command, until bis
second in rank, Gen Phelps, has bcea com.