The national Republican., 1862-05-06
THE RIGHT OF THE MAJoRlTY To
AULE.

The Washington correspondeuce Of the New
York Times coutaiusd the following para
graph: . .. .-.a..
"The town was startled BY q rumoI to-day
that all the members OF Congress from the bor-
der slave States, and number Of conservative
sympathizers from other States, were seriously
considering the propriety Of Withdrawing 10
body from the Senate and the House, and thus
whole country on the radical measures Of con.
hscaton and emancipation. Although such n
movement could not rally large strength In
Congress, any detection Of the kind would have
a most injurious effect In the States Of Ken
give new hope to the slumbering secession Gle
ment In those States"
That sort Of attempt To control the action Of
Congress deserves no notice, and we ailude to
II only at the request Of some gentlemen from
Kentucky, who say that the policy Of conasca-
ton Is demanded BY popular sentiment in the
border slave States, and will be voted for by
several Of their representatives here, unless
they are overswed by traditional respect for
wrong headed leaders.
Be that as It may, the time has gone by for
iuhuenc ng legislation here, BY threNs Of with.
drawal, either by States, or by the delegations
Of States. II is not In the midst Of bloody
and erpenaive war, waged In defense Of the prin
cple that the right 10 rule the country belongs
to the majority Of the citizens, that such threats
will be- heard witt patience.
On this subject We quote the admirable
words of Mr.. Howe, spoken In the Senate last
Thursday, upon this same measure Of con6sca-
tion. Mr.. Howe said:
"Mr. President, 90 far as have invested any
thing In this war, II 10 for n very simple and
single purpose. ] will state II. I do not know
that ] shall ever have better opportunity,
and do not think this % very good one. 1t
is TO demonstrate what understand to be the
fundamental principle OF your Constitution,
that one man Is as good before the law AZ An.
other, and that therefore twenty millions are
better than ten millions, each man being equal
before the law. When that Is demonstrated
the war will be ended, and shall have no fur.
ther occasion for the war, and therefore shall
not want 10 perpetuate II an hour beyond thai
moment. Before the war commenced that was
the status OF every citizen OF the United States;
when il is ended, If /. consent u its tsrmi.
nation, that will again be the status Of every
citizen of the United States and why the war
happened was simply because some eight or
ten millions of the population of the United
States had been dreaming for great many
years that they were better than any sim lai
eight or ten millions; stronger, abler To make
conditions, ADLER 10 pass laws and expOunt
them, ADLER To administer government; ADLER
IN fact, TO do 1t than twenty millions. They
undertook 10 demonstrate this, not under the
ballot. box, but with the cartridge. box not b,
ballots, but by bayonets. That is why the wal
happens
And again, Mr.. Howe said:
when Senators tell me that the enactmen n
of that measure or this will unite certain por
ion Of the country IN u more determined, CON
hinad rRaplutR hORtI1itv thA C0yarn ms
say that is no argument why the bill should no
pass; for II we have anything in the wide wOri
to demonstrate by this revolution, II 10 the righ
sf the representatives Of the people 10 pass jus
such laws ~ they zoe It 70 pass while they ar
here. and the penalty of passing a bad law
the forfeiture of their seats, and not the de
struction Of the Government under which the,
hold their seats"