Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-04-22
d IFrom the New York World. 'szsi p
The Abolition Patty and State Rights.

/ lfrom the New York World. Hf-I
The Abolition Patty and State Rights.
The Democratic triumphs 10 all the most i'm.
portant State elections of the last elk months
have opened the eyes of some of the more
politic Abolition leaders to the possible oonse-
quences to themselves Of the attempt to break
down the barriers which protect State rights
against Federal eDcroacbment. We should
have seen In the Republican party no symp-
toms Of reaction In favor Of State rights II
they had not been brought to epterssin doubts
Of their success in the mex. Presidential cleo
tion. II makes o great difference IN their
expositions Of the Constitution whether they
offer these expositions In the character OF
self-confdent ins or possible outs The bulk
Of the party are still blind enough to expect
the people will continue them Ia power
hence they persist In advocating an accumu-
lstion of power In the central government
sufficient to override and break down State
authority, especially of all State authority
which would resist the universal oonfsca lion
Of Southern property. But Mr.. Greeley, who
has been the foremost advocate of emancpa-
tion and conhscatiou,l now takes counsel
Of his fears, and on Saturday delivered to bis
abolition brethren, under his pc, sonal sigma
ture, o homily In defense Of State rights, which
contains some sound constitutional doctrine.
While the Republican party was rising to power
Il rivaled The Southern fre eaters 10 their ex.
treme Interpretation Of the doc rIue of State
rIghts. Il was In the livery Of State rights
that they witbstood and nulli6ed the fugitive
slave law. Mr. Greeley sees that the chances
are more than even that the Democratic party
will be In power after the b Of March, 1865.
He ioresees that In that event, the constitutional
guarantees respecting slavery would be enforced
bv the Federal Government, and that an OK.
treme Interpretation of State rights is the only
ground on which such enforcement can be re-.
sisted. He accordingly makes timely retrea.
behind the defenses Of the Personal Liberty
bills and the nullifyipg decision of the abolition
Supreme Court Of Wisconsin. His remarks
are appended as reply to a letter from Oliver
Johnson, the editor Of the Ant. Slavery Stand
ard. We quote; a
"I was never for State Rights of the exag.
gerated, Calhoun stamp. never believed nor
held that State had any more right to secede
from or nullify the laws of the Union than
county or township. / recognize no State
rights as inhering 10 State which has rebelled
against and is making war upon the Union.
Bot the new.light talk Of the States, even while
LOYAL, az mere municipalities, II even that
the windy bosh of leather.headed blockheads
predicting grand consolidated nation Of which
the States are to be merely provinces not
blind You and me to the fact that the States
have hitherto been the citadel and sanctuary
Of whatever freedom of speech and action We
have epjoyed-that Il 10 but few years since
we we're urging States to 60 to the very verge
Of their reserved powers In passing personal
liberty bills, and since We were all electrified
by the decision Of the Supreme Court Of Wis
cousin that the fugitive slave law was unconsti.
tutional. Had such Q consolidated Union as |,
now eulogized and anticipated-nsy, proclaim
ed as actually exlsting-been in operation here
for the last thirty years, you and would long
since have spent years In felons' cells, undeI
duly enacted national laws and the popular
ruling of national judges, for writing and print
leg demonstrations that no maA has right h
steal another's labor. Should We not thipl
we'll of the bridge that has borne Us thus fa
safely7 ,.-.. , ., .-.-. ..-a..r ... -. r.-
at is urged that tho dark days of nationa
servillty to the relentless slave power hay,
PASSED away forever. Ihope go, but do not fee
sure Of IL.
.. % .
| "Were the alaveholdiDg rebels to lay dowr
their arms and return frankly and thorough,
to loyalty tomorrow, believe they might re-
sumo the government of the country at tht
next presidential election. And then would
very much prefer that there should be come
State rights lett; and 90, think, would man,
Of those nov blatant for extreme consolidation
Let us keep 10 the safe middle path" .....
Mr.. Greeley is as ill-bslanced zsalot ss AM
of them, but he falls below msnv Of his Aboi
tion brethren in courage and persistence. When
under the prompting of his fears or his self
interest, his one-sided mind-ghich is by nc
means deficient In cosrse vigor-catches q
glimpse Of the other eide of the question, he
is quite oar able of perceivIng how his own prin.
cipies may operate to his detriment. He was
q socialist, working hand in hand with Aber,
Brisbane In advocating Fourierism in the TSi.
buRs, until he found lie was thereby damaging
the business OF bis newspaper, when he began
to preach Fourieriem "with bated breath, >" and
soon objured II altogether. He was burning
aud shining Name law fanatic until the
thought suddenly strucx him that coercive tee.
totaliam interfered with the success of the Re-
publican party, when the Maine law was con-
| signed TO the came limbo with the phslsnsteries.
He was the loudest advocate OF the emaLcips-
| ZION proclamation and the hrst man Of his party
to demonstrate tbat Ii amounts to nothing
From being stanoh and jealous State rights
man In opposing the execution of the fugitive
slave law, and high. flying estate suicide"
man as leader In the oonfscation crusade, be
comes around and completes the circle by again
maintaining the doctrine OF State right, aga
his own parry when be fears thas the Federal
Government will soon be Democratic, and the
Aboliionists be able 10 control only few iso
lated State Governments. But If the T, ibunt
will continue to preach as sound doctrine az tha
quoted above We shall be too, we'll sstisfied with
the result to make o very strict inquiry into III
motives. q sg.d a2a i..Iir - '1 FtE 't-li..