New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-16

Ieirn or subordinate, to "institute Slavery as
a permanent, hereditary status of RATIONAL III
nocent adult human beings. Primarily ano
essentially, slaves are prisoners oil war; ""u
are under constraint and mystery as ie'"''
of that condition. When, through the close VI
tbe war or otherwise, they have ceased 10 po
dor,orous os enemies or valuable for the pir
nose of exchange, their Slavery should CEASE
,d ,ya recoopize no "right" to hold them Id
bond,oe an hour longcr-no power in com.
munity to confer such right en- It's rulers ""u
IIow.makers. Slavery is the supremacy OF fofcc
over Natural Right, and to talk OF the right 70
institute il is as preposterous as to deScant on
the right to commit murder.
But ono error is not to be subverted by
another. and the heresy of State Sovereignty
is sensibly strengthened by the opposite beresy
which denies to the States any substantive eX-
istcnce, aud speaks of them, with this " OBJ
server" as mere commercial corporations"
They are less than sovereign; but great deal
more than this. Speaking generally we may
say that within their several boundaries and
for domestic purposes, the States composing
this Republic possess a limited, qualified sov'
ereignty to DO exercised only in harmony with
the broader but likewise limited powers of the
Union. And this "Obseryer" is sadly mistaken
when he Gays:
"A the right which any State 10 this country had to AIN
tain Slavery was derived from the Constituiion."
We should " admire to see " the article and
clause of the Federal Constitution whence this
right " was deriued." 1t does not exist What
ever color of legal right to hold men in
Slavery there may be, must be sought in the
Constitutions of the several States, for there is
not trace of it in the Federal Constitution.
There is not a respectable lawyer on earth
, who, in the absence OF any State authorize
ton, would appear in court to uphold the
claim of A. to b. as his slave. basing this
, claim originally and solely on the Federal Con-
sttution. Slavery is a State " institution, or
t it is naked violence and fraud.
We need not follow this critic further since
: half his structures tend to establish our posi-
ton with regard to State sovereignty. while
the residue are aprOpos to nothing. We VIII
: merely instance as sample Of the loosenesS
of his logic, that he roundy asserts that
E Washington declared this a consolidated
4 Government" aud proves it by citing this pas
:, cage. from his letter to Congress on the
0 adoption of the Federal Constitutions
In oil our deliberations thi. sub ct kept steadily h.
which appear. 90 u. the seste'' interest Of
evoty true American: the consolidation Of cur IEtH, In
which involved property felicity 'eiJ-PehsP' our
!. National existence"
Gould this logcian perceive any difference
between horse. chestnut and chestnut
horse
3 When SIayoy-that is. the spirit which
8 originated and still justfes tho reduction OF
q human beingsto british chattelhood for the graf
iicatcn Of other mems luxury and pride-shall
have been eradicated from the hearts OF the
: great body of our people, it will very coon
y vanish from their constitutions aud laws. This
0 terrible Civil War appears to nave been d.
vinely sent for this express purpose-the mad
ness of tho sayeholding CASTE Ike the blind
obstinacy Of Pharaoh. tho mAligniiy OF Iiaman,
the treachery Of Judas, being oycrrued TO n
great aud good end. Slavery will die whenever
, the great body Of the People. whether Of the
| North or the South tho East or the West,
8 shall have been taught to regard it in ito true
a, light as tho chief source aud impulse of our Ma
5 tiOnal calamilies aud Woes. Until this end
shall have been attained, wo shall continue 10
SIN and suffer, and neither Consolidation nor
State Sovereignty will prove panscea Tor
our ArOnies