New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-26
WHAT WILL RE,

our country has been foully assailed and is still
at war with malignant treason; and we do what
we can to serve and save her. Let us all do
To-Day's duties To-Day;-ard We shall be apt
to see more clearly the duties of Tomorrow.
While we leave to Others the concoction and
discussion of projects Of reconstruction" pur-
posing to consider no hypothetical overtures
from the insunectionary States while awaiting
those which are authorized, we donot feel bound
to pass in silence oil the practical and mislead-
ing errors which are from time to time put forth
in support of one or another of these projects.
And among the worst of these is the ready as
sumption that Slavery as political power IL
dcad-that it has ceased in any event to control
great parties and make small Presidents. Thus
the writer of very able and mainly sound es-
say in the ~ Y. Times on "Unon and Recon-
struction says:
"A" all events and any event there {. danger OF siv
cry ever beir rehsbsed throughout the land In m old bar
barrie chasc,er or Of Slavery stockholders again at
tanning to their political domnsncy In the nation lite
constitution is broken beyond the power Of medicine
of course, if Slavery should die with the
Rebellion, il will have ceased to be power; but,
if it should survive in ten or more States, we
believe it would he more imperious and pesti-
lent than ever. We do not remember That any
one has yet placed on record the observation
that an important element of the power welded
by Slavery in our Union for the last thirty years
was It's insecuri,y Those interested IN human
cha,telsm were ever haunted by an uneasy
consciousness that the spirit OF the age was
against thcm-lhat Democracy. Free schools
cheap Newspapers, Steam, %c., &c., were theF
unslceping foes. Feeling that ",hc stars IN
their courses" steadily fought against them,
they were constantly seeking to foriiiy them
selves by alliances with powers on earth and
beneath it. Slavery would have had Tar less
control over our Government and is policy had
no one questioned it, justice or sought its abo-
lition.
rs strength was in the fears and apprehcn-
sions of its votarics--in their sense If insecurity
aud peril The ruling class in twelve to hiie'n
States were more intent on the preservation and
fertilization of Slavery than on any other pnbhc
interest. It's managing politicians, Therefore
went 10 Washington, Baltimore, Cincinnati, III
quest Of alliances that would secure 10 slavery
the control Of the Government. They snd III
substance 10 those they met from Free s'ates:
" Wehave thrce-fifths Ia two-ihirls 81 The votes
needed 10 elect a President. which we are pre-
pared 10 give 10 that candidate who combines
the power with the will 10 do most for our Pc
cnliar institution; what Is your h.d =" "A
more effective Fugitive Slave Law" says one
Very good; who bids highcr'' "The Annex
alton Of Texas" Good again villa, next
1.-THE Repeal Of the Missouri Restriction" i
hear Il: wha, ncr,i' "The subjuga,.on Of Free
Kansas to Slavery" Good for yon what
more . 1.-THE purchase or conquest Of Cuba"
Excellent, ant You raise !, a little = "slav-
cry upheld by law in oil the Territories Of The
Union. present and future" Admirable what
nex,i'--but here the machine brol' down,
through the quarrels of those who sought Ia sup
plant each other in the monopoly Of d. manage
mcn'.
The game wasessautially Thoroughly vicious.
Let NJ suppose tina, thorc were Three Hundred
Electoral Votes. whereof l5i va, . majority.
The Slave States cast 100 - these. whereof ~
least 100 hight Nfely b. counted on a. perfectly
comfortable BY whocyer had the running OF ihc
Pro-slavcry machine. The parry which ,ccur'd
these needed but 80 Of the la east lay AL thc
Free States Two Of the large Siaics were good
for these; or half dozen small ones; or one
grca, one with two or three smaller. How i'm
mense the temptation 10 self-srck'ne politicians
10 make their platform more and more utterly
shamelessly Pre.slayery NJ each qundmnnial
convention Had not the Slave Power mndly
smashed the machine II could have ground them
out not only Slavery in the Tcri,oricf, but The
right 10 carry slaves into and hold them IN any
(so.callcd) Free State and the rc-opcning Of The
African Slaye-Trade, within the next twenty
years.
Now let Slavery emerge from the present
struggle not, indeed, unscaihcd, but retaining
the mastery Of eight or ten States, and lis perils
its npprehensions its need OF coniedera,oS and
outside supporters, will be greater than ever
before. 1t will still say, Here are my cleo
toral votes-cighty, ninety, one hundred, a. the
case may be--to be cast solid for the candidates,
the party that will do most and go futhest in
my behalf-here is "a third Of the Senate, and at
least fourth of the House at the service Of my
friends, when know where to find them. Who
bids7" And tho consequence would be con-
slant dcbauchcry Of Northern sentiment and
fearful DETECTION Of Northern politics from the
right line of integrity.
We state these obvious truths, because they