New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-29
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

The Opposition journals loudly procIainl hn
Inconsistency between The doctrines Of Mr. Lin
coins Inaugural respecting Slavery ana Ms TT.
cent Indication of Universal Freedom as one oil
the essential bases OF Peace. In so Tar as 'hcS
condemn his requirement of the abandonment o'
Slavery as a prerequisite to any ncso'i"''oh i'i
Peace. we might not disagree with them; Du'
This is not the case in hand. Because the Chi-
caro Platform ailirms external ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
with the domestic institutions OF the several
sto,c,. and because the President r6afhrmcd
that principle in his Inaugural, they assume THAI
he and his supporters arc moio preciudcd from
as.ailiug or seeking the overthrow of Slavery.
Tic Obvious answer to this is-The change Is
not in our attitude, but in that OF our adver-
sarics. When Slavery struck at the National
Efc, il rightGully forfeited every guaranty which
the Nation had given i. IL is Slavery the I'M
pulse of 1reason-Slayery the impacable foe oi
our Unon-Slayery the chief peril OF the Repub-
lic--that Mr.. Lincoln proposes to strike down
The case runs parallel to that of man who,
being asked, "Why threaten the life OF your
dog, tia. you fed and fondled yesterday -
should answer, Because, since yesterday he
has run mad; and must kill him or PERM; n''n
to bite end destroy my family"
All this was clearly and early set forth.
Most Of those who now clamor against the Ma
iional ou.awry Of Slavery heard il announced
three years ago without objection, while some
ofthcm heartily approved it. Thus, in tho t.
s. Senate. July IL, 1861 (three days before the
battle Of Bull RUM, Mr.. Powell of KY. having
moved that 3" no part OF the Army shall be used
in subiectng or holding as a conquered province
any sovereign State" &c, Mr Dixon Of Conn.,
said:
Nh President, he Senator from KENTUCKY has all
thst have declared on this ao0r that Il II were Boce
sary TO abolish Slavery IN order 10 save ;ae niOh
Slavery should be abolished. Mr.. President have
said no such thing What said was this that II tao
war should he persisted in ana be long prciraeed. on
tAe part Of The South and IL he eoa 81 is proIcr'
il sroud turn ont that either this Government OF
slavery must BE- destroyed then the people nj TIE Hcr
the conservative people of the Aorth-would say,
i:a!hcr than let the Government perish let Sla'eTy
Ie.ish.' This said; aud say 1t now and SHAH con
tiuae Gt all times to say the ssmo not by any means
ss ihsea,, but Us warning and an aduonition'
Mr.. BROWNING OF Illinois followed in tn,
Same vein. He said:
~ they force upon the Issues whether the Gov
eminent sh0li go down 10 mciDian tho institution o.
Saycrv whether Slavery shall be Oblitcraed 70 Sus
tan the Constitution and tue Government Tor Nhlcl
our ihcrs fought and blcd then AIN FOR the Govern
meni ard against Slavery; and my voice and vote shall
be given FOR sweeping the last ycs;ige ofbarbarsm from
| the face OF the contlneat.
So also Mr.. SHERMAN OF Ohio said:
Rather than sinTlo foot Of this country Of
outs torn from the National domain By traitors. viii
myself scr the slaves set free. II :herc 4, no
way Of o0ngnering South Carolina. for instance except
By emanopang her slaves 1ssy Emancpate her say es
ana conquer h1r reDeltOus citizens, &c, &c.
Messrs Dixon, Browning and Sherman are
widely known as among the most conservative
and moderate Republicans, aud We cite their
guarded language as unimpeachabe evidence
that the South was fully and fairly admonishcd
to desist from the Rebellion on penalty of the
destruction of Slavery. If there ever was a
clear case of forfeiture w treason, then the life
Of Slavery is justly forfeited to the Nation on
whose integrity it made wanton war. Whether
| it will be advisable, under whatever cir
cumstapces TO insist on that forfeiture, - a
totally distinct question; but il is an impudent
experiment on popular sagacity to argue that
Slavery may now rightfully invoke the pro-
lection Of that Constitution which it has waded
neck deep in blood to overthrow, or that the
President is bound TO treat it with the same
iorbearance as though it had not attempted the
life of the Republic.