New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-09

Nlel prOpOnltlou Induo W n0Pu"0""ot wv
Congress and in the "Peace Conference" which
were concilatory in their spirit and TERMS and
which ought to have been accepted by the
South. We trust he will not divest bis work
of all historic value by slurring over those
propositions. They are vital to correct un'
derstanding of the subject which no processes 10
elucidate.
Mr.. Cox d;lates on the admitted fact that the
Republicans would not accept the "Crttenden
COMPROMISE, so called. But this was IN TACT
M compromise but simple surrender OF the
whole matter in dispute. The South had never
seriously claimed more than this sham compro'
mise proposed to give her-a partition OF the
territories between Free and Slave Labor on
the line of $50 80. This the North had steadily
rejected with emphasis, even while she was In
tensely Democratic. (See Am. Conflict, chap.
xiy.) From the outset Of our differences, the
South and its Northern servitorS had been in
tent on involving the North in partner
ship-it seemed to us an Ubiquitous part
ncrsh,p-of spoliation and partition, which
the North steadfastly rejected. The Wilmot
Proyiso in all its forms, the refusal of the North
in l848-5O to extend the Compromise line IN
definitely westward-the Northern repugnance
t. tho so-caled Compromise Of l65O-were oil
impelled BY this spirit. 1t was matter OF just
rcproach and serious embarrassment to us that
the South could plausibly say: "You OF the
North brought slaves from Africa and sold tLen
to us; now you are warning on Slavery, for
which your fathers are equally responsible Win
ours" To this, we made true answer:
q" Our fathers could not, if they would, prevent
the residence among them Of slaye-traders,
while their British soyeregnS upheld those
traders and shared their goddess gains; but we
stopped their career very soon after we acquired
power to do so and drove out Slavery from
among us. And now, warned by your reproach
we shall be careful rot to incur more oft. We
will not unite with you in devoting more terri
tory to Slavery, and will not DO bribed to do so
by whatever seeming equivalents. We will not
consent to .legalize Slavery on another square
mile OF territory" On that platform, tie Re-
publican party was formed; on that
platform, the Presidential contest of 1856
was fought and lost, and that of 1860
fought and won. And, when we had thus
fairly achieved power By solcmnly promising
the People that we would use it to prevent any
extension Of Slavery over single rood of free
soil, Mr.. Cox and his party turned upon us and
said Cons, at-nay, not merely consent, but act
ively co0perate-to legalizc and impregnably for.
tfy Human Bondage throughout 800, 900 square
miles of our present Territories, with all that
may hcnceforth accrue to us from Mexico, Cen
trail America and Cuba or those whom you and
We know to have long plotted and sehemed ior
p.sunion VII 90 ahead with Secession, and IRE
rr,H aeeus, you Of hiring proroked and goaded
them TO 40 80" Such was the attitude OF Messrs.
Cox a Co. ir that memorable crisis such is
the position which he ia now laboring to justify.
We tsand tbs exaction which he conspired to
make OF us as unfair, unjust, ungenerOus-
one that he and his had no right to make, and
which they ought now to DO heartily ashamed
Of. Ii was a deadly assault on the fundamental
requirement Of political morality-that party
in power shall be governed by the principles
which it profcssed and proclaimed when seek
lag power. There never was q moment when
the Democratic party would not have secuted
such demand with cxecraton. insisting on
fighting out the controversy when in Office on
the line which it maintained when Out of power.
And in that it would have been clearly right