New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-10
THE TRUE BASIS.

The Times says, with reference to the axiom that
Governments derive their just power from the con-
| sent Of the governed that
THE wonders why DO not attempt to show that
/ its position Is wrong
o mol What we challenged you TO do was TO
semp 10 show either that orr Rerosiioaary fars
on4 that &c have misapprehended and msapped then
/ doctriaes."
We are open to conviction. Where is the argument
calculated to produce it Were our fathers right or
wrong in procaiming and stalking their all on the
proposition that Governments derive their just
power from the consent of the governed" If that was
true in 20, then it has not been made false by the
cannon Of Grant or the saber ofSherdan.
, The Times says;
at only SpkcS people but al the people OF
Union should be broken up not Why does The 1nBtN
exclude the North and West from all voice or vote upon poin
Ans,rer-Perhaps you are rights but yours is not
the doctrine Of the Declaration OF Independence Did
our fathers propose to submit the question of Amer-
can Independence 10 a vote of the entire British en-
pire We know they did not. They insisted that
Three Millions Of freemeu, inhabiting less than halfa
million square miles Of British territory, had right
to decide this question fer themselves Why is not
the doctrine good for Ten Millions, covering at least
twice so large an arcal But let rs not be diverted
from the previous question, "What is the doctrine,
on this point Of the Declaration OF American Inde
pendencei"
We know. at least, how It wa, formerly understood.
Our political history is full Of unconested assertions
Of the night IN question like that Of Abraham Lincoln
IN his speech In Congress OF Jan. IL, lciS, a. io-
lows:
ANY PEOPLE anywhere being inclined end havlng the
power the rg rise up and shake of tho existing
government and form a that suits them better Ihls
L. .fn.ff Grad
hope ard e:se is e 9sI1s S.sss Of ansIs gov
NAV choose 20 exercise H. A oroH Of such people
that aH ay revoutone and make their own OF 30 much
the territory Is tlel lhnl.'. iro,i,s uniting down
iS6y ntermnecd with near abou, them who may op.
pose their movements Such minority precisely the cnss
ofhe Tories Of Revolution II j. quality ofreyon'
no, 80 by Old ias or Old & but to break up both
GId make new ones
The Times think, the South would have seeded if
thad supposed the North would have allowed it to do
So We hold exactly the reverse. The 81 harp OF a
thousand strings" played on by the Disunon con-
spraors was coercion Northern threats TO SUBJ
ugate and hold the South in vassalage. Had IT been
clearly proclaimed and understood that the North left
the South at perfect liberty to 20 or stay, the Dis
unionsts would have been pOralyzed
But speculation is idle. The Secessionists rsre
beaten in the votes Of the Southern Whites at the
elections called by their leaders in the Winter of
ISG0-6l The votes are on record, though the con-
spirators shirked popular elections wherever they
could. 1t is demonstrated that majority of the
Southern Whites were against Dsunon down TO the
4" firing of the Southern heart by the bombardment
OF Fort Sumter.
BY thus initiating War, the conspraors secured, what
they had never before had-popular support. Under
the cry Of Defend your homes and families" " Lin
coin has invaded the SOuth-he is waging unprovoked
war upon us!"-they overawed and crushed out all
overt resistance to their schemes From that hour,
the overthrow Of Slavery the recognition of the
Blacks as members of the body polite, became Ma
tional necessity-a it still is. On the great principle
affirmed by fathers, the right Of the Union in the
South depends on her -Four Millions ofloyal Blacks,
without whom that section is preponderanty, inn
pacably Rebel. As Canning called into existence
new world to redress the balance of the old, so it
became necessary to the Republic to recognize and
champion the manhood Of her Black freedmen. Their
perfect Embarrassment is as vital to the Union as to
themselves Without this, the South is source not
of National strength, but Of National weakness.
We cannot give space to an exposure OF The
Timess desterous juggling as TO our" urging Mr..
Lincoln TO offer terms OF pcace nor is that material.
We deal rather with what is living and essential. IL
says:
The TRIBUNE deDounces Coppeheads and traitors
all who advocate the right OF the Southern States 10 repesn
taon Congress- unless they will first consent TO surrender
wholly tho representation OF their coored population
No. Sir! just the contrary is the TRUTH We de-
sire the Southern States TO surrender nothing, but TO
accept epresentation-instant and ample-ior all
their people.-But again:
al" vlfes and denounces all who nov urge the admission
OF loyal men into who for restoring all the
States to the Union on terms Of equal rights and dignity and
without imposing degrading conditions"
All the truth in these assertions is embodied in
the fact that we demand Equal Rights for those who
sought and fought to uphold the Union with those
who did their utmost TO overthrow and destroy it.
The Republic completely triumphant over armed
treason, is asked to say that her sons by whose
bayonets she was saved shall not be put under the
feet of the traitors they oyercame. Can we in honor
ask less