New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-03-28

t,o rrooross of tbe Anti-Slavery idea. Slavery
was sunrcme in the land il marshaled the
armies it directed the navies; II had the GOV
eminent under its heel. President after Presl-
dapt went into the White House with the
SIovobolder,s collar around his neck. Nothing
confronted il but miserable and half -frOzen
idea in the North; but that idea was the soul
of the Republic-the idea Of the equality OF
men. A few years passed, and behold 1t null
tiplied itself into voters, 1t conquered State alter
State il transformed itself into armies, till the
South heard the cannon of the North proclaim
it in a hundred battles, and Slavery fell dead
Mt the feet of the Abolitionist when Lee sur
rendered his sword TO Grant.
When the Republican party championed the
idea of freedom, success followed as the night
the day. 1t was destined to advance until that
idea should be wrought into every fiber OF the
Government Had it not been the slave or
necessity there would not have been civil
war in America and the politicians who now
seek to control it will find that Canute could
as easily stop the On-roling sea rs they unit IT'S
career. In the Fremont campaign OF 1906 lew ne
pubcans imagined that inseven years their party
would sweep Slavery from the land lhefe
are many men now who cannot understand that
Republicanism cannot perish till impartial SUI
frage is established in every State. Their argu-
ments tend to prove that it has exhausted It's
force and is drawing near to its decline. For
10 party can long continue to exist when II
has nothing left to do. We beiiere IN the he
publican party because its purpose is unaccom-
plished If we look at its career simply as an
abstraction, divesting ourselves of all sympathy
afxraf hnt ia
embodiment and instrument of one great idea.
And what is that That all men are created
free and equal. To determine whether the
Republican party approaches the hour OF its
defeat it is only necessary to ascertain if it has
carried out its principles. to their logical con-
cusions Two-thirds of the way it has gone,
and party which has done so much, so swiftly,
and against such terrible odds, cannot be turned
back within sight of the goal. We cannot pre-
tend that it has fulfilled its mission so long as
an American citizen is forbidden to vote IN
New York or Pennsylvania solely because he
is black Observe how we started: Slavery
shall not be disturbed where it exists; it shall
90 no further; the Territories shall he free !;
fugitive slaves shall not be hunted on North
ern soil Then came EMAYCIPATIoN--the one
NlCtOlJ Oh lnc wall NIIOSC tihH9N'h"'"' '''r''N
ness throws into shadow even Vicksburg, Chat
tanooga. and G Gettysburg. The Republican party
followed this step by tho gift OF the ballot to
every freedman in the South. The ballot to
the colored citizen of the North is yet to be be-
slowed, and cannot be withheld. When We
declare freedom the nalenable right of every
man we also assert his equality before the law
For unless men have equal rights Slavery has
all the justification it needs. If the negro Is
not fit to vote he is not fit to be free and the
only choice of the American people IA this
suffrage for both races or seryitudc for one.
If the idea of the Republican party were
false or superficial il could not have tri-
umphed so far. Its success proves that its
rise and growth is as truly great move
ment of the human race as was the Refor-
nation or the French Revolution. This proved.
the perfection OF its destiny is but question
of time So long as it has work to do it is idle
to talk of its decay. When its great central
principle is universally established, then, but
not till then, may there be danger of its de-
cline and fall.