Year: 1859

The New York Herald believes-or says
it does-that the Harper's Ferry outbreak Is
legitimate result Of the "irrepressible con-
fiet" doctrines of VIM. II. Seward, and that
il is In accordance with his celebrated Roeh
ester programme. Upon this test we have a
few remarks to make. We do not think that
the persons concerned in the Harpers Ferry
insurrection were melted to it by any Oh
servations that Mr. Seward may have made
in his Rochester speech or in subsequent sim,
lar speeches. Had he never made those
speeches the same event would have occurred
1t was but a manifestation of the spirit which
pervades the Abolidonists Of the North, and
which has long prevailed among them. They
believe in the absolute emancipation of the
slaves, whether by peaeeable legislation or
violent and bloody insurrection. But we do
think that Mr.. Seward, in announcing the
proposition that all the States of the Union
must either be free or slave, and that there
was a natural and inevitable antagonism be-
tween the North and South, advanced n step
further than the Republican party had pre-
viously advanced, and occupied, to the extent
of that step, Abolition ground A few more
such steps by the great leader and his follow
ers will wholly abolitionize the Republican
party, and prepare it for a full endorsement
of just such outrages as the Harper's Ferry
insurreetion


The lrrepressible Conflict doctrine is
dangerous doctrine. There is woe in it anC
blood. But it is no worse than the extrem


Southern doctrine, against which Mr.. Doug


las is now eontending. We fully believe tina
the present is the turning point of America
destiny. The hand upon the dial points t
/ the hour and the minute which shall decid
the fate Of the American Union. and tina


hour is near at hand. Turn wherever yoJ


will, and there is no neutral ground between
the great contending sections but that occu-
pied by Senator Douglas and his supporters
! Everywhere else there is turmoil and confu-
sion pickering and strife. 1t remains to be
seen whether the Democracy of this Union
will stand upon that ground. Should it re-
| iNSN w w eSf anu wear SOlIl W say Auitb pEo
dgious efforts are being made to bring about
such result. we firmly believe that the
peace of the country is gone--the last ground
of reconciliation is swept away-the "irre-
pressible conflict" has begun-men who were
once friends politically and personally are
arming for the battle Upon the floors Of
Congress will it begin and upon the field Of


personal conflict will it end. Then, indeed
will it be simple question, as Mr.. Seward
says it now is of whether the North or the
South should rule the country, and whether
the States of the Union shall all be free or
slave. We say, land we believe it, let the
syeophants of power say what they will J
that the only safety of the country, the only
solution of the mighty difficulty, now i'm
pending over the nation, lies in the Douglas
doctrine of non.intervention by Congress
with the domestic affairs of either States or
Territories, and leaving the people to regu-
late their own proper concerns for themselves.
We do sincerely believe that the day which
sees this doctrine rejected, sounds the knell
of the Republic.