Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-08-18

article ON Friday last
MR.. VAN buren, AND THE ABOLITIONiSTS
owe find the ing paragraph in that pro6igate
Journal the N. York Evening STIR:
he R' hmonl EnGuirsr, Richmond Nhs SC. Sc. full Of
lonJ lamentations nveevss against the apsc aud inn
me, mediate SS9 Y Of If. ,es NS' Well dear fellows whats
you sao - "a Ir c,SOD1rs VI ms Aolriorsr' and secretly
"We are perfectly of the worthlessness of the
oCthis shameful caumny, and that denial of it
before intelligent People, who understand and csti-
mate The views OF public mcii, can scarcely he
We aludc TO it, indeed rather illustration OF the
desperate resorts of the Opposition press than as mat
ter entitled to formal contradictions
Nothing can be xpcit than the opinions of Mr..
Van Buren, on this subject and freely promulg gated
these opinions have been, IL requires ordinary degree
OF assurance to represent him he Candidate of the
Abolitionists' More than year since in reply to a
letter acquanting him of an attempt by the congcnial
associates of the Star, "to impose upon the public
specng the question of slave property in the Southern
States he said "lhc subject is my judgment, excu
sivey under the control OF the State Governments aud
am not apprised, nor do believe that contrary OPT
nion TO extent deserving consideration
IN any part of the United States. The charge there
lore to which you have had the goodness call my
enti0n, that 'am in favor of interference by Con-
gess IN manumttng your slave property, is destitute
OF foundation; so Tar from IT. do not see on what
thority the General Government could interfere, with
out change in the Constitution even the instance
OF one all of the Save-hod:ng States" Sub
scquenty, Mr.. Wright, our Senator in Congress
having been appealed 10 by several members of the
Legislature of Virginia for Mr. Van Bnrep's con-
tlmens on this subject replied, ''The Constitution of
the United States does not in the opinion of Mr. Van
Buren give Congress the right TO interfere with the
he would consider it highly impoc for that body to
pass law aboshing slavery in the District of Column
bia Again: MIR. Butler, Attorney General of the u
states, IN reply 10 letter from Hugh A. Garland Esq
OF Virginia. alluded TO and affirmed these statcne nts
orying his lucid and unanswerablc exposition by facts
showing That IN this respect there scarcely shade of
difference among the greut of the intelligent and
rejecting people ofthc Middle and Eastern States; and
mat the substantial operative and controlling sentimen mt
oil the North, is that this is matter belonging ex.
clusivcly TO the Stnesth0t Congress lin the language
of Mr. Webster) had no power 10 interfere in the emon
Of
the Staes-and that the sbors of the aboltonjsts and
,her followers are as unsound, consttuonay and legal
~ as thcy are impoc and pernicous, reference both
TO the interest of the slave and the welfare the COM
mnnity Ii was we'll understood, ALSO these express
sons OF the opinions of MIR Van Buren, far as they
were not directly from himself received distinctly his
authority and sanction Under these circumstances it
required we repeat more than ordinary impotence and
prohgacy TO stgmatze him the candidate of the abo-
nuohists; and every body knows with what alacrity
the editor of the Evening Star complies with requsi
uon upon qualities of that sort.
"Bu there another view of this matter which xhih
ats the nature of this calumny in light of still greater
iniomy The abolitionss as body are far from being
the political friends of Mr. Van Buren, The mass Of
them their sinister and anatcal leaders especially arc
among his most vindictve opponents. They are The
political friends and associates of the New York Evening
Star, and the United States Telegraph In spirit Of
decentralization which characcrzes the entire course
OF the opponents of the Administration they are among
me oudest and widest disclaimers for personal and po
itca freedom, and at the among the most
eefaI OF the adversares the democracy and popular
rights and among the of those who would fe
ter and restrict the freedom of opinion.
" We Will add single remark, and that is that a resi-
dent ~ the NOTth who attempts excite the feeling of
OF another section of the Union against candidate Inv
falsely Proclaning him 10 be "secrety the Northern can
oldae, VIII; we are persuaded. be rightly estimated,
MOI only al Inc South, but in every quarter the Re-
public In what light would the frank and intelligent
people OF the South view of their own residents
VINO should attempt TO create prejudice at the North
against acanddae, by insdiously assuring the peonle
OF that section that he hc candidate of The South?
surely The question needs hands nor il
II necessary on the part OF the friends of Mr. Van Blu
rem to dsclan altogether these sectional distinctions
una TO claim for hun the support of all who seek an ad
ministraton OF the government upon grounds consist
eht with The constitutional rights and social welfare of
the entire Union"
If, therefore, repeat it were formidable in itself
anu caPaDic OF carrying out its designs in partial de.
gree would be productive only of injury and prendcc
TO the slave we'll to the white, popnntion Lo,b "A
the South and the North The articles which we COM
to-day from The Northern and Southern Journals and
le prevalent expression among all classes of citizens
are suihcent evidence of this But the Abotousts are
not formidable in themselves The great body of the
people at the North are not with tle-tliey are ctn
Phatically against them They comparatively hand
loi-nolsy, busy and zcaious admit; but poweress
and weaponless and do essential harm excrpt no
they are magnhed into consequence by sinister partisan
representations IL is perfectly true, that majority
OF the people of the North would resist the
and aims of this wild and wicked scheme of fnaticsm
South. - ~
The assertion that Mr.. Van Burcns opinions arc ,o,.
cocai upon the question Of abolition 10 eounlIv ma fi
as the other assevcraiious of the Atlas More than a
year since, IN reply 10 letter acquantng him of an at
tempt impose upon the public respecting the question
VI
Inc SUBJECT Is, IN my Judgment, eEciusiecIy under
the control OF the State Governments; and I am moi
apprised nor do believe that contrary opinon Ia nm
extent deserving consideration, is entertained in anv
part of the United States The charge therefore to
which you have had the goodness call my attention
that IAN in favor Of interference by CONGRESS in
nanuin.tng your slave property destitute Of foun-
datOn far from it, 10 on what authority the
general government could interfere with change of
the Constitution, the instance either or all Of
the slave holding States"
Further than this, Mr. Wright, member of the United
States Senate from New York, and Mr. Van Buren's
confidential friend having been appealed to by several
members of the Legislature of Virginia for Mr. Van
Burens sentiments on this subject, replied
"Ihe Constitution Of the u States docs not in the
opinion Of MIR Van Buren, give TO Congress the rcbt
10 Interfere with the relation between master and slave
in any of the States and he would consider IL bgbIv
polite for that body 20 pass law abolishinp slayery
in the District Of Columbia"
"Again, says the Albany Argus, in commenting noon
this same point, MIR Butler Attorney G General of
v niled States in reply to letter from Hugh Garland
Esq OF Virginia, alluded to and rc-airmed these state.
inents iortyIng his lucid and transferable exposition
by facts showing that in this respect there is scarcely
shade oil difference among the great Of the intc
gent and rejecting people of the Middle and Eastern
States and that The substantial operative and controlling
sentiment of The North is that this is matter BELONGING
exclusively 10 the Sntcs-that Congress Gn the Ian,
guage oil Mr. Wcbser) has power tn Interfere i'm the
emancipation OF Slaves, or in the treatment Of then, i'm
any oil the Staiesand that the labors of the abooosts
and their followers unsound constutionav and
legally as they are inpO!r aud pernicous in reference
both to the interests OF the slave and the welfare az t
community IL was well understood also that those =
Pressious Of the opinions Of Mr. Van buren, so far ~
they were not directly from himself received distjnc0v
ms authority and sanction Under these circumstance