Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-09-29

/ himself--has he been more constant TO
| INV principle save his interest?
II the Missouri controversy, when
the rights of the South were assailed,
his views oil Office were confined to the
! North, and he cheered on the cry
against you. Now, when the same
rights are in another form. menaced,
but the horizon Of his ambition has
been extended to the South, who has
not marked him, with contempt and
disgust, shrinking, cringing, hcsitating,
palteiing with you in double sense,
and excusing himself upon the plea
that his safety might be implicated,
from forming or from uttering direct,
firm, and manly judgment upon ques.
ton vitality affecting your interests and
the public peace.
The Tdr1f.-When it was about to
come before the Senate in its worst
form, he deprecated any instruction of
his constituents to vote for it, on the
ground that he was already committed
to its support. Secretly in the Senate
he discouraged it, and was expected to
vote against it. To the surprise ofths
Southern delegation, he voted for it
and to complete the shame Of such du-
plicity, his vote is now justified by the
instructions which no declared unne-
cessary.
Internal Improvements By the Gene.
raj Gouernmcnf--Iie voted for in the
instance in which that obnoxious pow
or was carried TO its fiIrthest and worst
extent. But he was not content to be
on one side only, in that controversy.
After his vote was given, and when the
subject was not before the Senate, he
made speech on the other side. Since
then the power has been placed by him
and his adherents upon grounds which
conccde all that its friends desire, and
multiply its mischiefs by converting it
into an engine Of executive patronage
and corruption.
The Bank-So much was no its
friend, that he desired to transfer it
bodily to his own "lmperial City," un-
til its doom was sealed by the people
then he cried out unceasing hostility"
to it.
! TIE Rcmoual Of the Deposites-He
was opposed to in his private mind
but when the President had ordered,
he Of course approved it.
The Van Buren, Committee in late
address have informed you that in the
New York Convention of 1921, called
TO amend the Constitution Of that State,
adopted in 1777, +" an effort was made
to place the free negro upon an equali-
ty with the white man, as he stood un-
der the old Constitution. To this Mr..
V. Buren, was decidedly opposed" &c.
If Mr.. Van Buren, was decidedly op-
posed TO it he has q mode of indicating
hrs hostility peculiar to himself and
which cannot fail TO captivate his nd.
versaries. For the truth is, and we
appeal 10 the Journal Of that Conven-
ton for proof it, that the Committee
on the right ofsuffrage having report
ed in favor Of continuing il to free white
persons, and motion being made to
strike out the word "white," MIR. Van
Buren, voted for the motion, and it pre-.
vailed. The effect of his vote was to
place free negroes upon an equality |
with the white man. Afterwards, at |
the remonstrance of Gen. Root, the |
right of negro suffrage was modified |
with the assent Of Mr.. Van Buren,, by |
requiring property qualification.
On occasion Of this subject, it hap |
pens that Mr.. Van Buren, was singu. !
larry felicitous, for although he both |
spoke and voted, yet for once his vote
and speech were in perfect unison.
The vote is not to be defended by the |
fact that free negroes had right to vote
under the old Constitution. They had |
a right simply because in l777, they
were too inconsderable a class in mum. |
Der to attract attention, they were not
excluded because they were overlooked |
and they crept in without design under
the general terms free persons" In
1871, they had become a numerous
class; they were not overlooked, their
case was for days considered and de.
bated in he Convention, and debated
by Mr.. Van Buren,.
But the vote is infinitely better than
the main defence it. 1t is defended |
chiefly on another ground, the ground
on which Mr.. Van Buren, at the time |
placed it, but which his Committee here
have not ventured to suggest to you.
that ground is, and was, that free ne.
groes being liable to taxation, are
therefore entitled 10 vote. Is this a !
claim, fellow citizens, to which you
will assent? You know that free ne.
groes in Virginia are not only liable to
taxation, but are every year. constantly
taxed. Are you willing they shall
therefore vote with your Are you viii.
ling to give your countenance to a man
who has SO vile an opinion OF the cleo.