Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1840-06-27

plseI 10 be understood throughout mighty nation
u ON ordinary subjects o. State legislation a eandi-
date Is BOUND" to answer calls tnr avowais o ms
sent men,S, must not that duty be far more impera-
I've when he IS aspiring to the highest Office IA The
Repub.c, and when questions are involved 10 the
contest which menace the integrity Of tie Union
As these inquiries cannot BE- satisfactorily answered,
we are driven 10 the CONCLUSION lhst General Har-
rison is no longer what he was that he has parted
with the open and frank character OF the soldier,
and Is made 10 p-rsoaate the MschIaSetsn sur
rounded L not BY camp guard, by committee
OF safety.
Sl'oe he procaimei himself the "LEApEE" of
The OTpoSuUH,' his sentiments have been solicited
on the disturbing question oil Abolition, by citizens
Of North Carolina, Virginia, New YORK, Alabama,
Illinois, etc. In two or three instances, his Commit
tee of Safety, responded that, as the National Fed
eral Convention had set the example (which has
been followed by the State conventions Of thai par
~ generally tie policy h. that The General make
no further declaration Of his principles for The ps5
iie eye; and when the following ltuer was present.
ed TO him at his residence at North Bend by Two
respectable citizens he said Nothing could III
duce him 10 answer such Undergraduates, coming
from either friends or foes"
LOUISVILLE, April ,, 1910.
DEAR STA; The deslinieS Of nations are occa-
sionally Influenced by factions, at first disregaTded
from whose laborS IN the way Of agitation, Moth
ing is apprehended until they acquire an amount OF
power which cannot be controlled. The history OF
Abosionism in the colonial possessions of Sngand,
may be cited as an ample yerfcaton OF these truths;
and, as it SNOW known that, between the oppo-
nents Of the Institutions of The Southern States of
this Union. in-Europe and America, constant IN
terchange oloFlnIons is kept up, producing identity
Of sYmpathy and OF purpose, the question, which
has for some years disturbed the deliberations of
Congress, and IS beginning to be itlt 10 the Slate
and National elections is manIIesty too importan;
10 be overlooked by the friends OF our glorious
Union.
"ConcurTing in the sentiments ayowed on his
subject by a majority Of the House OF Representa-
lives Of Kentucky, at the late session. we can say
in perfect sincerity that we view with indignation
the attempts of d sect ealing themselves Abolition
iStS 10 disturb the amicsbe relations suhslstng be-
tween the slavchodng and nOn.sIavehodlng States
Of this Tn Oh, and would not by our votes and II
eevatng to Office any citizen allied to that ruthless
faction of misguided fanatics, or concdlng IN their
opinions and plans
"The resolution, the body Of which is quoted
above, passt d by majority Of nineteen; and Il IS
proper to remark that the minority acted on two
grounds in opposing list because it was not in
their opinion sufficiently omprehensye-2nd, be-
cause il stood connected with what they deemed ir-
relevant matter. Both parties, however, joined IN
denouDciug the ruthless faction; both agreed that il
would be improper to elevate any citizen to Office al
he'd 10 that faction and both united IN declaring
their iayories having nothing to conceal. would
promptly ard uneqwgocaiy eapond 10 inquiries adj
dressed TO them, calculated to elicit full exples-
sion OF tier respective sentiments on subject SO
viaIlV important.
"The undersigned believe with portion Of those
who discussed this question in the Legislature of
kpnfupkv af ~ late sis tpS
controlled by clrcumslances-at times impeIled on
ward by currents which are scarcely perceived I'M
til they are bearing downward on their turbulent
bo3oms every thing valuable. They moreover be-
fye, sir, that to the ruthless ianalcIsm Of the Alb
Olillonsis nothing can be successfully opposed save
that love OF the Union which the father Of his coun
try 50 feelnQy lncuIcaled in his Farewell Address,
and which they have reason to hope is still sincerely
cherished by the great mass Of the two great poIt-
cal parties IN the country However widely we
may differ on questions tf policy, or TO the mode
by which we would consrue The Constitution, it is
to be hoped the two parties al least unite in tie
opinion that the happiness, the strength the glory
Of the nation depend Oh the perpetully Of The Union,
and that each Will ever be prepared, through lis most
distinguished MEMBERS or highest pubic functional
nes, 10 avow unqualified repugnance to faction
whose abors obviously tend 10 disturb the AMIGA
bic relations subslslng between the savehoding and
notwithstanding States 1t was, therefore, matter
OF congratuauon, when the friends OF the present
President proposed in the House of Representa-
tyes OF Kentucky, Undergraduates on the subject Of
Abohtionlsm, to him and his distinguished compete
tor that only the form, not the substance Of the pro-
position, was deemed Objectionable by the Wing
majority. They conlended that such call from
such a source, might IMPLY doubt they could not
entertain. For this reason, and this alone, tegtSta-
tire interrogation was opposed aud when remlud-
ed that Mr.. Sherod W.lnams OF Kentucky, had,
in $50, propounded questions on the same subject
to one OF the candidates for the Presidency; (pro-
baby at the suggestion Of the Kentucky delegation
then in Congress y that his inquiries were u!ly an
swered, and that such inquiries would be again res
pended TO- without heSiiallonths wing members
| OF the House, with entire unanimty, pledged them
selves that their avore stood as ready TO respond
now as Mr.. Van Buren, did in 1886, and would re-
| ply as freely and frankly 10 any inquiries which might
| be made Of him We have therefore felt authofz-
cd TO address you this letter and to convince you
that nothing unfair or dlscourleous is intended, we
assure you a duplicate Of the saue has been trans
mltted 10 yoar distinguished competitor.
| I'VE MAINTAIN that the obJecl OF the cesslon oI
| The District 81 Columbia was ~ establish d seat OF
| Government ei the Unltd States, and Tie grant ~
| the Constitution, vi exclusive legislation, must b
understood, aud should always De interpreted, a.
/ having relation 10 the Objtcl u Tic ccss,on. Twas
| so understood BY Maryland aud Virginia, when they
made tie cessiUu--and, for tins reason, we believe,
however broad may be Tie language OF The grant,
there are objections 10 The abolition oi slavery IN
The Distrct, BY Congress, against the wishes oil Tie
! sIayehoding States, as imperative IA their nature
and ob,rstlon, in regulating ihe conduct OF public
men, as the mo-i pagab'e want oi constitutional
power would be-
ave maintain that no power whatever was gran
| ted ~ the General Government with respect " sid
very as Il exists IN lhe Std.es but HAT when re-
| alcs 10 taxation and representation, aud lhe power
TO restore luglIive slaves 10 lhsir la"'ui o"hefs =
that all utner power IN regard 10 The institution OF
slavery was retained exclusively By tie States to BE-
exercised by them seyeraly, according 10 ihsT res
pecllYe views oil their own peculiar interests that
the constitution Of Inc Timed States never would