Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-09-29

10
IA death and worse than death, BY the savage ycs al
the BRUTAL negro II is truc this terror has subsidized
but the same fanacu spirit which produced II IS now
more active than ever. We have recently read Of
the meeting Of the Worlds Abolition Convention III
! London where our country attacked III the most
violent and vulgar terms, and where the assembled IA
Mates determined that the Constitution OF the Y 5 was
i no barrier against Abolition Foreign influence has
thus been brought to bear directly upon tis question
and tho FOREIGN world is pledged favor of thC
Aholtionists The danger never was greater than a
tho nrescnt moment. On this vita! question, and .
this important crisis, wha; IS the position OF Gen a
r;son, There was God among the ancient Romans
called Ionus who had two faces; and has Gcnern
Harrison in regard to Abolition. With the he
smiles mon the Southern Shareholder; and with the
other Re casts bengnan look upon the Northern Abo
lit;onst He writes one letter 10 Mr. Lyons ut Rich
mond to satisfy the people OF the South; whilst he
addresses another TO MIR Evans Northern Abolition
member of Congress, for the purpose of proptatIng
the Aboli,onsts Of the North He strictly enjoned
that neither OF these letters should be furnished for The
nnbl;c eve The STAKEHOLDER disregarded the njnnc
ton and published the letter directed TO him, whilst
the Aboiionst has obeyed it; but has been secretly
circulating Gen. Harrison letter to him among the
Aboltioniss and Abolition Societies of the North fol
the nnrpose of concating their favor.
No man who occupies this ambiguous position upon
, question Of such vital importance-no man who is
either ashamed or afraid TO declare, that he would veto
any hill TO abolish slavery in the District of Columbia,
as Mr. Van Buren, has done, is worthy TO preside over
the American people. Whilst Gen Harrison is writ
mo nrvate letters the North and the South the
East and to the West adapted to every merdan when
he is publicly called upon for his opinion the Abol-
ton and other questions of the last Importance TO the
American people, he stands mute aud refuses to
swer And this gentleman is the sort OF candidate
which the Wings offer to you for your support!
Now let me call your attention 10 branch of the sub
iect which is vital and essential 10 the existence of H.
berry. The very of Republican, Government
in frank and honest public av"wa Of the po-
! ca principles of every candidate for Office and 4
strict responsibility Of all public officers to their constI-
tuents
] We, as Democrats do not support Mr. Van Buren,
for the Presidency simply because we know hun to be
great and good but because, III voting for hun,
we know that we are sustaining our own principles
This is the only reason why we are trccmcn, and not
man worshppcrs. :" Principles and not men is our
motto. And how support principles, II the can
didate for the highest office IN the git of the people
fuses declare his opinions questions essential 10 our
peace and happiness It's pride and our boast that
our candidate has, every suitable occaslon made a
public avowa of his principles. Now how is II with
Gen. Harrison:
The Harrisburg Convention made no declaration of
their principles for the public eye. THIS would have
been imposSiblc To have made such an attempt
would have been TO break that body into fragments.
Not to comment upon other vital differences of OPT.
mon amongst its members; let me advert 10 one or
two. Morgan's ghost still walks unaven~ed amongst,
Us. and the AnttmasonIc parilZanS OF Harrison and
ton To Law the troubled spirit. THIS the Masonic
Wings would have rejected with Indignation. Again:
the Southern Wings would have required the ndop-
ton OF resolution against Abolition, and especially
against the Abolition of Slavery in the District OF Co.
Iunbia and this, the very State house, where but
three years before, Joseph Ritner, message tie
Legislature, had warmly advocated the Abolition OF
Slavery III the District, and the rejection o.! the appl-
cation of any State Tor admission INTO the Union
where slavery was tolerated Riinrr and Stevens,
and iI,nr 1k, tirp1 t IN.
suit They would have pronounced the adoption ." such
a resolution as Joseph Rlner did the conduct Of the
Democratic Senators and Representatives 10 Congress
from tins State, III the session OF $50, 10, as bow
ing Of the knee 10 the dark spirit of slavery" This
question must be passed in silence or the SHADES
OF The North and the Wing Shareholders 81 the South
could never have united IN sweet communion IL tear
down Administration pledged in the mos, solemn
manner 10 snsain the rights OF the South An, attempt
by the convention TO declare their principles would
have produced confusion contoundca Instead of
principles therefore, they thought il best TO the
people with hard cider and with spectaclcs of log
bins and coon skins.
A conceamen oihcir principles from the public eye
is therefore the fundamental principle Of the present
Wing party. The Convention 'decmed it mpoltc,
at the then crisis, publish ny general declaration Of
the views OF the great Opposition party. Their can
ddac has identified himself with this principle, and
his confidential committee has expressed the hope that
their friends would ever where the nomination
OF General Harrison .cth something ahjp 10 ,fcrguS
confidence"
''Gcngrous confidence This is language unknown
to the vocabulary of frecmcn Liberty is iespcrGn
fruit and Gun only be preserved by wa,chfu jealousy
Generous confidence, thus applied, utter subycr
sion of til" principles of our Government The strict
responsibility Of all public agents to their constituents
is the OF the tree OF liberty. Every usurpcr
who has ever BETRAYED the Of the people has de-
manded and received this generous confidence. When
before in the history OF THIS country, did candidate for
the highest office dare to stand mute when Intercepted
bv the people npon questions vitay affecting their dear
est interests; When did Convention ever before assem-
BILE in free and enlightened America, which was either
afraid or ashamed 10 avow its principles, Suppose
candidate before you for Congress- and after ask
ing his opinion on question affecting your interests,
he should inform that he had determined 10 make
declaration OF principle for the public eye, bat trnst
ed tina; you would treat him with generous confidence
what would be your indignant feelings, rvccrying
such answer Would you not treat him with scorn
and contempt, and spurn the idea Of giving him your
votes: And how much greater is the insult offered to
the American people when candidate for the highest
office earth determines 10 stand mute: Truly
have reached and alarming in history
The language of Gen. Harrison is ''you must be
stow generous confidence upon and believe that
shall do all things for the best The candidate for
the highest Office in the world thus plays the part Of
Gen. Mum. \ principle OF this kind is absolutely de-
structive OF all Republican liberty. If the People Of
this country should at the next election elevate Gen
Harrison 10 the Presidency, precedent will then br
unuer cover OIL WnlcH men VIII he
thing and their principles nothing. The People will
be hoodwinked; and when they ask for avowal of
principles they will be informed that their candidate
is hero, and will be offered drink of hard cider
Such insulting conduct only proceed from
who believe that the people are their own worst
mes, and are incapable of governing themselves.
They boas, that the Baltimore Convention was al
tended by fifty thousand people, though this is vast ex
aggeraton Of the number. Such Convention Of free
men assembled from every portion of the Union 10
co"s"h togcncr upon affects Of great naLonoI import
dncc, and TO prcsS tier opinions rouid lure been
sublime and imposing spectacle But far different
their purpose. They followed in the footsteps Of Gen
Harrison. They avowcd no principles they adopted
resolutions 1t n ridiculous pageant from first
10 last and must have mortified to the soul every friend
of his country who present al The spectacle Log
cabins hard cider, and 1ippecunoc songs, suhSt
tutcd for grave dcliberaton. Ii twas ilagranl attempt
degrade in order that they miGht dec"v" ID" people
| VIVA, must be the feelings of the friends Of liberty
i'll other lands, who are now grooming under tyranny
and oppression, upon pernslng history of these pro-
ceedingsa We spectacle for all other natons-a
rainbow Of proms"-a chosen people, to whose hands
Providence has entrusted, in great degree the dest-
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