The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-05-30


and if requested to name and point out that which
is worthy of opposition, they will descant lout
and long upon reasons! which have no more to Dc
with the question involved than the Koran has
with the prcccpts of the Christian Religion.
Here follows the extract of Mr.. Becnes letter,
appended to which the correspondence referred to
between the Union Association" and Gen. Har-
rlson's committee" may be found. Compare
them! IT'S all we ask, He says -
Here Knight close, and the length to which
my letter is already extended, admonishes
me that it is time: but as the Wings de-
nounced Mr.. Van Buren,, our Democratic
candidate for the Presidency, | will ask
permission to say few words respecting
his qualifications for the office of President
the United States.
was once prejudired against him;
had heard him abused, and had not ,-
amined his character. But when Judge
White began to show signs of lng his
old Democratic friends, anT yoag into the
arms of Clay, Harrison Webster, and
Bell, began strict eXaglinauon. All per-
sons admitted thathe had talents of first or
der. His enemies admatcd.at, Bat they
contcnded that heoaaa dsted; that
he had been on allsides % u d stions, and
that he was such d "Mafician, that you
couldnover knowaly thii about him, I'M
til you were undore, andl to crown all OBJ
ections, he was Federalism. | heard il
all. prosecuted my inquiries. Jackson
was his triend--I Knew thatthis great and
good man must have bee convinced that
he was wise and honest, or that he would
never promote his yiews for so high an
office. The documents and history of the
country were then exalnined, and as |
proceeded forward, he Clouds gradually
removed. He had been friend of Mr..
Jefferson, and supportedhi. administration;
he had been the leading member of the
Legislature Of his own Stae IN giving aid
in prosecuting the ate ar with Great
Britain; he had supported the leading
m '''0' .. Nli'-'id' ,son Administration;
all his public acts hal aeco,dea 3 ;,h the
principles of the Delnncr ,sry from
| the foundation OF oln Goy4,,oynen, he had
loppqsed the Bark Of the pn;,ea ,tates--.
1T nst Improvements ss by Inc General Gov
crnneut-z and hsd oTIt55s y jIatstsitssS se.rfs''
Of 1928, under nis'rtssi Afs from bus STATE
Legislatures; he had been Attorney Gener-
al and Governor of New York; he had
been a Senator from his State in the Con-
gross of the United Satisfactorily OF
State of the United Staes-Minlster Plenl-
potentiary to London-and was at that
time the Vice President of the United
States. In all his public acts he had been
governed by the Constitution OF the Uni
ted States, as expounded by Jefferson and
Madison, in the Virginia and Kentucky
resolutions of l198-'99, and as had been
acted on by the Democratic party from
the foundation Of our government. | had
heard him somuch abused, that | almost
doubted the result of my own Judgment,
in coming to the conclusion that he was
not only a wise and good man, but that he
wasJa sound Democrat Of the Jeilersonian
school. There vine 49, circumstance
which gave me great confidence in his
dear judgement and sterling integrity. 1t
WAS this: he had been the son OF a poor
man-he had been irregularly educated;
and yet, from his native talent, persever-
ance, and integrity, he had conquered the
aristocrats of the county, filled all the
important offices in his own State with
credit to himself and advantage to the
country, was then Vice President of the
United States, and a prominent candidate
for the Presidency. My confidence was
here complete, with the exception of the
question of slavery.
| had heard it so often asserted that he
was an Abolitonists, that feared there
was something wrong in this part OF hr
character. This was in 1886, and devel
opements were then not fully made upol
this subject, so far as they hadcome undo
my notice. In this state of mind, hi
: letter to the North Carolina Committee
} and that of Mr. Butler, reached me. Nhsl
: the first arrived, shall never forget tn
: scene. The enemies of Mr.. Van BWe
were around me at the post office, dcscan
ting loudly on his Abolition tenets, an
his non-commital character, which shror
dec every thing in relation to him IN my'
terry. ! opened the document saw whi
1t was, and commenced reading to tn
crowd around me. Knowing glance
:, We're exchanged among his revilers on TN
! subject, until had proceeded few par'