The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-06-13

offer may have slight effect, and with some,
none at all; but situated where / have been
enabled to weigh every circumstance with
with reasonable impartialty, / feel Its
force. In all attempts to prove. Harrison
no Abolitionist, and that he would not get
the support of these fanatics no one pre-:
tends to charge the fact that Mr.. Van Bu-
rem stands any chance to get them. They
denounce him in every. print as the slave
of the South; that his son hasmarried the
daughter of an extensive slave holder; that
he is northern man with southern princi-
pies. But / propose to 60 further and
show preponderating difference in favor
of the Northern Democrats, the support
crs of Mr.. Van sBuren.
In the last Congress there were presen-
ted 4,O79 abolition petitions, each petition.
varying as to the number of petitioners:
they contained. Of this large amount of
petitions brought into Congress, will it not
be of some consequence for you to know
in what proportion they were presented
by wings and Democrats? 1t seems-to
me that by it you may at least learn this
fact, who arc the most jealous in their
cause. ] have taken pains to inform my
SELF, and the resul is, that 3,7s6 of that
number were presented by wings and the
remaining 293 by democrats. Will it not
strike the mind of every man at once, the
immense disparity between them? Ano-
ther singular fact is worthy of notice, that
in some of the States, and I mention es-
pecially New Hampshire, where the De-
mocratic party is strong, and where the
whole representation of the state is of that
party, the representatives refuse to pre-.
sent these petitions; and the abolitionists
from those places sendthem to their friends
who come from other States. Of these
4,O79 petitions presented last Congress, the
wings presented from states in which they
did not reside, 1917, the democrats =
These are facts which I can show from
the journals, and give the names Of all
who presented, and the number present.
eddy each. Such circumstances as these
arc met by saying there arc abolltlonlsts
among the democrats, which is no doubt
true, but they are not favored by the de-
mocratic party, while they are courted by
the wings. lam not content to make de-
clarations and endeavor to force yourjud
ments by clamor. This is matter of too
much consequence for me to favor this or
that party, while by so doing / shall be
giving strength to an interest adverse to
your rights. But will continue to state
facts, and you may draw your own con-
clusions, and act upon the responsibility of
your own judgments. Twill not enumer.
rate the many votes given during several
preceding sessions, all of which will show
the same prepondcrating influence of the
wings in favor of the abolition!sts. Twill
submit a few direct votes only. By refer
|ence to the resolutions introduced upon
this subject by Mr.. Pinckney, of South Ca
rolina, one Of them will be found to read
thus: "That, in the opinion of this House,
Congress ought not interfere, in any way,
with slavery in the District of Columbia" "
This resolution passed by vote of 1853
yeas to Al nays. I suppose you would
consider this vote in the negative some ev-
idence that there were men in Congress
who felt that Congress ought to interfere
with slavery in the District Who were
they, and how stood the parties upon this
vote? Of the Al who voted in the mega
tive, AZ were wings, the remaining five
democrats. Mr.. Patton of Virginia, un-
der the instructions, It is said, of a meeting
of Southern members at the succeeding
Congress offered this resolution, viz:
"Resolued, That all petitions, memoir.
ais, and papers touching the abolition of
slavery. or buying, selling or transferring
slaves in any State, District or territory,
of the United States be laid upon the ta-
bic without being debated, printed, read or
referred; and that no further action shall
be had thereon"
Upon the adoption of this resolution;
the vote stands recorded: yeas 122, nays
IA. Among those voting in the afirma-
native, from non-slaveholding States there
were fifty one Democrats and but one
Wing. Mr.. Athenon Oemocrat9 of N.
Hampshire, introduced resolutions, one OF
which was this:
IN al I.i.~- G. t6o