Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-07-03
POLITICAL.
Fson saturdays Globe.


letter, through a friend, TO the AholitioniSis OF hassa-
chusctts, was intended 10 bring hlm WITHIN Inc conol-
ticn of the resolution OF the society OF his distric', ana
qualify him 10 receive Abolition votes, according TO the
terms expressed in it. The resolution was az follows
"RcS0frcd, That no Abolitionist can give his vote Tor
either of these men Van Buren, or HaFrIscnl Tor the
Office Of President Of the L. s, without GOOD EvI-
pENcE OF n fundamental chGRgc IN their former views
and practices OH the subject
Mr.. Calhoun expressly alludes to this decision against
Harrison on the part OF his Abolition friends, and then
undertakes to satisfy them by the account he gives Of
Gen. HarriSon's letter 10 Evans, that he had seen N u
tgood cridcacC to induce a reconsideration OF their re.
solve. He tells them that he has seen aletter from the
General, which renders the doings of The AntI-siarcry
Convention at Springticld-their resolution denonncing
Gen. Harrison in his opinion quite premature.
When the Massachusetts convention o. &DolItionists
met TO nominate a Presidential electoral H. get, the cues.
ton arose whether the indications throw ut Ey iiar-
risnn TO catch Southern votes, should prevent the con
vention from directn its efforts to his advancement.
The Boston Post gives the following account Of the con
rcntion, and lis debate on this point:
"The convention was called by the political AbolI-
tlonIsts Of tins State, for the express purpose OF noInI-
mating an Abolition electoral ticket. 1t was presided
over by The Hon. WIN. Jackson, an ardent Wing, and
recently Il member of Congress from District No. p
The question under discussion was the Abolitionism Of
Gen. Harrison. a portion OF the members of the con
ventiOn were for a separate organization, and another
portion desired 10 Il bring the Abolition force to the sup
port o' Gen. Harrison. On this point the discussion
mainly turned.
Md If Debnfc IN tie abolition COarcnii0n.
A member OF the Convention, Mr.. S%palding, it was
understood, a lawyer, said that he was a Wing Adolf
ZIONIST, and was opposed to any course being taken BY
the Convention that wonid endangcr the election Of
Gen. Harrison. \ nomination Of distinct Abolition
ticket OF electors, plcdgcdt TO Mr.. B,Tney, he sad, would
Injurc The Wing cause, because the .Abol,t;onstS were
generally Wings, and snCl 4 ticket world draw more
rom liarrison's votes than from Van Burcn's. lie be-
lIcvcd, and as far as lie understood the views OF the
Abo!itiouists generally, they believed, that there was 4
choice Of evils between Harrison and Van Buren,, and
that Harrison was better for them than Van Buren,, be-
cause The Wing party was the friend Of Aboltionsu,
and the Democratic party opposed it. The Wings in
Congress who supported Harrison, had generally voted
against the gag law, while the Democrats had carried
it by their votes. This, he sad, would determine his
course. We Say, continued Mr. S that there IS a choice
for Aboliiionists, between the two candidates Of the
great parties, and why, then, when 1t was certain that
llr. Blrncy could not be elected, should the Abolition.
lists, by a separate nomination., draw votes from llarri-
son, BY inkIng the large proportion OF Abolitlon's,S IN
the Wing party, and thus strengthen Ir. Van Buren,:
The vo.cs iur Mr.. ErneY must come from the Wings,
II at al, and this would defeat the Wings. THIS, as a
friend 10 Abolition, he could not consent to.
Mr.. +. Wright, IT,, replied that Harrison was certain
ri the Electoral vote o! Massachusetts, II the Aboli-
tion.sts wen, for MIR. Biracy. The parties III Massa-
c!usctts were 50 nearly divided, that the AbolrtIoniSis
could prevent a choice of Electors, because 1t required
4 i majority. II would then 20 to the legislature. That
would be Wing, and could elect the Harrison Electors;
and he did not despair, that in that event, the Abolition
Electors might BIZ chosen. lie repealed an IntInatlon
that a separate nomination would aid Van Buren,
None bot an insane man, he sad, would suppose that
the Van Buren, men have set us on.
lir. Lcavitt Of New York (edito: Of the EmnnciPa-
tor, who had previously spoken with decided condem-
nation Of Mr.. Van Buren,, rs pledged utterly against
Abolition in all lis forms, said that he vas open and
plain N his course, while Harrison was aiming secretly
10 gain the slave States, b. s~crvil'ty TO the South and
the Northern A.aolitionists BY confidential professions.
IL was now well known that letters trcm HARRISON, with
,nt"'.t;"nn ~ scCIr"., i"L I"e" privately circulate! at
the South ever since Harrison was a candidat" IN $50,
picdniug him 10 the shareholders. John VI. Brrri"n of
Georgia had n private letter from Harrison in l-5O, on
The slave SIDE, u Nj. -[ilos III" nanel Of Louisiana
or Alabama, had another of these secret pledges to
lnc South. Mr.. Rives, or some friend Of his, had
another. These letters were concealed until after
The Harrisburg Convention, where, by another pro.
cess, the votes of Aholitionists in that body were
secured for the nomination of Harrison and Us
soon as that was done and the nomination acccdcd to
by AnGI!lionists nj the Moth, we then find the Wing
avclclders in Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Ne, rally.
inc TO the support al Harrison, on the ground that he
was more to hc relied on for slavery than Van BGren.
Tie believed that more recently ether secret pledges,
by private letters from General Harrison or his friends,
had been, or would be-, circulated among Southern
Wing Shareholders, which would prOhrbly cone 10
Light, and upon winch it was relied to rally the South
for his support. Mr.. RIvcs, or some friend Of his, had
undoubtedly got such a letter. This, and this only,
could account Tor the recent rally Of the Wing party at
The South, upon Harrison. The South, he believed,
would eventually and that soon, change its position
from the Jriirrsomian doctrines, IL hey were called, OF
l79S, and 30 iora high tariff and a National Bank, with
a view 10 strengthen the slave power; aud therefore he
DID not rely upon their past opposition 10 these Inca-
surrs to induce them to oppose Harrison now, ii they
could depend on his pledges 70 their paramoun prIuc,-
pie, slavery, By which they could plumber the North
Eu, they must be sure Of that. and this accounted for
Harrison opposite course at the North and South.
This was one side Of the picture. He meant 10 be
impartial, for he regarded neither party, and looked
upon both as tine enemy of Abolition. While these
secret pledges 10 slavery were circulating al the South,
the opposite opinions were confidently aScribed 10 Har.
risOE at the North, TO secure the AbolItioHis;s. Tbs
double process Of concealment had been carried on
with considerable success b. Harrison himself. lie
(AIr. LeavitD knew the fact that Harrison, since his
recent Nomination., and before, had gained Innch cf
their favor aud confidence in his personal Intercourse
with tie Aho!itionisis Of Cincinnati. He had visited
the anti-slavery roomstherc, and had led many true
hearted Ajolr,:onists 10 believe lie was with them in the
great work of emancipation. Charles Hammond, and
even Mr.. B.rnry himself had been deceived by this
course, and had had 4 blndage put over Their eyes
Delegates To the American Anti-Slarcry Convention
had pledged themselves TO that convention, that larti.
son was fully committed 10 anti-slavery. Mr.. Gates
VI -NtH YIN Va " nv siNit 'N'iibt' VI SD'-i'S'J
had written a letter, which he (Ir. LeavIttl had seen,
affirming, from facts within his knowledge, that Harri.
son had changed his opinions on Abolition since his
speech at VIncennes, and his Cbeviot Grafton, which IS
quoted By Mr.. Riycs in his letter to the Eirginians, to
prove Ilnrrisom's pro-slaycry.
Mr.. /. said this was not the first time that Harrison
had courtcd the Abol!t!onrsts. After his vote IN Con-
gress for the admission Of Missouri in lr:2, he vent
home, and to conciliate the hbolitionists, whose influ.
cnce then was suiiiclentto de feat liz election, he wrote
4 letter, in which he made it a merit with them that al
The age Of eighteen he was an hbol;tionist, and a mem
her Of an Abolition society. This j row used 70 make
him an A.bolitionist at tie North, while at the Sout" i
is explained by the Shareholders, in private letter.
from IIarrisnm's friends, # not from himself, that u
meant only the abolition of the slave trade.
Such was the course Of General Harrison, to carry
the South and the North. Van Bnren relied on party
machinery TO carry the North. and a subserviency to
slavery 10 secure the South. But he at least had no
concealmcnt of his opinions. Van Buren, stood on but
one side of this question. .Abolitionists knew him as
an open opponent; but Harrison was trying to stand on
both stands. He had descended 10 a lower deep. H.
mir. L. could vote for neither. Both were unworthy
,he votes of frecmen: but h. preferred an open enemY