Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-05

haehce you Will readily perceive the propricy of
ciProcatng this confidence; and in spirit of candor
ana ioeraIty OF informing her whether she may dis
mss approximations occasoned by the above extracts
and others Of similar import with which the public press
Us teemng. Yours, respectfully,
RANDOLPH OF ROANOKE.
,,F oR TIE ENQUIRER.
MR. VAN EUREN's COURSE DURING THE WAR OF 1872
Inc charge of Federalism has been frequently pre-
ferred against Democratic Chief Magistrate by the
Federal prints, which at the time strive zealosy
to prove that Harrison is true Republican of the JEFF
ersonian school, The charge is false and their srv
ings vain. MIR. Van Buren, is Rcpublcan-a State
Fights Republican,; and General Harrison is Fedc-
ralIst of the HamItonian stamp To prove these
propositions, is the purpose of these papers The only
grounds, upon which the accusation slandcrously
urged against our President sought to be sustain
by those who assert it, his vote for Mr. Clinton
for the Presidency, his vote for Rufus King for the
United States Senate and far-famed resolution, cir
culaed widely in the Federal papers, purporting to
have been offered by MIR. Van Buren, in Hudson, New
York, declaring the to be "impolitic and nexpcd
ent, and the calling forth the militia in offensive
war to be unconstitutional; and upon these, they rest
the proof that Mr. Van Buren, opposed to the war
/ Each of these grounds shall be examined in order
i |. His support of Mr. Clinton.-The witness to be
called in this is B. F. Butler, Esq, late Attorney
Seneral of the u. S.-authority, which the r.
| Wing must admit to be worthy Of credence That
gentleman, in letter to Hugh A. Garland of Va,
| written March, 1850 says-"The Republican men,
bers of the Legislature Of ~ York, elected in the
spring of 1911, resolved during their session in the
spring of 1912, to meet in convention for the pur
pose Of nominating candidate for the Presidency.
Their numerical strength in the two Houses near
ly hundred. OF this number eighty-seven met in
Convention the Doth of May, 1872, and unanimous
ly nominated Mr.. Clinton. Mr.. V. Buren, not then
member of the Legislature, was he in any way
nected with these proceedings He however, concurred
in the proprety disappearing the nomination (ofMr c.
thus made and accepted by him. and at the session of
the Legislature, held in November 1872 (at which pc
Rod Mr.. V. B. became member of the State Senae,)
in conjunction with majority of the Republican
beers of each branch, he ook decided part in support
Of the Presidential Electors, who voted for
friendly to Mr.. Clinton, and who ultimately gave him
the vote of the State. The Republican members
of the Legislature of 1Sll-l2, who brought for
ward Mr. Clinton as a candidate, had been them
selves nominated and chosen, by the Republican
Electors of the several counties and districts, in the
manner usually adopted in New York, and were con-
sdered the Representatives. Of The Democracy Of the
State. They and their constituents had supported the
Administration of Mr. Jeffcrson and also that of Mr..
Madison in all the great questions of public policy
nected with our foreign relations The great mass OF
them, so far from being opposed to begeren measures
against Great Britain, IN favor OF more decided
policy than had been pursued towards her. In regard
to Mr.. Van Buren,, this peculiarly the case. There
was probably person in the State OF his own age,
who had given efficient support to the measures
of the said Government, during the whole period OF
the restrictive system, than himself. His contempt
rares, of all partes in the lnty of his residence,
night be applied TO witnesses, on this point. lie
was open and decided advocate of all the strong
measures proposed against Great Britain during the
session of Congress of 1Sll-'l2, the included.
Having been born and reared in the town-havlng
been from July 1912 until after the peace, inmate OF
his family, am able TO speak this subject from per-
sona knowledge. No man Of character, acquainted
with his and opinions in 1912, will venture to
assert that he ever expressed doubt to the justice
of the war; or the expedcncy of engaging in il at the
time it was declared.-In supporting the nomina-
ton of Mr. Clinton, Mr.. Van Buren, consulted what
he believed 10 be the wishes of the Republicans of
his State. His efforts, however, were confined to
New York. With those made by the friends OF
Mr. c. in other States he had no concern: and
though in the choice of Electors, MIR {. ultimately
received the votes of the Federal members of the e-
gisature and was also supported by that party in other
States, Mr. Van Buren's relations to it entirely
unaered The hostility towards him Of the Federal
lists party in the county in which he then resided,
was decided and violent, during the year lsl2 as
had been before, afterwards, (ai,rays reiea
less perSsrHtion Indeed, it has never been Withdrawn
nor suspended, from the commencement of his pollti
cal the present day.-Upon the whole, II is
submitted to the Judgment of intelligent and candid
men, that whether the support of Mr.. Clinton was
right wrong, there is nothing in the mere fact OF that
support under the circumstances stated 10 sustain the
imputaiion of Opposition TO the war. AIR Butler
then proceeds "to give summary OF Mr. van buren,
course" throughout the whole period OF the war; $50
i II
Of 1879, he placed on committee TO prepare
reply TO the Governors Speech. This reply "vindi-
Gated the justice of the war, and urged vigorous
prosecution. This" says Mr.. Butler, "yon will OBJ
serve, was at The very session at which Electors
were chosen friendly to MIR. Clinton In an address
10 the Republican Electors of 1872 written by Mr. Van
Buren, he says: "Fellow. citizens your country is at
war and Great Britain is her enemy. Indulge us IN
brief examination OF the which have led TO u;
and brief as from the necessary limits of address
lonn 4 he
convince every honest Of the high justice and m
dspensable necessity Of tie attitude arhch G0uern
ment has takcn of the sacred duty Of ryrea ameri
can to support in that attitude, and Of The parretdat
ricus of those rho rluSc to do So After rapid but
vivid deneaton of the conduct of Britain, he asks:
uWhat was your Government to do' Was she basely
and inplorously to abandon the rights for which you
and your fathers fought and bled: Was she early to
cover the nation which had sought to srangle US IN
our infancy and which has never ceased to retard our
approach TO manhood No: We will not for moment
doubt, that every man who is III truth and TACT an
American will say that WAR, AHD WAR ALoSE, was our
only safety from national degradaion-our only course
I to nationa! prosperity.
/ If Mr.. Van Burens support of Rufus King for the
U. S. Senatc-Mr King it is true was at the first CT.
fort to make election, the candidate OF the Fedora!
party Col. Young the Republican candidate-but
division Of parties between these two gentlemen and
n third Mr. Spencer, defeated election during the
session of lSS-19. In 16l9-20 Col. Young had with
drawn his name from the contest, and Mr. Van Buren,,
having during the year 10 published his "ConsIdera.
lions in ia or of Mr. K election and pressing it upon
the Republican party cast his vote upon Mr. King In
the "Consdcratons, he avowed as his reason for Civ.
inn that gentleman his support the Jealous, decided
and efficient conduct of MIR. King IN prosecution 81 the
war 1t must be recollected, moreover that Mr. King
received the unanimous vote Of the Senate and all the
votes except three, in the lower House.
i III After what has been said with reference to the
first two points under consideration, 1t needless to add
any thing for the purpose Of proving this eputed reso-
luton gross forgery Of some Federal partzan, willing
TO coin falsehoods against whose purity from
political sins precludes the possibility of preferrIng
AGAINST him any well-founded accusation But if any
t5;nu more be sought in confirmation of the unqualified
assertion that this "anti-war resolution was never
offered by Mr. Van Buren, the reader is referred to the
letter of Senator Wright recently published in the En-
quirer.
ACCOMPLISHED The corruption and the falsehood of
i boeb aan aYhibitpl