Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-29

that has long been an object near my hedr 70 sec e
,ciole Of The surplus resenne "pProp's"tG" 20 e''
slaves there appears to be no constitutional
objection TO its being thus applied embracing not
only the colonization of those that may oe
freed bnt the purchase OF the freedom OF otheiS
{. Jealous prosecution of plan formed upon that ha-
sis we mi ht look forward TO day. not lar distant
! g when North American sun would not LOOK DOWN
| mon slave The opinion here aVo"ea, we consi-
der of the most latitudnous and extraordinary cha-
raeter and in the absence OF that otter party excite
ment which now pervades the community, we feel con-
Gdn. in tho belief that he would find but few support.
ers even among the Wings themselves OF our own
State But our opponents, goaded on by relentless a-
fred Of the present Chief Magistrate OF the country,
and their eager desire to gam the are Dna
10 urg;nq on the election of gentleman who - pre-
break down the holy barriers OF the Constitu-
on and to bring this delicate subject under the Jurs-
dicon Of Congress 1t IN vain to talk aboutthe con-
sent of the saveholdng States Congress has no pow
o. 10 apnroprate the public revenue to any other OBJ
;o,s ,Lan those specfed in the Constitution such
as are necessary and proper to carry them into effect
This power is where to be found IN the Constitu-
t;on and of course the consent OF the States can ne
yer give the right but by an amendment OF that nstru-
mani And who is there prepared to give Congress u
rsJ;c,op over this delicate subject, accompanied too
bv power to raise money from our own pockets to
enable them to purchase and COLOMBO our own slaves
In relation the abolition OF slavery IN the District
nc Col,mba Gen Harrison remains to this day. as tar
| ne we are informed, wholly uncommitted and under
circumstances too, which cannot fail to produce strong
susnic;ons of his unsoundness upon that subject IL
has been stated in highly respectable newspaper,
..rhe M;ddleberry Free Press, published in Vermont,
that the following specific call made upon him for
his opinons BY certain gentlemen of that vicinity IN
| The spIing OF 1850:
1st In regard to the constitutional power of Con
g gress 10 abolish slavery in the District of Columbia:
Sd sWhether if elected President, he would sign a
:. bill for the abolition of slavery in that District, in
| one, ono shonld he passcd by Congress.
ID In regard to the constitutional power OF the
Legislature of the free States TO suppress ncendary
| " publications.
TO which enquiries, after much delay, the following
j letter was received:
".rorM Bend, Goth May, 1886.
| Gentlemen--Your letter of the Sth ult. was five
weeks in its passage 10 this place When did arrive
was confined by illness am now fast recovering
and will in few days answer your enquiries iuiiy'
WIN. ii. HARRISON"
But up to this day he has never gwen the answer
promised, far we know or believe, although we are
told he was again respectfully called on for that Pur
pose bv the same Correspondents in the July following
But this is not ALL il is well known to the whole coun
try that no political question of the day has excited
greater sensblity in the public mind or been more ex
tensiyey canvassed than the abolition OF slavery in tn,
District of Columbia Yet, under all these crcumstan
ces, Gen. Harrison stands perfectly uncommltted.-
This silence we are bound to presume is wfu and de
sound upon this subject, or that he IS the candidate
the Abultionsts, and dacs not resist their influence
And if this is already great and he is 50 dependen
upon Them that he is compelled TO be silent upon Thu
interesting subject, what bitter fruits may not
pcc from il in his councils if he should be elected
the Presidency BY their aid. We call, therefore, upor
you as citizens of Virginia, both Wings and Democrats
to pause before you cast your votes in this election;
to require that all mystery upon this subject should b.
dspelled Let Gen. Harrison give the pledge which
NJ has 1 he nluS
90 into the Presidential chair the inflexibc and
/" compromising opponent OF any attempt on the par
of Congress TO abolish slavery in the District of Co
" umbia against the will of the slaveholding States,
and further, thaf Congress should pass such bill
he would veto the same.
But will Gen. Harrison ever give this pledge to thu
Southern States: Will his friends permit it, Will they
assist us IN obtaining from him the iniormation which
is so necessary dsspate the anxiees of the slave
holding States: We dare NOT indulge any such hopes
The Military Chellan is the Candidate Of the Adolf
tionists He was indebted for his success over Mr.
Clay at Harrisburg the influence of the fell spiri
of Abotonism. If he should unfortunately be elecle
President of the U. s., he will the distinction L
the Abolition votes in the great States of New York
Ohio Every sign Of the times; the resolutions latel
introduced into the Legislature of New York on tn
Abolition petitions the sympathetic tone OF the Viii
presses in that State the language Of the AbolitIo
prints in the State of Ohio; their dying the flag of Gen
Harrison at their lcad-sasiy us, that his friend
are counting the votes of the Abolitionsts. VIII Ii
supporters IN Virginia complain OF tins suppositIon
e Then let them it, They have the in the
own hands. In the OF two days, a Wing Con
vention is TO meet in the Capitol of the largest slave
holding State the Union, for the purpose Of further
inc his election Will they take measures to rcmov
our fears Will they interrogate their candidate abou
his intentions No, iellowctzens, they will not ven
ture to demand from him such unqualified pledge
as Mr.. Van Buren, has given to the world. They vii
, not offend the Aholitioniss Of Ohio and New York
Their silence will be more expressive than all on
arguments.
We have presented this view of Gen. Harrison s OPT
Mons much in detail with view to exhibit the con
, trast between himself aud Mr. Van Buren, upon al
those great questions, upon which it will be your du
; to decide. Mr.. Van Buren, is known to be
1st The advocate of strict construction of the Con
stituton of the United States according to the princ
Piles laid down in Madisons Report to the Virginia lie
gislature, in 1899.
I'd. He is opposed TO any Tariff, beyond the wants
: the Government, economically administered.
Sd. He denies the Constitutional power of Congress
over the subject of Internal Improvement in any mod
, whatever.
? 9TH He is uncompromisngly opposed 10 the Bank 0
the U States, both upon grounds Of consttutonalit
: and eypcdency.
5th He explicitly denies to Congress the right to in
terere with the Of Slavery in the States, in
manner whatsocvcr-and is opposed to the abolition
Slavery in the District of Columbia, pledging hmsei
in hs Inaugural Address, to veto any bill which Con
gross may pass upon that subject
9th He is the firm and infexibe advocate ola SCUM,
currency and separation of the Finances of the
try from the controul of the Banks.
His opinions upon all these questions too motto
rious and too well understood to admit Of doubt
They atested not only by his speeches and letters
but by his public acts lie has staked not only his
political reputation, but the Of his adminstra
ton upon them Yet we find men i'll the community
and Southern 'ac too, who profess to entertain all these
opinions, uniting in support of Gen. HARRISON who
four years ago, was so offensive to them upon these
subjects, that they threw away their votes upon Judge
l White.
We have already said, that Mr. Van Buren, was The
firm and nhexble friend Of Independent Treasury
and sound currency, resting upon broad metallic
basis is well known, citizens, that this grea
question has occupied large share of the public at
tenton for the last three years; and that whatever di
versty Of opinion may have heretofore existed upon
the subject, is now very generally admitted that the
American people called on TO decide between the
independent Treasury and Bank of the U. States
These the great competing questions upon th:
branch of our public policy. Mr.. Webster himself ties