Litchfield enquirer., 1843-03-23
Mr.. SHADES LETTER.
Washington, March 24th, 1912.

er at the South as well as that Of the free la
borers of the North, will be promoted, at the
present juncture of our national affairs, by
running third party ticket at the elections
now taking place.
If / felt at liberty to decline an answer to
this question, should certainly do it at the
present moment but | entertain too mn"H
respect for yon, and too decided an aversion
to any concealment of my views upon any
subject to permit it.
/ have hitherto expressed and still enter
tain the opinion, that the cause OF emancl-
patton would be better promoted by throw
ing the weight of abolition influence, as far
as possible, into all the parties that divide
the country, rather than to attempt, by an
organization entirely independent, to gather
a party band, exclusively upon the ground
of the abolition of slavery. cannot overlook
these interests deeply as abhor and detest
slavery and firmly as | am resolved to OPP
pose it, and to labor to the end of my life for
its destruction. An independent abolition
party will, almost of necessity, overlook
them, except as they are involved in the
question of slavery; they are interests OF pre-
semi, pressing Importance. Action upon them
cannot be postponed. Though the abolition
of slavery would undoubtedly remove one of
the great and leading causes of the financial
evils which now press upon the country, yet
it is evident that Legislation must reach and
remedy these evils long before slavery can
be abolished, or there will be destruction
of confidence, arrangement OF currency,
and prostration Of industry, Which must in
vove the North and the South, the East and
the West abolitionists, slave holders, and
all in one common ruin
For one, cannot act, either as Repre-
sentative of the people, or as freeman at
the ballot box, without an immediate re-
spect to these great questions. l must en-
deavor in some way, while am laboring to
advance the cause of abolition, to act, at the
same time, with view their speedy and just
settlement. How shall do this will often
be matter of considerable difficulty to de-
termne But that difficulty does not absolve
me from the obligation, as Representative
of the People, and as one of the people, to
endeavor to perform the complex duty.
Especially do feel restrained from disre-
gardng this duty, in reference to the great
pending questioned a protective tariff, mas
much as that question involves so directly
the question between labor of freemen and
the labor of slaves.
Slavery looks with jealousy at the pros
perity which the universal, untiring industry
of the North gives it over the unproductive-
ness of slave labor, and the idleness, dissi-
patton ard extravaganza which are insepa-
bic from the state of slavery. 1t seeks to
conceal the true cause Of Southern poverty,
by maintaining that the duties paid under
tariff for protection are mainly drawn, d.
rectly or indirectly, from the South. 1t calls
protection to free labor oppression and on
that ground has nullfied the laws of the
United States, and forced compromise
-, ~ ;te will
PROSTATE the industry ofthe North and West,
and drag it down, as far as any thing can
drag the industry and enterprise of freemen,
10 a level with itself. Its hostility TO free la
Dor is as deep and relentless as its hostility
to freedom. Surely abolitionists are the last
who ought 10 disregard such a question as
as that Of protection to free labor and yet
it seems TO me they will practically disre-
gard j. if they insist, under all circumstan-
ces and on all occasions, upon running third
party tickets without respect to it.
attach more importance to this view OF
the subject, from the fact that, generally, so
far as my knowledge extends, those who
are induced to support third party tickets
are those who have been, and still are, in
principle, favorable to the interest OF protec-
ton, and to the other interests of the country
which are sought 10 be secured and maintain
ed those who are denominated Wings. The
effect, therefore, of third party organiZa-
ton, is to give an immediate advantage to
the opponents of these interests, which its
members generally would but for their indie
pendent organization aid 10 promote. 1t
seems 10 me much better in the present state
of things, that they should select from the
existing parties men who are in the main,
sound in their views,and say to those parties
we will support these men; and we sub
nit il TO you to say whether to secure our
support you will present them as candidates
and thus enable us to advance the cause
which we hold espe cialiy dear, while at the
same time we sustain those other interests
which you, as parties, are endeavoring to
promote. May not Aboltionists better sub
serve the cause of Abolition by thus aiding
to secure the election of men who are will
ling TO take moderate ground against slave
nv, than to lose their influence as to all pres.
ent, practical purposes, by shutting them
selves up within the straitened enclosure OF
third political party.
This has been, substantially, the course
pursued by British aholitionists and we
have seen the mighty results in the abolition
by the British Government of the slave trade
and Of slavery. And no trlfling results have
been effected by this policy in our country.
] refer to the action. in various ways favor.
able to abolition, of the Legislatures of New
York, MASSACHUSETTS, Connecticut and Ver-
mont. which it is notorious, have aided, the
onward movement of the Anti Slavery cause.
1t seems to me that we should not despse
the day of these small things-if indeed,
they are small things-but that the policy
by which they were accomplished should be
still pursued, rather than entirely to change
poSition- and throw of, as unworthy of con.
1idence, men who aided in accomplishing