Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-04-15

means no, Incompatible with the snfety of
both col1:s, to ameIiorate slavery to eEtcr.
min IHoa"
The lie, er is fatal TO the hopes Of Mr.
Cay for nomination by wing convention
Scott is downright, and Clay only quasi
Northumberland faction will hold the ba.
lance Of power in a convention Of the
whig party, and Clay viii have 10 60 over
board, as he did in 1910, TO make room
for man who " o,rns no sldre.
Gen. Scott on the subject of Domestic
Slavery, in connection ,cith the Presi-
dency.
A friend in this neighborhood, being
desirous of learning General Scott's views
on the question of Slavery, the following
copy Of letter from him to the Editor of
the DanviIle (Va.) Reporter, has been
transmitted as the answer TO his General
Scotrs) Pennsylvania correspondent. #
will, probably, not give entire satisfaction
to the ultras of either side Of the question.
But, perhaps, on This question, as on most
others, in media tUtissimus ibiS-"the mid
die course is the best" The writer is a
cool and patriotic statesman.--Lancaster
Union.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 1913.
My Dear SRI have been waiting for
an evenings leisure to answer your letter
before me, and after an unreasonable de-
lay, am, at last, obliged to reply in the
midst Of official occupations.
That ever have been named in con.
nectlon with the Presidency Of the United
States, has not, can assure you, the son
OF an ancient neighbor and friend, been by
any contrivance or desire Of mine, and
certainly shall never be in the field, m
less placed there oy a regular nomin ,tioa
Not, then, being a cancida.e, and seeing
no near prospect Of being male on,
ought, perhaps, 10 dea inc trolbiug you,
or 'thers, with my hum lie opinions ~
great principles Of State Riqh,s and Fele
raj Administration; bat as ! cannot Plead
Ignoranre Of the pa;tiaIity of q fsw
friends. in severll prs Of he Union, WIN
may, by possib lily, in certain event, sue
coed in ringing me within the field ir I'm
which VIII e can't late is 10 lie selected,
prefer II err on The 81 lie uf fr lnkn ,ss, and
'andor, rather Than, l,y silence, to all w
any strange, unwittingiy, t. commit him
self to my support.
Your inquiries open the whole question
OF donie.tc sl'very, viii has, in differ.
ent forms, Tor nu,nber OF years, agtlIe,l
Congress and the country
Promising that YOU are the first person
who has inter ogaied me on the sI"je t,
give 20 "A tn, b SIS of what uo4li c my
rrp'y, in greater detail, it line allowed.
and the Contingency alluded 10 above,
were less remote.
In toyhood, nj Will IN and Mary Col.
'cg', and, in common with most, il not all
M co up Mons, became deeply inprcss.
ed with 'hc views given ~ Mr.. Jefferson
in Ei'".N"tes on Virginia." and by ,dge
rncke: in his appendix to hi. edition o!
'Blackstone's Commentaries, in fay n of
grudu'l en,In iJatiun of saves. Tnat
appendix | haze MT SEEN in thirty odd
years, and, in the same pcri,d, have read
sc freely anything OF o snhieci, but my
g 'rly I'm press ons Are fresh g. nn' hanged.
Hence. IT ! ha not The homo: ot a sea,
in the Virginia Lesi lature in he winter
ot 1872. when bill was bro rght for
warI to carry out those views, .hoald
certainly have gwen it my hearty sup.
port.
suppose ( need scarcely shy. that in
my opinion, Congress has no color Of au.
lhoritv. for touching the relation Of ms
ter and slave in a stte.
! hnld the opposite opinion in respect to
the District of Columbia. Here, with the
consent OF owners, nr on the payment O!
"just compensation" Congress may icgis.
late at It's discretion. But my conviction
is equally strong that, unless II be step by
step with the Legislatures of Virginia and
Maryland, it would be dangerous to both
races, in those states, 10 touch the relation
between master and slave within this Dis.
trict.
I have from the FIRST, been Of opinion
that Congress was bound by the constitu.
ton 10 receive, to refer and report upon
petitions relating to domestic slavery as
in the case of all other petitions; but
have not failed 10 see and regret the una.
voidable irritation which the former have
produced in the Southern States, with the
consequent peril TO the two colors-whcre-
BY the adoption Of any plan of emancpa-
lion has, every where among US been
greatly retaI ded.
own, myself, no slave; but never have
attached blame TO masters for not liberia
ting their slaves-welI knowing that lib
Grafton, without the means of sending
them, in comfort. in some position fayora.