Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-03-23
From Harriet MGrtincau's Retrospect Of Western
Travel in .4merica.
Martin Van Buren,.

UI u u II - u y IL
There is nothing remarkable in the appearance
Of this gentleman, whom. afterwards saw fire.
quently at Washington. He is small person,
with light hair and blue eyes. | was often asked
if did not think his manners gentlemanly There
is much friendness in his manners, for he is
kind hearted man he is also rich in Information,
and lets it come out on subjects in which he can
notcontrve to see any danger in speaking. But
his manners want the trankness and confidence
which is essential to good breeding. He questions
closely, without giving anything in return, More
over, he tatters to a degree which SO cautious
man should long ago have found out to he dsa-
greeable; and his hattery is not merely praise of
the person he is speaking TO, but a worse kind
still, sceptcism and rdicule of objects and per-
sons supposed to be dstasteful to the one he Is
conversng with. fully believe he is an amable
and ndugent domestic man, and reasonable po-
litica master, and good scholar, and shreWd
man of business but he has the sceplcsm which
marks the lower orders of politicians. His public
career exhibits no one exercise of that faith in
men, and preference of principle to petty expedi-
ency, by which a statesman shoWeS himself to be
great.
The consequence is that with all his opportuni-
ties no great deed has been put to his account,
and his shrewdness has been his fault in some of
tho most tvyinS crises of his The man
who so little trusts others, and so intensely regards
self to make the study Of his life not to
nit himself, is liable to more than ordinary dam
ger Of Judging wrong when compelled, by the pres
sure OF circumstances, to act a decided part. 1t
has already been so with Mr. Van Buren,, more
than once, and now that he is placed in a position
where he must sometimes visiby lead, and cannot
always appear to follow, it will be seen whether
due reverence Of men, and forgetfuness of self,
would not have furnished him with more practica
wisdom than all his soundings on his dim and
perilous way" Mr.. Calhoun is, | believe, Mr..
Van Rurcn's evil genius. MIR. Calhoun was un-
dcrstood to he in expectation of succeeding to the
Presidential chair when Mr.. Van Buren, was APP
pointed Minister to Great Britain. This appoint
inent of President Jackson's did not receive the
necessary sanction from the Senate and the new
minister was recalled on the first possible day. Mr.
Calhoun being very active in bringing him back.
Mr.. Calhoun was not aware that he was recalling
one who was to prove successful rival. MIR.
Calhoun has not been Pre.tdent-Mr. Van Buren,
is so; but the successful rival hasa mortal dread
to the great Nufer-a dread so obvious, and
causing such prostration of all principle and all
dignity as to oblge observers to conclude there is
more in the matter than they see; that it will come
out some day why the disappointed aspirant is still
to be proptiated, when he seems to be deprived Of
power to do mischief. TO propitiate Mr.. Cal
houn seems to have been Mr.. Van Buren's object
tor long time past; an object probably hopeless
in ITSELF and in The pursuit Of which he is likely to
lose the confidence Of the North far faster than he
could, at best, disarm the enemy Of the South.
In the spring of 1886, when Mr. Van Buren, was
still Vice President, and the Presidential election
was drawing near, Mr.. Calhoun brought forward
in the Senate his Bill, Commonly called the Gag
Bill to violate the Post Office functions, hy au-
thorizng Po8tnasters to investigate the contents
of the mails, and to keep back all papers whatso-
ever relating to the subject of slavery. The bill
was, by consent, read the first and second times
without debate, and the Senate was to be divided
on the question whether it should go to a third
reading. The votes were equals to- 49,
"Where's the Vice PrcsidentN shouted Mr.
Calhoun's mighty voice. The Vice President was
behind pillar, talking. He was compelled to
give the casting vote--to commit himself for once
"A cruel necessity to man of his caution. He
voted for third reading, and there vas bitter
cry on the instant, "The Northern States are
sold" The Bill WAS thrown out on the division of
third reading, and the Vice President lost by his
vote the good will Of the whole body Of abolition
lists, who had till then supported him as the demo
cratic and supposed anti-savery candidate. As it
was, most of the abotOnists did not vote at ALL
for want off good candidate, and Mr.. Van Buren's
mallory was so reduced as to justly belief that
If the people had had another year to consider his
conduct in, or if another democratic candidate
could have been put forward, he would have been
emphaticaly rejected. Having once committed
himself he has gone further still in Precipitation Of
Mr.. Calhoun. On the day Of his Presidential in
stalIqtion he declared that under no circumstances
would he give his assent to any bill for the abo-
ton of slavery in the District of Columbia. This
declaration does not arise out ola belief that Con-
gress has not the power to abolish slavery in the
District, for he did, not long BEFORE. when hard
pressed, declare that he believed Congress to pos
sess that power. He has therefore hazarded the
extraordinary declaration that he will not, under
any circumstances, assent to what may become the
will of the people, constitutonally embodied. This
is bold intimaon for " non-committal'' man
to make.