Arkansas intelligencer., 1847-10-02
From the New York Evening Post.
Letter from the Hon. James Buchanan on the Viii
,o4

The Secretary Of State has written q letter on
the slavery question: which we copy. 1t is in
favor oP.opening to the introduction of slavery
all territories which the Union may acquire south
Of 36 degrees and half, north latitude in other
words, Of extending the Missouri compromise,
which was so sgnalIy disregarded in the acqusi-
tlon of Texas, to the domain which may yet be
ceded TO US by Mexico. Mr.. Buchanan has
thrown himself into the arms Of the south, and
if he should hereafter be talked of as q candidate
far the presidency, the south will have no diff
Guilty in supporting him.
WAsHINGToN. Aug. 25, 1917.
GENTLEMEN: have been honored by the re-
ceipt of your kind invitation to unite with the
county Of old Berks, in their harvest home cee.
bration, to be he'd at Reading. on Saturday the 2S
inst. should esteem it both pleasure and priv
iege to be present that interesting occasion; it is
therefore, with regret have to inform you that
my public duties during the present. week will rem
der this impossible.
| | rejoice to observe that the glorious Democra-
cy of sold Berks' are buckling on their armor.
and preparing for the approaching contest. 1t is
long since any State election has involed such i'm
portant consequences for the Democracy Of the
Union as the approaching election for Governor
of Pennsylvania On lis result may probably
depend the ascendancy of the Democracy of the
Union, for years to come. Hence our Democ rat
ic brethren of other States are witnessing the
contest with great anxiety. The field is a fair
one; candidate we-tred, able and honest,
and he has been regularly nominated by the par,
ty. Should he be defeated the attempt will be
vain 10 explain the decision of the ballot boxes in
any other manner than by admitting that the
Wings have the ma jority. Our candidate for
canal commissioner is, also, above all reproach,
both personlly and politically, and is emnenty
qualified for the duties of that important office.
If, under such circumstances, the Democratic
,t,,, FL
that the arch may tumble into pieces. In this
contest empha;icay, he that is not for is
ugainst us. do not apprehend defeat unless
our willy foe should first lull us into security by
making no extraordinary public efferts, and then,
at the eleventh hour quietly steal march upon
us, as they have done in some other
States. Our vigilance ought to be constantly on
the alert, nntil the moment of victory.
The question of slavery in one of its ancient
aspects, has been recently revived. and threat
ems to convulse the country. The Democratic par.
ty of the Union ought TO prepare themselves in
time the approaching storm. Their best security
in the hour of danger, is 10 cling fast TO their
time honored principles. A sacred regard for
the federal constitution, and for the reserved
rights of the States, is the immovabe basis on
which the party can alone sefey rest. This h1s
saved from the inroads of abolition. North.
orn Democrats are not expectedto approve slave
ry IN the abstract; but they owe ii 10 themselves
as they value the Union, and all the political bles-
sings which bountfully flow from it, to abide by
compromises of The constitution. and leave the
question, where the Instrument has left it, to the
States where slavery exists. Our fathers have
made this agreements brethren of the south, and
1t is not for the decendent either party in the
generation 10 cancel this solemn compact. The
AbolItIonis by their efforts % annu it, have ar
rested the natural progress of emancipation, and
done great injury to the slaves themselves.
After Louisiana was acquired from France by
Mr.. Jefferson, and when the State of Missouri.
which constituted part of it was about to be
admitted into the Union the Missouri question
arose, and in its progress threatened the dsnlu-
ton of the Union. This was settled by the men
OF the last generation, as other important and
dangerous questions have been settled, in spite of
mutual concession. Under the Missouri com.
promise, slavery "forover prohibited" north
Of 36 deg 30 min, and south of this parallel the
question was left to be decide by the people,
Congress, in the admission of Texas, following
in the footsteps of their pl edecessors adopted the
same rule; and in my opinion, the harmony of
the States, and even the security of the Union
ITSELF require that the line of the Missouri COM
promise should be extended to any new territory
which we may acquire from Mexico.
| should entertain the same opinion, even if it
| were certain that this would become a serious
practical question; but that it could be thus
considered, must be evident to all who have at,en-
| lively examined the subject.
| Neither the soil, the climate, nor the produc-
tions of that portion of California south of Sc
deg 80 min., nor indeed of any portion of it,
north or south, is adapted TO slave labor; and, DO.
sides, every facility would be there afford TO the
slave to escape from his master. Such property
would be utterly insecure in any part of Califor
MIA. 1t is morally impossible, therefore, that a
majority of the emgrants of that portion of the
territory south of 36 deg. 80 min., which will be
chiefly composed of our fellow-citzens from the
eastern, middle and western States, will ever re.
establish slavery within its limits. In regard to
New Mexico, east of the Rio Grande tie question
has been already settled by the admission of Tex.
as.
Should we acquire territory beyond the Rio
Gracde and east of the Rocky Mountains, it il
still more improbable that majority of the peo
pie of that region would consent to reestablisl
slavery. They are themselves, in largo pro.
portion, coored population, and among then
the negro docs not socially belong to u degraded
race.
| The question is, therefore, not one of practi
cal Importance. It's agitation, however honestI,
intended, can produce effect but to ALLEVIATE th
the people of different portions of the Unol
L I