Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-06-24
PRESIDENTIAL.

= The following letter, written by Mr.. Benton to
friend in Missouri, indicates the policy Of GER
tain "high contracting parties" in the locofoco
ranks The upshot of il is, that Mr.. Benton's
chance is a slim one for 1913. The feelings of
the people of the North have been too grossly
outraged in the matter Of Slavery to permit any
annexatonist 10 walk over the course: so Mr..
Benton thinks it will be altogether better to take
Northern man for four years, when he hopes
the past will have been so far forgotten, and the
appliances of patronage so far regulated, that he
will be more likely to take the Presidential chair
than at the present time. So Mr.. Benton has un-
doubtedly sold his interest to Silas Wright, and
Silas agrees to pay in 1852. These are doubt
less the contracting parties ON the one hand
but there are others who are interfering with this
nice arraugcment-for instance, Mr.. Calhoun at
the South and Mr.. Caes at the North: and hence
Mr. Benton's assault upon Mr.. Calhoun in this
letter, and his slur upon the 81 40 men in his ST..
Louis speech. This is our understanding of Mr..
Benton's position, and if il is correct, the locofo
co party will not get ready for the race of '49
until they settle serious difficulties in their own
ranks. Here is Mr. Benton's letter:
ST. LOUIS, May z, 1s47.
DEAR SIR:-I take the first moment of leisure
after my arrival at this place, to answer your
kind communication Of the 18th of January, and
TO let you know how much was panied at see
ing the proceedings of the most respectable
meeting of which you was the chairman 1t was
precisely to forestall and present such manifes-
tations in my favor, that spoke TO the point of
the Presidency in my speech at Boonville, in the
summer of 1874; and all the sentiments which
then expressed remain in full force now, being
strengthened end confirmed by all that has since
happened / then brought forward the glaring
fact that, in above fifty years existence Of this
federal government, the democracy of the north
have given but one.President to the Union and
that one but for single term; and this (of late)
from a southern opposition TO northern men,
And | then took it upon myself to say that this
course of things would have to be changed 9TH
erwse there would be an end of the democratic
party, or of any party founded on political Drn-
cpes, and expressed my qualification that Mr.
Folks early and voluntary selfdenial had cleared
the way for northern democratic candidate in
164S.
These were my sentiments in 1874 they are
nv sentiments now, and are not TO be abandoned
at the coming election, when see new scheme
developed from the south for the permanent ex-
cluson of all northern men from southern sun.
port for the Presidency. The fre-brand resolu-
tons introduced into the Senate towards the close
of the late session, and their practical application
to Oregon 10y which we lost the Oregon bill
and leave the people of that territory year Ion
ger without law or government,) reveal this
scheme, and present new test on the slavery
question, which no northern man can stand, and
which, If adopted by the south, must put an end
TO all further support of northern men from the
southern democracy. Heretofore we, the slave.
holding States, have stood together upon two
points defence and compromise; the defence
OF the property and institutions and the compro-
misses of the laws and Of the constitution and
on these two points the great majority of the
north, of both political parties, have been able to
stand with us. But now new position is to be
taken-one on which no northern ma can stand
Propogandism is now the doctrine of the politi
cal sect which assumes to be the standard bear.
er Of all the slaveholding states; and TO PLAN
slavery, by law, in all the territories of the Uni
ted States, even the most hyperborean-e in
Oregon itself, and against the will of the inhab
itants-becomes the design and the attempt =
The words of the resolutions, the speeches in
their favor, and their practical application to the
Oregon bill, all prove this, and show that the
new doctrine is intended to be made poitica
test, to be applied to all political candidates in
time to come, and like all new tests, intended to
supercede all other ones, and to constitute the
. sole criterion for the trial of candidates.
Now everybody must see that if this new test
shall be adopted by the slavehodng States there
10 an end TO all political support of northern mer
in these States-that the present organization Of
parties must be broken up, and new party
formed, bounded by geographical lines, and rest
ing on thesole principle of slavery propagandism
sm not prepared for such state of parties, mol
for the effect which it would have Upon the har-
mony and stability of our federal Union. see
great danger in this new move, and feel the ne
cessity OF meeting it at once, or not at all for
it is pressed upon us now, and it will conquer us
if we DO not conquer it. The Presidential con-
test OF 1913 is the crisis and if the new test
can be made to govern that election, shall con-
slider the danger contaminated, aud that there
must soon be an end not only Of the democratic
party but of all parties founded on principle, and,
eventually, an end Of the Union itself. Instead,