The State guard., 1848-10-03
Gen. Class, Prayer.

of the whlg5 that has ever been used in any canvass, in quoting from his celebrat- ed letter on the "right of search" while
 Minister to France, to prove that he is a dangerous man for the South. It was and has been conceded by all, that this letter of this distinguished individual put the death blow to the attempts of Great Brit ain to search American Vessels, on the high seas for the purpose of retaining Sailors who might have thought proper to engage in the American service. This false and libellous party-the party of fraud and deception, true to their charac- ter, only quotes small sentence in this letter, and then cry out (. Northern man with Southern principles again." As to this Northern man with Southern prin- ciples," they have only Van Buren to point to, and we now ask every South erner, in what single act of Van Buren's administration did he favor the abolition ists? He was elected by the Democracy, with the understanding to administer the government according to the true letter and meaning of the Constitution. After he did this and his administration was over he had no further claims upon the democratic party nor had they any fur ther upon him. This is more than the whigs can say. The two Adams favor- ed during not only their administration, but their whole life, every movement of the abolitionists. In the present position of Van Buren,. we see thousands of Nor thern whigs supporting him because he has identified himself with them.
 Now, Gen. Cass in all his public acts in Congress, has stood firm, not only to the Union and Constitution but to the South. And no one but Southern Dem adogue, can accuse him otherwise. As to this praying that he never was slave holder, it is but necessary for us to pub- fish little more of this letter which was lauded to the skys at the timeby Southern whig papers and politicians, but has be- come so awful here of late, to prove the absurdity of these base hoods ofthe whigs in the South. Let the people the yeo- marry of the country read the whole ex- tract, and reflect for moment, the sub- ject which brought it forth and all these raugh-h head and bloody. bones, and ghosts will be banished. Gen. Cass in this let ter argues that SLAVERY is LEGAL yes this very letter, that is so awful. says slavery "has existed since the ear Hest ages of the world" and has been made legal "by the common consent of mankind" Here is a further extract of this letter with the dangerous sentiments of Lewis Cass," as construed by the Sou- thern whiss.
 "As to the status of slavery itselG it were idle to contend It is illegal by the common consent of man kind. It has ex-
 isted since the earliest ages of the world, and there is probably no nation, ancient or modern, among whom it has not been known. By some it has been abolished, and where it yet survives, we hope it's con- diton has been ameliorated. This is cer- tainly true ofthe United States. A gener. al disposition is gaining ground to improve the situation of this unfortunate class of society. This is felt in the Southern States of the American confederacy. as well as elsewhere, and he who should judge of the treatment of the slaves in that region, by their treatment in the West India Colon
 es, would do the Southern planter egre- gious injustice. The hest proof of this as- scrtion is the fact disclosed by the statisti- cal tables published by the American Government, that in some of the slave States, the slaves increase faster than the white population ; aud another fact not less significant, is the rate of their natural augmentation. This is found to be be- tween 26 and 30 per cent in each decen- nial period. A very respectable country man now here, in whose statement we place full confidence, has just informed us he has examined the subject, and finds, though there are more than fourteen mill. ions of free white persons in the United States, and but two millions and a half slaves, yet the number in the latter class over one hundred years of age, is almost double that in the former.
 We are no shareholder. We never have been. We never shall be. We de. precate its existence in principle, and pray for its abolition every where, where this can be effected justly and peacably, and easily for both parties. But we would not carry fire and devastation and murder and ruin into peaceful community, to push on the accomplishment of the object. But aiter having visited the three quarters ofthe old continent, we say before God and the world, that we have seen far .more, and more frightfal misery, since we landed in Europe, and we have not visited Ireland yet, than we have ever seen among this class of people in the United Sta'es.- Whatever may be said, there is much of