The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-31
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
,uUxspAY MORNING, AUGUST 81, Is4s.
The Apostass.


as he as!
De respect among the Presidents of this Union who
go been chosen by its democracy Mr. Van Buren, STANDS
- He is the only who has been false TO the masses
~. ,1n friends He is the only who has become
sr with the bitter enemies of his own administration
"a vbo has given those who supported him good rea
~ ~ regret that support. God grant that the democrats
"a never furnish another stand by his side--to
apy the same recreant position-Coos ~ HI democrat
Wqiutend to strip off completely the mask from the
r.. n Mr.. Van Bnren and his bamburning champions
IN. duy is forced upon us by the crisis itself He has
,n once nominated to the highest ONCE IN the
roJ5 His miserable ambition, and still more his vim
,ive PASSIONS despicable enough; but 1t is The
..,os which he employs which peculiarly excite the
,o,smu and Indignation of every honest mind II is his
mnng 10 crafty his passions at the expense OF his
,0 and al the risk OF disturbing the peace and even
"a unon of the Confederacy, he is attempting to build
m sorisrn party, sectional feelings and geographi-
al lines i, is, then. time TO expose hun IN all the
ss and doublngs of his character, and to show the
.oe whose suffrage he is soliciting, what manner OF
nan he is.
Re- what variety OF inconsistencies is his whole con-
t diseraced Once the friend of the South, and now
i hitter opponent Once thorough opponent of aboli-
,oosm, now its sympathser and its friend. Once the
nlln
.sOq has changed and his rules of action completely
vsrsed Once he denounced every attempt to stir the
b;ect Of abolitonism as fatal to the Union. Once he
declared that he the last man in the country who
would not resist the attempt and now he is the first man
to throw himself into the ranks, Now, he accepts
ANIMATION from motley assemblage OF all compilations
and opnions-superseding John P. Hale himself in
nomination by the abolitionsts. and showing himself
uspared to abandon every position which he originally
occupied
When in 1885, he wOoing the South for her
votes, he affected to be southern throughout in all his
feelings We observe letter, just repubished from
the Richmond Enquirer Of May, 1927 from Charleston,
predicting that Martin Van Buren, is to Secre-
m Of State under General Jackson and at the end of
four years to be nominated and supported for the pesi
dency Nth perfect understanding that he soW pursue
The southern policy" In October. 1929, we find him.
when Secretary of State, instrucng our minister in
Spain to urge the Spanish government to make peace
with Mexico and California, lest they should combine to
assist the island of Cuba to throw off the yoke of Span
ih dependence-the first efforts of which would be the
emancipation of a slave population, which
result could not but be very sensby felt upon the ada
cent shores OF the United States He also wrote to the
ageno our government in Mexico, Mr. Butler,) to OPP
pose the banef spirit Of emancipation, designed to be
introduced and propagated in the island Of Cuba"
In 1885, he gives the casting vote, Vice President,
for sending bill to its third reading, to authorize
every southern postmaster to seize the incendary publ
cations of the aboltonists in the United States mails.
IN those agating tlmes when il was important for
him TO proptiae the feelings and the vote of the
South we find Martin Van Buren, expressing his firm
determination to arrest far in his power, every
attempt ts abolish slavery in the District Of Columbia.
And now every sentiment OF the man appears to be
changed His hatred for the South and his schemes for
his own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, only be promoted by his
dsgracefu abandonment OF the which he pursued
for many years
The degradation of his course be most correctly
appreciated by the shameless and unfounded preexts to
which he resorts for concealing his outrageous
sposacy This is one OF the shutting tricks to which he
descends Another the attempt to pervert the charac
Ter of the transaction in which he was formerly con-
cernedas, for instance his vote in the Senate OF the
United States upon the bill for aresng incendiary pub
LEGATIONS. We shall lay over this point, well as
others, for future exposition We confne ourselves this
morning to his gross inconsistencies about the District OF
Columbia, and the msy and false pretexts TO which he
is attempting to resort for the variation of his
We shall employ abored argument for his conviction
is enough for purpose to state the facts, in the past
is well the present time, and to convict him out of
his own mouth
His past Professions.
Early in March, 1896, when Mr.. Van Buren, was a
candidate for the presidency, great anxiety felt to
understand his views in regard to the interpostion Of
Congress with the subject of slavery in the States and
especially on its abolition in the District of Columbia
He was particularly addressed the last topic by Mr.
Junus Ams and FIVE other citizens OF North Carolina in
February, 1885, to which he replied explicitly the 9Th
March The following is an extract from that letter.
GAS anxious yon can possibly be- arrest all agitation
upon this disturbing subject have considered the question
have propounded with desire arrive
al The conclusion that the subject in respect to the District
Of Columbia, be safely placed the ground
which stands in regard to the States viz the want OF
constitutional power in Congress interfere in the
owe IT. however, candor, say you, that have
been able TO satisfy myself thai the grant Congress- in
The constitution, oil the power OF ernSivc legislation
all rhasoere the federal District, does
would otherwise have been by the States of Mary
land and Virginia or that Congress might not, in virtue
thereof take such steps the subject in this District.
as those States might themselves take within their
limits and stenty with their rig hts of sovereignty.
Thus viewing the matter, would not, from the lights
now before me- feel myself safe in pronouncing that Con
gess does not the interfering with abo
lshng slavery in the District OF Columbia. But, whilst
such present impressions upon the abstract question
OF the legal power Of Congressimpressons which shall
al all times be not only ready but disposed surrender
upon conviction oil crror-l do give
as my deliberate and weconsidered opinion that there
are objections to the exercise of this power against the
wishes oil the slave -holdng States, Imperative their
sotue and obligations regulating conduct Of public
men, as the mosf pdabt ram Of eonsutoai ,cond