Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-07-14
ma. VAN BUREN'S LETTER,
READ AT THE UTICA CONVENTION

extension Of Slavery in new territories, and al
50 nlmating a wish, but rather cautiously ex.
pressing it, that his name might be used at Utica
Tor the Presidency. The following is Mr.. Van
Buren's reply:
LlNDENwALD, June 90, l848.
GENTLEMEN-l have received your kind letter
with feelings Of no ordinary character. Ii comes
from the representatives of body Of men, who
possess unsurpassed claims upon my respect and
gratitude. My reception by the lion-heared
Democracy Of your great city, after my defeat
in 1910, was marked by circumstances, and dis
played depth of friendship, which can never
forget. 1t made impressions upon my heart
which are as vivid now as they were then, and
which will never lose their hold upon my affec.
tions until that heart ceases to beat. Ii is not
in my nature to decline compliance with any
request which such body are capable Of ma.
king, except for reasons of the strongest charac-
ter, and which they themselves will, on further
consideration, approve. The determination an.
nopnced in 1914, in my letter to the New York
Committee, advising my friends to unite in the
support of Mr.. Polk, to regard my public life as
forever closed, was made upon the most mature
reflection, aud with an inhexibe determination
TO adhere TO tito the end. beg of YOU to do me
the justice to believe that il was in no degree in
fluenced by that spirit Of resentment whlch po-
liIcal disappointmenls are so apt 10 engender in
the best regulated minds. Having beendeleated
during highly excited, and as the result has
shown, an unsound state of the public mind, for
adhering to financial policy which believed
10 be right, the Democratic masses everywhere,
as soon as it became evident that the country
had recovered from the delusons of the day,
resolved, with extraordinary unanimity, that the
policy which had been so successfully decried,
should be vindicated, and the justice of the peo-
pie illustrated by my reelection. This deci-
sion Of the masses was reversed by their repre-
Bentatives in the Convention. More than COM
pensated for any modification which my dis
comhture in 1910 had occasioned, by these ex-
pressons of confidence and regard, proceeding
directly from the people themselves, and anxious
above all things for the success of the measures
for which have been so unsparngly arraigned,
loIbore TO scan either the motive by which my
opponents in the convention Of 1914 were actu-
ated, or the means they resorted to for the ac-
complishment Of their object, and united with
zeal and alacrity in support Of The Democratic
candidate.
But whilst thus in good faith discharging what
regarded to be my duty, it did not fail to occur
to me that the circumstances by which | wa;
surrounded, presented the occasion | had long
desired, when | could retire from public life
consistently with what was due to the country
TO my friends and to my own seIErespect, EN-
braced it with my whole heMt From that day
TO the present, my mind has not for a momen
wandered in regard TO the determination ther
announced. At an early period in the presen
canvass, and before the Democratic mind coulc
be regarded as having taken anything like dis
tnct direction in reference to It's candidate, | re-
affirmed my resolution in this regard in q letter
TO worthy citizen Of Pennsylvania, which ha;
been extensively published, and in many other;
with which it was not deemed necessary TO trou
Bile the public. A friendly application from oul
delegates to the last National Convention, fol
authority TO use my name as a candidate if they
could do so under proper circumstances made 1
as you appear to be informed, my unpleasant
duty TO refuse my consent to their doing so un
der any circumstances whatever. Having thus
assumed and so long occupied this position,
trust to your friendship and past indulgence to be
excused for repeating my unchangeubIe deter
mination never again TO be a candidate for pub
lie office. The fact of my having long since
retired from public life, with the tacit approba
lion of my friends, gives me right to do so.-
If whilst in the political field, willing to receive
honor and advancement at the hands of my po
litical friends, did not show myself at all time
ready 10 obey, without regard 10 personal con
sequences, their calls to posts of difficulty,
failed to make myself understood by those whom
l was most anxious TO serve.
The considerations to which have adverted
are not entitled to the same controlling infu
ence in regard TO the remaining subject of you
letter. Whatever would have been my prefer
ence in such matters on ordinary occasions,
feel that | could not under existing circumstan
Ces, refuse 10 comply with your request, wthou
doing injustice to my Democratic friends in thi
State. | shall therefore give you my unreser
we'd opinions upon the questions TO which yol
have called my attention, and in so doing, shal
,endeavor to observe that respect and courtes
towards the conflicting views of others, whic
1t has always been my desire TO practice, an,
which is now more than ever appropriate to M
position.
To give the doings of Democratic Nationa
convention claim upon the support of the De
mocracy OF any State, it is indspensabIv neces
sary that the Democracy Of that State should b
fairly represented in such Convention and a
lowed equal rights and privileges with their DC
litical brethren from other States in regulatin
proceedings. Neither of these, although pei
severingly demanded, was conceded by the re
centConvention to the Democracy of New Yorl
and they are Of course in no degree conclude
by It's decisions. But although their rights an
their duties are thus clear, It's, Notwithstanding
material to the fraternal relations which hav
heretofore existed between them and those VIII
oppose the Convention, that it should bedistinc
ly shown at whose door lies the wrong of the
exclusion; whether at that of our own deleg,
ton, or the Convention. Upon this point bo
sets of delegates claiming to represent Ne
York, although differing in almost every tbir
elss, appear 10 have concurred in the oplnio