Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-09-08

Stlutlou WISELY ltdNtN CNOluolNt Hp"N' - 80
matter, and in the former by Congress,
NAV he mistaken, hut | think | see in the
guarded language Of the resolution, evidence
of an apprehension, on the part of the Con-
yention. that a difference in opinion, to some
extsn,, at least, existed among its members,
unon the poiut referred to, and of an enlight-
ened and truly patriotic resolve, not TO suffer
tina, circumstance, il it existed, to weaken
the moral power of their unanimity on The
great question which had brought them to-
gether."
Yes, in common with other men Of ere
%lecting and philanthroPic minds" he hopes
TO see slavery abolished in the District some
time-but when? He is opposed 10 having
it abolished there at present, and of course is
bound in honor to use his influence to pre-.
vent it.. We confess that in regard TO aboli-
ton in the District, w can see but little
difference between Martin Van Buren,, the
Democratic candidate Of 1886, and Martin
Van Buren,, the Free Sail nominee of 1913.
He is now, ard always has been, opposed TO
its abolition there; but at any time when he
was President, he would have signed a bill
having ,his object in view had the slavehold-
ing States consented to it; but now, circum-
stances being different, he would not feel at
liberty to veto such a bill after it had been
approved by both Houses of Congress, and
why "Because, upon a question Of expe-
diency, circumstances must control" But
if circumstances change, if they become such
that the subversion of the government is no
longer threatened by the slave power, but if,
ON the other hand, abolition in the District
'foreshadows %servile war, would he then not
DICT as he was pledged to act in 1896! We
infer so from the general tenor of his letter,
from the esprit of considerate forbearance )"
he so pointedly inculcates, and more than all,
from the fact that he regards the abolition of
American Slavery in the National Capital as
but a question of expediency! Read the fol-
lowing passage and say whether we have
judged him harshly.
al must not, however, be understood, Ell
Their by what | now say, or by what was
said in my letter to the New York delega-
ton at Utica, as repeating the declaration that
/ would. if elected, withhold my approval
from a bill for the abolition of slavery in the
District. l could not now give any such
assurance, for the reason that circumstances
by which the question is now surrounded, are
widely and materially different fIom what
they were when the declaration was made {:
and because, upon a question IF erpediency,
circumstances must c0ntroL At that time, the
apprehension was honestly entertained, that
there was danger of a servile war, in conSe-
quence of the extent TO which the agitation
of this question had been pressed. Partici-
pating in this apprehension, and believing
that such a declaration, in advance of any
action of Congress upon the subject, would
have a ~salutary influence in a~Ilaying excite
men, and warding off the danger which me-
naced the peace of the slaveholding States,
did not hesitate TO make it,"
We regard the policy which the NORTH
has pursued toward the South from the frs
moment of the organization Of the States un'
der a common constitution, as disgracefll &c
men who profess TO love freedom. as treach'
erous to the cause of the slave, and destitute
of self-respect. The North has ever mani
'feated a cringing, fawning policy that is ut
'terly abominable /; and among the loudest de
nunciators of that policy has been Liberty
party. Van Buren,, however, appears to re
gard the policy of Northern Statesmen IN re
lation to slavery as admirable, always ex
,cep,ing, Of course, the few fanatics from
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ohio
who have. occasionally lost sight of ''th'
spirit of Cancellation, and mutual forbearanc'
in speech and action" lie says:
81 have spoken in a former part of thit
letter, of the three leading features Of tn,
;policy in regard TO slavery, adopted by III,
Fathers Of the Republic. History, If true
must record the fact that the North has hin
eric faithfully sustained her part, in the main
fenance of this pulley, and in none more S
than in that which inculcates foTbearance Ol
the poin. now referred to. | wish to see tn
forbcar1nce ,chirh has so long characterize
her conduct in this matter, still further con
tinued. Approving of the platform whic
the convention has adopted, and conscious
from my impressions Of right and duty in It
gard to it. that | shall be among the last t
abandon it, | prefer not to connect our effort
10 sustain it, with an issue which all mus
admit to be in some degree at least, alfecte
by Indifferent considerations
There are many other points in this !ette
of acceptance which we should like to motto
had we time and space, but we make on
other extract suffice, trusting that our readel
will carefully examine the entire documen
1t will be seen that Van Buren, recognize
fully and unequivocalIy the pro-slavery cha
acter of the constitution, which, if elected,
will swear to support. This is doubtle
the estimate in which the nominating co
%veniion also held that document, thong
some would fain make it appear that ina
much as that body resolved that the frame
of the Constitution expressly denied the poy