The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-08-19
Van Buren, upon Slavery.

We have very little faith in the S'Hc3Ry oil
Mr. Van Burcus present position-osicnslbly
rnicn ms only a matter ofpniRcip'c, and of
honest attachment to Free Terriorydoctrncs
We believe the whole movement las in il
somcirlat of the spirit ofrovengc. One so
long notorious (wl,h abundant reason for
being Northern man with Southern prin.
ciplos, land who is not likely to forget ut once
the injury done him 10y the trucking move
mcnts OF Cass in 1874, is certainly very liable
to Suspicion. lie has been converted too
suddenly We ask our readers to recall 10
mind the following ilctsim the history OF Van
Buren's political carccr-.iacts rcla.ingtO this
very question of Slavery.
|. John q. Adams became the champi-
on of the right of petition. Southern men,
bcrs OF Congress insisted that all petitions re-
ating to Slavery should he rejected. MIR
Van Buren, then endorsed this doctrine, aud
stood hv the ultra Shareholders IN ibis odiouS
principlr, which was afterwards reversed, nj
ter Mr. Van BurcGs defeat in 1910, 10y vote
of tho Wings ol'the House Representatives.
>. Mr. Van Buren, ms Vice President ofthc
Union, was President Of the Senate. Prcvl-
Gus the election of 1886 bill was inroduc-
cd in the Senate fthc United States, to au-
thori2c Poslmasters 10 open the mails and
take out any matter relating to abolition
which in their opinion should bc of an inccu-
diary character Mr. Calhoun forced the
measure to see how far Mr. Van Buren, would
90 in subScrVicuCy to the South. At the
moment Of the passage of the bill, the Vice
| President was not ia his scat. The vote was
"A tie. "Wherc," shouted Mr. Calhoun, sis
the Vice President" The glow olcNuICalion
at having corncred the Magician was visible
| in every lincumcnt Of the South Carolina ag-
/ italor. The Vice President takes his seat,
and gives the casting vote in favor oEthc bill
to establish II censorship Of the press in this
enlightened country. And why did he do
lit? Because Southern votes were required
to make him President, and the South must
he propiliatcd.
g. The votes Of Southern States were oh
tanned, and Mr. Van Buren, was elected Pres
idcnt.-IIc was sworn into office, March 4
! 1897, OF which occasion ho issued his inau-
gura address, in which he proclaimed his
determination to veto any bill aholishmg
slavery in the District of Columbia
!. Let it be remembered also that the
Amistcd negroes, during Mr. Van Huren's
administration, We're taken into Connecticut
There they appealed, by the influence anC
protection of some philnnthropic individuals
to the laws for release from thraldom. MI
Van Buren,, surprising that the decision nigh
be against the unfortunate Africans, orderc,
the U. s vessel Grampus Off New Haven, il
the State of Connecticut, with directions t.
her commander to lie Off that place and a
wait the decision of the court on the applica
ton Of the slaves, should it be adverse to tn
, slaves, not to allow them time TO remove the
case to n higher tribunal for review, but t
hurry them on board his vessel and carr
them TO Cuba without delay, to be delivere
to their master. All this indecent haste wa
to prevent the poor and friendless slaves lror
having the benefit ofour benign laws and i
, the hope of propitiating Southern supper
But he was disappointed. The slaves wer
by order ofthe Supreme Court ofihe Unite
States omnncipated, in spite of Mr. Van Bt
ren's activity to hurry them into slavery.