Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-10-12
No. l..


NOrth-OH the Slavery question.
On the subject of the extension of Slavery
the whole South all parties, take the ground
81. That Congress has no constitutional power to
abolish or prohibit slavery in any territory in this
Union"
40. That if any territory be acquired by the United
States, either by treaty conquest 1t shall not be
competent for the treaty making power, OF Congress
to exclude slavery from such territory either by treaty
stipulation or by act of Compress: but such territory
sh be equally free and open to the citizens Of all the
United States, without any limitation, prohibition or
restriction in regard to slaves or any other description
OF property whatever"
"The south arc determined that no man who
supports the "Wilmoi Proviso" shall receive their
vote, be he Wing or Democrat"
The wings of the south, in supporting Gen.
Taylor, rely on his position, as perfect pledge
of his fidelity to their institutions. "l1e is ma
tive Of the Sonth-was raised, educated, and has
durinr his whole life, resided at the South. He
iiy,s n the very heart of The southern country,
s,.,te the institutions of slavery exist in their
grc1a@t y; ,or He is Lou siana planter, the
owner ot a large number of slaves" last Feb.
he purchased 81 slaves Ga man Of great wealth,
all 0fwhich is situated in slave state, his family
and friends his domestic and social ties are all at
the SOUTH and among Shareholders, his preudi-
ces and sympathles are therefore with and for
the South His fortunes are indissoubIy iden-
titled with the deStnes of the South. He is
bound to it by all the strong ties that bind man
to his native land ID he Can prove false, then
no man can be true. TO betray the South would
be to betray himself and all his own inter ests-t
would possess all the attributes Of treason against
his country; for in sectional conflict between
the North and the South, the South alone would
be his countTy'-"an express pledge from HIM
is unnecessary-wonld be superAnous. None
has been eXacted because his fidelity to the
South has never been suspected and it has not
been suspected, because circumstances placed
him fir above suspicion. 1.-THE whole South
will put their trust in hun without any mlsgiy-
ingS"--
Such is the language-such is the confidence
of Southern Wings in Gen. Taylors fidelity to
the institutions of Slavery, they ask in scorn
of Northern hypocrisy i'll pretending to question
that I'D .lity-'are your editors all knaves-or are
your people Ill fools that you are enabled to prac-
tce such imp0sitions"
Such is the present position of Gen Taylor at
the South on the Slavery question.
What are the grounds for such impOSitiOns at
the North?
/. The Signal letter. One of the leading senti-
ments of the editorial (sent to Gen. Taylor, was)
"IIe extension o0cr the continent beyond the Rio
Grande Of the ordinance Of 1887 is at Objcct too
high and permanent tn be ba6Rcd by Presidential
UctOeS "
To this Gen Taylor on the 18th May 1S47
replied with these remarks, trust you will
pardon me for thus briefly replying to you, which
do with high and dccjdcd approval Of the sen
timcats and views of your editorial"
The Cass party at the North pressed this letter
against Gen. Taylor as evidence that he was op
posed to the extension of Slavery: while the
Taylor party at the North relied upon it ant
then Justly too as proof that Taylor would no
veto the Wilmot Proviso.
Gen Taylor stood upon that letter, uncOntra
dictcd any ,Oherc, until the 9th OF Nov l847
when lin answer to a letter from the Editor O
the Tuscaloosa Monitor Ala. expressly on thu
Interpretation of the Signal letter. Gen TayIo
wrote priUute letter in which he states oh
reply to your remarks concerning letter which
| addressed some time since, to the Editor of thu
Cincinnati Signal, hare no heSitmiOn IN stating
that it o0as not my intention in that cOmmnnica
ton to cypress any opiainOn either in concurrence
aoith or in oppOsiton to any of the views embraced
IN the editorial article to which it relates ~
waS simply my desire on that occasion, as hd
been my cuStOm unitormerly through hfc to er
press mig respect ti~ opinions which ! believed t
6ehOneSt!y entertained, and, as long as thus he'll
my approval of maintaining them"
From that date, 9Th of Nov. 1847] the sigma
letter ceased to be evidence, as far as his con
tradiction was known of any pledge that Gen
Taylor would not veto the Wilmot Provlso.
On the 9Th of Feb. l943, the Editor Of tn
Cincinnati Atlas wrote to Gen. Taylor enquirn
"ShouH yo@ become President Of the Unite
States, ,oouM you veto an act Of Congress oohic
shouH g,,hibh Slavery or Involuntary serUitud
forror, except for crime, in all the territOries Q
the Ulted STATES, where does not nOO erist"
q a Taylor replied as follows
BATON ROUGE, La, Feb. 49, 1848.
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the recell
OF your communication of the Sd inst.
l. reply to your inquiries, have to inform you thu
haze laid IL doion as principle, not to give my opl
ions upon or PREJUDICE in any way the various que
tons of policy nOW al issue between the political pa
ties Of the country, nor to PROMISE what would {
would not do, were elected to the Presidency Of Il
United Stairs and that in the presented in YOU
letter, regret to add see no reason for depatir
from this principle.
With my profound Acknowledgements for the frien
ly sentiments towards which you have been please
to express,
Ireman, Sir, with great respect,
Your obd't serv't. u. TAYLOR
From the principle there laid doom it is to
inferred that he had not, beforehand would nc
thereafter, give any opinion on the all-mportaI
question proposed to hn-at least in any WI
ten communication to the North Yet it seer
that about the same time, at the South, he e
pressed, in conversation, an opinion that {
South ought not to agree to the WtmOf III
UiSo.
On the Both of March, 184a, Mr. Bolts pu
lshed statement from Mr. B zone, Chairm1n
committee of the Mississippi Legislature,
Mr. Thompson, member of Congress, of
conversation between Gen. Taylor and the col
mittee, in which
ale expressed himself IN FAVOR OF THE WAR
said HE WAS DECIDEDLY IN FAVOR OF PROSECUTE
IT VIGOROUSLY, till they should yield to honorat
peace; HE WAS FoR INDEMNITY CERTAIN, and TIL