Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-09-14


no such idea | speak without dsrespeci
of the Free Soil party. have read their
platform, and though think there are some
rotten places in it, can stand on it pretty
well. But see nothing in it which Is new
and valuable, what is valuable is old; and
what is new is not valuable. (Cheers and
laugher)
Gentlemen, if the term of Free Soil par
ty or Free Soil men, designate one who is
fixed and unalterable, is So to-day and was
so yesterday and has been so for some time,
then hold myself to be as good a Free
Soil man as any Of the Buffalo Convention.
pray to know who is to put beneath my
feet freer soil than that which have stood
upon ever since have been in publIt life.
pray to know who is to make my lips freer
than they ever have been, for the utterance
of truth and sound principle, as | under
stand it. beg to know who is TO inspire
into my breast a more resolute and fixed de-
termination, to resist unyieldingy the en-
croachmrnts and advances of the slave
power in this country, than has inhabited it,
ever since the day that | first opened my
mouth in the councils of the country.
The gentlemen at Buffalo have placed at
the head Of their party Mr.. Van Buren,, a
gentleman for whom have all the respec,
that should entertain for one with whom
have been associated in some degree in pub
lie life for many years. But really, speak
ing for myself, should think that if ! were
to express confidence in Mr.. Van Buren, and
his politics on any question, Ind most es-
pecally on this very question Of slavery; il
on this question he and | should be found
united, think the scene would border upon
the ludlcrous, if not upon the contemplate
never proposed anything in my life, of u
general and public nature, that Mr.. Van
Buren, has not opposed; nor has ii happened
to me to support any leading measure that
he had proposed aud If he and now were
To find ourselves together under the Free
Soil flag, am sure that with his aCcustom.
ed good nature, he would laugh; and if nu
body were present we should both laugh al
the strange occurrences and jumbles Of p~
! lltlcal life, that should have brou !ht him ant
me to sill down cozlly and snuIlv together
side by side on the same platform. (Cheer:
and aughter.)
Gentlemen, my first ac9u intance in pub
lie life with MIR. Van Buren,, was when ht
was pressing with great power the electi i
Of Mr.. CrMford to the Presidency. agains
John Quincy Albums. MIR. Crawford wa
mt elected, and Mr. Adams vas Dir Val
Biren was in the Senate nearly the who'd,
of that administration, aud far the rest of /
he was Governor of the State of Naw York
And it is notorious to every ,dy that Ii,
was the very soul and centre, thr.-sg hou
i, the whole of Mr.. Adams adniuQstratinn, q
the opposition to That adminisi arson; all,
he did more than any other man or any 9th
er ten men in the country to prevent Mr.
Adams reelection, and to bring in Gen
Jackson. These are facts which short mem
cries may retain. Gen. jackson was che
sen. Mr.. Van Buren, was placed at til
head of his administration, as Secretary c
State.
1t so happened, that in July, 1929, MI
McIane went Minister to England, undo
instructions from the department of State
to arrange in England the con,roverted an
disputed subject of the colonial trade. MI
Adams had held very high and auster
tone towards England, and demanded, o
the grounds of reciprocity and right, tn
, introduction of our products into the Yves
Indies, as well as our ships, since Grea
! Britain was allowed to bring her products
| as well as our ships, into all the ports of the L
States, upon the same foundation as Amer
y can vessels could bring them. Mr. Adam
placed this upon the ground Of right, upo
: principles of reciprocity. The British Go,
| eminent would not yield. Mr.. Van Burer
e in his instructions to Mr.. McLane, told hiI
: to yield that question of right, TO disclaiI
>, the pretensions, as he called them, of nj
d Adams's administration; and he then wei
Oh to say that the administration in whic
i he was Secretary of State, that is, Gener;
: Jackson's administration, ought not to
repulsed in England, by the English Go
| eminent, from the enjoyment of that whic
IS he was willing to call, not right, but
d boon or privilege General Jackson's a,
c mnistrailon. he said, ought not to be r.
:. fused that, on account of the misbehavi'
It OF Mr. Adams's administration That
" the sum and substance of it.
t Well, gentlemen, il was one of the mo
y painful duties of my public life to feel IN
II self obliged, on account of those instru
/ tions, which think deroga,ory 20 the cha
e acter of the country, to refuse my assent
e MIR. Van Buren's nomination. 1t VAS ne
e in our history, and in all diplomatic hi
IT ernment thus come forth aud seek to obta
10 favor at the hand of the courts and mona
II chles of Europe, on the ground that tn,
al have abandoned the policy of their pred
y cessors? ! supposed that such cour
e. was held to be altogether undlgnihed by I
rs public men. am sure. for enc, that wit
ID | went into the department OF State, und
le Gen. Harrison, found in the records
a. my predecessor, many things which cou
~ have wished otherwise; but did retract
n. jot or title of what Mr.. Forsyth had don,
he Not particle. took the place as he IL
re it aud should have felt that should ha
ce both disgraced myself aud my country, il
IL had gone to the Bsitish Minister and sal
c. "Pray, my Lord Ashburton, see how mu
of more favorable to England we are than I
C. preceding administration pray hrget
MS the rashness, and haste, and vehemence
of Mr.. Forsyth, and consider how modest, a
e, humble. and amiable, we, his successor
of are !"
of But now, on this very subject of the {
al tension Of the slave power, would by
means do the least injustice to Mr.. van d
ba n on