New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-22
Martin Van Buren,.

PROM the Courier a E1qu.fe,
7A< 1,,bga>, Opinion Of Martin Ian Buea IN 1912 In
April lsi2 the ,gu took me Neo lok isDaa 70 a.
rom his labor. Undertook. snd was N no way oelof
the public. To this Mr. GREELEY, on NE V'h Of APH''
-" s, oson 70 Mr. Van relation 90
b. beng Or not - e I % n is people. demand 70
Pfesdena Esotors 30 ~ ana pa. ur. ~,
pn0 pal Of rendering Political contests 1ss - 49,
- go ~, doasi, eacr On fhe suo~fou prne
81 Protector Home indestfJas The NgtterH nan ~ta %
ca ,,1,s o. Isl N.ms and rho "a h Inaugural e9Hfen9"efa
Nos. Lssca Li~ 70 T@ doug" PeaoJ" deaon-e' . pa"
~ phoe ~ a' haos" 70 o. sr,s,o.' s',9
cssrrus .cr oppose anil shs oppose hNtn van bui-
AID ne Niriost WrtiAA l. ue 'g"
Tu TSibune would greatly oblge by repubisling The
foregoing, and informing It's fea1ers wherein MI
sfs has changed since April, 1872 Newoud s,so ASH ~
m. Tribune whether in re opinion, II Mr. VAN BURN hAd
been nonnsied Baltimore he would or would 1ol nave
accepted and have given his adherence as oo M CAss 10
he platform there adopted We pause for srepy
~ We do not know why the Courier should
ask these questions, unless to insinuate that we
support Mr. Van Buren, for President. We shall
not hesitate, however, to reply that we do consl-
der Mr.. Van Buren, wiser and better man IN
lsis than he was IN lsi2, and hs position before
the public materially changed for the better. We
retract nothing OF the objections to his earlier ca
reer quoted by the Courier they such as We
honestly entertained and still believe true in the
main, though rather iorclbly stated. we are
sometimes rather emphatic in the expression OF
our convictions even without the help OF the Cour
iers Italics and capitalist We do not wish now to
Disguise or smoothc over our belief that Mr. Van
Buren, through the twenty years preceding 1874
was too complaisent and subseryient to the Slave
Power and that he pursued this course, IN part at
least, from conviction that 1t was the road to
Byzantium the path 10 honors and the highest
station; doubtless better impulses mingled with
ths-dcvotion TO his party and faith IN its tcnets
love Of friends and desire to be in position
TO serve them--but still the Spos system and
and the pandering to ultra Slavery are SINS which
We never spared and will not palliate.
We said truly in lsi2 that we had not known
Mr. Van Buren, to do heroic or unsetsh act--to
our apprehension We say now that we hare
know him to do act apparently of heroism so
lust in itself and injurious to his outward state
and fortune that we should be 10th indeed to grope
for sordid motive where noble one is so obvi
Gus. We cannot doubt that the more decided por
tions Of his letter to Hammett opposing the An
nexation Of Texas without the assent Of Mexico,
were impced by deep conviction OF their us
tice and spirit OF self sacrificing devotion to the
public good We believe that letter cost him n
denomination If not a reelection; think he must
have had presentiment OF this when he wrote 1t
and we deeply venerate in friend or foe the
spirit that would rather bs right than be Presi
dent So profound an observer as john QUINCY
ApAMs-who had more reason than he alleged
for personal dislike to Mr. IAN Buren-is testified
by David l.. Child to have thus borne testimony
In lsi3 Mr. Adams told me that Mr. Van Buren, by
his fidelity to Freedom had sverted during his Admins
uson the greatest danger that had threatened Il since
the formation OF the Government Il know said Mr..
Adams, that he Is opposed upon principle TO the An
nexstioE of Texas This was some months before Mr.
Van Buren, wrote his well known letter. for which he
was ruihessly sacrificed by the Slave Power ~ Bau
more If indeed his immoation 10 the bloody and OBJ
deity of southern worship had no, been long de-
termined on
What Mr.. Van Buren, would or might have done
IN possible but most improbable contingency We
cannot say but we think he would not have writ
ten the Nicholson letter to secure the Presidency.
n he would, we deplore the fact for his sake and
for human natures Yet his actual heroism is not
the less admirable because some suspect that he
might have been tempted to baseness had the
temptation been strong enough As to the Balti-
more Platform, It is poor string of ambiguous
common.places, which he might have signed with.
out really pledgine himself to anything OF much
consequence.
That Mr.. Van Burens attitude on the question
OF Slavery Extension and OF the relations general
~ OF the Federal Government e. Slavery is more
explicit and satisfactory than that OF either Of the
leading candidates for President we shall not con
raal Nhefexar 10. ..l
him as We do and must on the great elemental
principles of a true National Policy--profoundlv
convinced ,of the wisdom and benefoence of an
express ard effective Protection of Home Indus.
ry-the vigorous prosecution of a comprehensive
system of River aud Hsrbor lmprovements-the
investment OF all moneys received for Public
Lands so that the interest thereof shall be pre-.
we'd for and shared among all future generations
o, our whole PeoPle-and a system Of Finance
which shall reader the Government bene6cent and
invigorsting in its influence on the Industry, Cur
rency and Business OF the Country-we could yet
see without regret the election OF Mr.. Van Buren,
to the Presidency, because OF his Unequivocal de
voton to the great and imminent principle Of
Free Soil.
Then why not support him Simply because
we believe We should thereby be promoting the
triumph of Cass, and with him that Of the desdest
and most formidable enemies OF Freedom lie, il
be proclaimed tomorrow that and those who
agree with us Ia sentiment and in feeling on this
sabject had taken ground for Van Buren,, and who
would most rejoice over il Who would catch up
and speed the tidings from river 10 river and vii
lage TO viilsgel Ii would be the Postmssters, the
tdew alters, the minions OF Polk and the seryitors
Of the heir appsrent-tlr men who hope to crush
the Free Soil movement and iatten through coming
years Of Hanker and Slavery sscendency on the
spoils Of their divided aud prostrate adversaries
We shall not play their game for them.
MAssAcHusErTs-Nlllth Dist.-HoRAcE MsSS