Holly Springs gazette., 1849-10-12
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, lS49.
same unanimously, the following Senators


"Messrs. Adams, Austin, Barnum,
Barton, Browne, Childs, Dudley, Dayton,
Ditmiss, Evans, Forthington, Hammond,
Hart, Livingston, Loundsbcrry, McMar>
tin, Moons, MelIory, Moore, Noyes, Paine,
Rosencrantz, Skinner, Swan, VAN BU>
llEN, Wilson, Young.-20."
Thisresoluton was aimed at Louisiana
Territory embracing what is now the
States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri,
Missouri Territory, &c.) previously pur-
chased from France, and of course not
within "the original boundaries of the
United States" The power of Congress
TO PROHIBIT SLAVERY IN NATIONAL TERRITORY
is here distinctly asserted That is what
we now denomnate WILMor PRovIsolsM,
and is precisely the same doctrine which
the South is battling against. The
only difference is, the restrictionists oftha
day went little farther than those of
our own times, and claimed the right not
only to PROHIBIT the introduction of slavery
into territory where it previously was not /;
but even to abolish it in territory where it
already existed; and they farther claimed
for Congress the right to say, whether a
STATE, organized for admission into the u
Mon and freed from its territorial relation
to the general government, should have
slavery in its limits or not. Mr.. Van Bu-
rem was therefore an out and out free soil.
ist as early as 1920 as his vote shows.
Again, in 1921, Mr.. Van Buren, was
member Of the New York State Conyen-
ton, which met at Albany to amend the
constitution of the State. The following
Summary, compiled from the "Reporls of
the proceedings and debates of the Con
venton," exhibits his course in that body
respecting the right Of suffrage.
A proposition being under consider ra
ton, that every male citizen aged twcn-
ty one, &C., who "shall have been for
the year next proceeding assessed, and
shall have paid tax eithcrto the State,
county,or on the highways" shall be en-.
titled to vote,
Mr.. Wheeler offered this proposition,
See page 27G:
Sand also every other male citizen of
! the age of II years, who shall have been
three years an inhabitant of the State,
and for one year a resident of the town
or city where he may offer his vote, pau
pers and persons under guardianship ex.
cepted,"
Mr., Van Buren, voted in the negative.
"Gen. Root enlarged unon the remarks
of the gentleman from Niagara, Mr. Rus
sell, who mentioned two instances in his
town where two Revolutionary Soldiers
and Patriots, one of whom fought with
Montgomery under the walls of Quebec,
and the other under Wayne at Stony
Point, would be Disfranchised If this pro-
vision were stricken out"
Mr. Var. Buren, was not satisfied with
voting against Mr.. Wheeler's PROPOSE
ton, but he also made speech on the
occasion in answer to Gen. Root.--(See
page 277)
"Mr. Van Buren, observed, that it was
evident, and indeed some gentlemen did
not seem disposed to disguise it, that the
amendment proposed by the honorable
gentleman from Delaware, Gcn. Root
contemplated nothing short of UNIVERSAL
SUFFRAGE. Mr. Van BIrcn did not be-
lieve there were twenty members of that
committee, who, were the naked question
Of universal suffrage put to them, would
vote in its favor; and he was sure its a.
doption was notexpected, and would not
meet the views OF their constituents.
"Mr. Van Buren, then replied to a
statement made yesterday by his honor-
able and venerable friend from Erie (Mr
RusselD in relation to the exclusion ol
soldiers who had fought at Quebec and
Stony Point, under the banners OF Mont
gomery and Wayne. Few
of these patriots were now living, and
of that few, the number was yearly di.
mimshing. In fifteen years the GRAVE
will have covered all those WHO NOW SUR
vIvE. Was it not then unwisc to hazard
a wholesome restrictive provision, lest its
operation might affect these few individ-
uals for a short time? He would add nc
more. His duty would not permit him
to say less"
Again, on page 2s4, Mr.. Wheeler
made II speech "in favor of universal sul1'
rage"
"Mr. Van Buren, occupied the nool
some time in expressing his sentiment.
decidedly against the amendment, ant
against universal suffrage. We are haz'
ardng every thing by going to sucl
lengths in the amendments; the people
" oud never sanction them"
Having examined Mr.. Van Buren,
views on the right of WHITE CITIZENS t.
vote, we now turn our attention to the
| NEcRoEs.-The committee proposed Il