The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-28
Kinderhook in "overawing the convention"
in favor Of his friend General HoUsToN:
MARTIN VAN buren,.

cratic party
Although have not the pleasure Of personal
acquaintance with you, need no assurance other
than that which is derived from the character of
your letter, that your motives are entitled to my
respect and confidence. My voluntary partciPa-
on in party politics has long since been confined
the regular exercise Of the right Of suffrage and
nothing could be further from my intention or de-
sire than TO change my position in this regard. My
reply to your friendly letter must therefore be lin
tied to an approval of the liberal spirit which you
seek to infuse into the that compose the
Democratic party, as not only right in itself, but
we'll adapted to the exigences OF our cause and
country.
] am, dear sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, MARTIN VAN BUREN,.
c. H. DoSALDsoN, eco.
Here is letter, now, that is letter. Mr..
VAN buren, contemplated the probability of its
publication; and he therefore took good care
that it should show on its face that he has not
the pleasure of Mr.. DoNALDsoN's personal ac-
quainlance, and that he writes merely on the
faith Of what appears in his letter. He takes oc-
casion, moreover, 10 put on record that he was
not voluntarily Presidential candidate at the
last election, and that he has no intention of be-
coming anyother than an involuntary candidate at
any future election. We regard this letter ofthe
venerable Ex-PREsIDENT as a pattern letter
for all gentlemen who are addressed by CORE
! spondents with whom they have not "the plea
sure of personal acquaintance"
| We now reach letter of different de-
scripton. that of a man who wears his heart on
his sleeve, and does not care who knows of
his whereabouts. Some one Of the critics has
said that though the letters of eminent men
make very choice and curious reading, he
'.should except the letters of celebrated war
riors> which, for the most part, should only
be published in the Gazette" This is rather
a sweeping exception, but our readers can Judge
whether or not the epistle of General Com
MANDER falls within it. The General, it
seems, thinks that the days of the Federal
Union are numbered, and assalls the Admins
tration here as ''Free-soil Government" with
as much fervor as the Democratic Coalitionsts
| in MASSACHUSETTS have denounced it as a
"pro-savery Government" He proposes, more
over, to ''expatriate" the Submissonsts, and
suggests, as an ,dtimatunl of South CAROLINA,
that Congress shall buy back CALIFORNIA up
TO thirty six thirty, for which he ''has nothing
to hang hope upon" But the Generals let
ter will speak for itself
GEN. JAMES NJ. COMMANDER, OF s. c.
| South Island, GEoRasTowN Dist, S. c.,
July II, 1851.
DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 2sth June was
duly received. The long delay of my answer was
occ asioned by my having attack of fever, fol-
lowed by the illness of Of my children, whose
| life long despaired Of Having thus shown
| you that there was no intentional neglect my
| part proceed to answer your query think
Baltimore the most suitable place for the asSem-
| bling of the Democratic National Convention, and
early in June a proper time for the assembling OF
the convention ] would myself prefer any time
| in June to May, did expect TO be again MEM
her. But, in my opinion. the days of the Federal
| Union are numbered; the northern presses are
misleading the people, (or they themselves
deceived -intentionally deceiving the people as
well themselves, fear, with regard to the
feeling OF the masses of the South In this State,
| / presume you aware that ninety nine one
hundredths arc disunionsts-the only difference
of opinion i5 to the time and expediency.
In Georgia the resistance party is growing and
increasing in magnitude like an avalanche "a
it rolls; the same In Alabama. Florida, and
| Mississippi; even North Carolina ia aroused
and prepared to resist any force that may
be sent by the Free soil Government at Wash
ington to a sovereign State. i mean the
people Of the States ! have mentioned, not the
leading politicians. The masses are rapidly cast
ing of their leading strings; they are beginning
| to think and act for themselves. The politicians
who have preached submission to the outrages OF
the Federal Legislature will be compelled at last
tba Of
or sink to rise more, unless to breathe out a
miserable existence among their Northern allies
forever expatriated from the sunny land that
gave them birth The truth is, the people believe
that the institution of slavery 10 doomed, unless
they strike now for equal rights We believe thai
probably no outrages will be committed til
this Union, if il last long, shall number some
forty or fifty States; then the North, having ample
power to alter The Constitution (now little
spected) will not scruple to do 80, and in hour
we may be irretrievably ruined. Would to Goo
that the STORM, almost ready to break over our
heads and scatter into fragments the glorious
Union that have been taught 10 love and venerstC
by my revolutionary ancestors, and to look Upon
as the beacon light of liberty and equality to the
oppressed of the earth, offering shelter and protec
ton.
| ] pray God 10 avert what, in my opinion, woulc
be the greatest Calamity tnat coulu peiall tue WoTlo
but if the hearts of rulers are to remain hard
ened-if Congress- at it's session. does not buy bacl
California up to thirty-six thirty, and permit us
carry slaves to that line through to the Pacific
and give US sufficient guarantees that the insttu
ton will again be interfered with, but lief
entirely to those who alone interested in it, a.
we'll in the District Of Columbia the Territories
then one State at least will secede. Having moth
ing to hang hope upon that Congress will do this
look with certainty to the secession ofSouth Caro-
lima next year. probably before the meeting OF thu
Democratic Convention; in that event. as her child
am with her as long life lasts. know w
have friends and sympathizers among the Demo
cratic party at the North--not many, tits true, bu
it is grateful to our feelings there SUCH though
few in number.
am, dear sir, yours truly,
JAMES Nj. CoNaASDER.
Bon. NATHANIEL GREER.
r We must frankly admit that we do not SCI
in these letters, nor in those Of Mr.. GIDpINGs
Mr.. HALLErr, or Judge WOODBURY., an!
, thing to warrant the confident tone in whIc