The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-08-25
Mr.. Hale's Declination.
Dover. IN. H.) Aug, 4, 1852.

Pittsburgh the ! It'll inst, have determin-
ed to address few lines to you, which, in
one contingency, may possibly have some
influence in giving direction to the action Of
that body.
1t would be an unworthy affectation to me
to pretend to be ignorant of the fact that
there has been expressed in the newspapers
of the Independent Democracy an opinion
favorable to the presentation of my name,
by that Convention, as candidate for the
office of President of the United States to be
voted for by that portion Of the people who
are neither willing to be slaves themselves
nor the means of fastening the chains of sla-
very upon others trust | may be pardon
ed if l express the opinions that there nev-
er has been time, since the question wheth'
er the interests oft'reedom or orSlavery should
predominate in the National Government,
has engaged the attention of the people of
this country, when there was more urgent
demand, more pressing necessity for eftlc-
ent action by the friends Of Freedom and In
dependent Democracy than the present
So far as the public can see or judge, the
Wing and Democratic parties, each and both,
by the action of their organized representa-
tives in Convention assembled, have formal
ly abandoned and renounced every manly
and generous sentiment which they ever pos
sessed or professed, and have consented
henceforth to strive oaly in that contest
which shall determine who is the swiftest
in obeyng the requirements and doing the
work of Slavery. This is no new thing for
the Northern Democracy; they had done it
SO long and found it so protItless, that four
years since very considerable portion Of
them gave unequlvocal evidence that they
felt the degradation Of their po iton, and
were disposed to assert and maintain their
claim to some regard in the management and
control of the party to which they belonged.
This claim, so far from being rec ecognized or
considered by the Southern wing which had
' hitherto directed and controlled the policy
of the party, was openly spurned ndtreatcd
with the utmost contempt; so much so that
it was avowed and put the shape oftormal
resolutions by Democratic State Conventions
in several Southern States, that any mau
who entertained opinions on the subject of
preserving our territories free from Slavery,
such as were known to have been expressed
by nearly unanimous vote of the reSpcc
tive Legislatures Of nearly, if not quite all,
the noa-slavcholding States, should not re-
ccive single Southern vote. This claim of
the South was the more insolcnt and prepos-
ferrous, masmuch as the policy demanded by
the North. viz: that of legislation by Con-
gress on the subie Of Slavery in the terrific
ries, prohibiting it in some cases, limiting
restricting it in some, and regulating it in
others, had received the sanction of every
President of the United States from Wash
ington to Polk, and had become, if an unin-
terrupted serious of precedents could MAKE
it so, the settled and unquestloncd policy OF
the United States.
The South demanded that this policy
should be abandoned, thar a system Of leg
islation coeval with the Constitution, and
sanctioned by the approval Of the most il
lHstrous names which adorn our Revolution
ary and our Constitutional history, should
be reversed, and q construction given tc
our Constitution which would make it ac-
cursed of God, and hateful to every friend
of national liberty throughout the world, viz,
hatwheneverthe United States, by purchase
or conquest, acquired new territory, the Con
stitution of the United States, by its own en-
ergy, and without any legislation by Con-
gress, permitted and legalized Slavery
throughout the whole extent Of the territory
thus acquired. This claim, so monstrous as
to shock every unprecedented mind the mo
ment it is avowed, bas been practically re
cognized by Congress as correct, in their re
fusal to legislate upon the subject Of Slavery
in the acts establishing Territorial Goyeln
ments for Utah and ewMexico; and by al
express provision, in those acts inserted BY
Northern votes, that those territories may be
admitted as States of the Union with or with
out Slavery as they may elect at the time 0
their applying for admission. And thi
change Of National policy, this total surren
der of everything which Slavery demanded
until Northern servility has exceeded South
ern arrogance; this entire abandonment o
every safeguard of Liberty in the immens
territories WHICH we possess, as if in yer.
dersion ofour pusillanimity, has been absurd
ly called Compromise.
But the Wing party in times past have oc
cupied more favorable position in relatlo
toSlayery, if their professions and resolution
on the subject in the Free States were to b
considered. 1t is not long since separat
political action by anti Slavery men was dis
couraged and discountenanced by the whig
of the North, because it was said the whig
were the only genuine anti-Slavery party
and only four years since l remember
have seen at various places in MassachuSet
notice Of whig meetings, at which disting1
ished wings were to speak, with these wore
in glaring capitals at the head, "Taylor Eli
more, and Free Soil"
But now, so far as the action of their Coz
vention can do it, all this has been abandon
ed. and they have descended to the level
the Democracy, and are contending wit
them for the palm which Slavery shall awal
to its most servile ial.-Democracyw VIII
with holiest professions Of Liberty on the lip
has been voluntarily the bond slave of slav
ry, doing its vilest work, till she has grow
uneasy and restive in her unnatural postio
is naturally suspicious ofthe sincerity ofWhi!
gery,gwhen il voluntarily assumes postie
SO humiliating and SO revolving.
In accordance with this idea, the leadin
organs of the Democratic party are burdcl
ed with alticles to demonstrate the insince
ftY pf the Whigs in the proslayery positic
which their Convention assumed Shoul