The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-08-21
THE MINNES0TIAN.
The Free Soil Movement of 1859.

ent year, although not upon so extensive
scale as that of '48, will nevertheless
have highly important bearing upon the
result of the Presidential election now
pending Some of the politicians in the
States appear to attach quite too little i'm
portance to this element. An 6: outsider"
at this distance, can perhaps judge more
correctly Of its bearings than those i'm
mcdiately engaged in tile melee of Presi-
dent making.
At the moment we write, we have no
news from the National Free Soil Con-
vcnt'on assembled at Pittsburgh on the
l1th inst. In all probability the result
will reach us before the inside form of
our paper goes to press. But we can
state at this time, that Hale, of New
Hampshire, for whom large majority of
the delegates from all the States repre-
sented was instructed to vote, acM not be
the nominee for President. In a letter
dated August 4th, he peremptorily de-
clines the nomination. AT the same time,
he denounces the slbscrviency of
both the old parties to the slave power"
counscls the " Free Democracy to keep
up their separate organization, and pledges
his support to the Pittsburgh nominees.
tic says the portion of the Democratic
party who are now supporting Pierce
have "sought, nay begged the servile
position they occupy at the foot of the
" slave power" but intimatcs the Wings,
in great measure, have been forced
there. He goes on TO say of the old line
Democracy:
The Independent Democracy of the
North has defeated the Compromise or
pro-slavery Democracy once, because Of
its treachery to Freedom and its subser-
viency 10 Slavery. Is its position any
more favorable to the great cause of civil
liberty now than it was four years ago ?
On the other hand, is it not infinitely
worse? Or was there motive which
could be addressed to an honest mind to
act with us then, that may not be urged
with much greater force now? think
not. l have no doubt that the defeat of
the Democratic party four years since did
the party great good, but it was too thor
oughly debauched, corrupted and polluted
hy its long and close ali;nnee .,;,h, ...l
subscrviency to slavery, to be radically
cured at once. The dose needs TO be re-
peated to effect perl ect cure; and when
that is done, we shall have Democratic
party that will be SO in deed and truth as
well as in name"
Mr.. Hale's real purpose and end in
this campaign is here plainly Indicated
so clearly that she who runs may read"
He wishes TO defeat Frank Pierce; but
whether on account of Franks "sub-
serviency" to the slave power Or be-
cause he is personal rival of the great
champion of ''Free Democracy" in the
State Of New Hampshire, or both, we
will not attempt 10 judge. Those who
know ".Jack Hale" as he is familiar'y
called at home, say he is an honest, whole
sou|ed fellow, religiously sincere in his
political professions, and above any selfish
feelings in matters Of this kind. He
must know, however, that he could, were
he the candidate, poll twicc-possibly
thrice the vote that can be carried for
Chase or any other man in the parity
Particularly is this the fact in reference
to the Western Reserve of Ohio. We
have watched the movements closely in
that quarter during the past two months.
At all the Free Soil meetings, Hale has
been the unanimous choice of those as
sembled. The Cleveland True Demo-
crat-the especial organ of Free Soil in
Ohio and the West-has talked Hale and
nothing else. The regeneration of
Chase, in abandoning the Free Sellers
and supporting Gov. Woods election last
year, and nop turning round and going
for separate organization, it has exposed
and denounced. The True Democrat
undoubtedly reflects the sentiments of
the Reserve Free Sellers and we here
venture the prediction, that if Chase be
the nominee for President, he will not,
in Ohio, rise beyond the Birncy vote of
1874, which was eight or ten thousand
only. In lS4S, Van Buren, received up
wards of $4,000. Persons convcrsant
with Ohio politics can thus calculate the
general bearing the declination of John
P. Hale, coupled with his determination
to "repeat the dose" administered to the
old line " Democracy" of the Union in
lS48, will have upon the final result