Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-08-06
IMPORTANT FREE SOIL CoaRESpav-
DENCE.
letter from Hon. Salmon Il. Chase. Of
Ohio, 10 Hon. Benjamin z. Fzu,lcr. og
New York.

WASHINGTON CITY, July Is. 1852
DEAR SIR:-The year 1918 will be menora.
BILE IN history year of movement. of PROGRESS
OF reimbursement. In that year il was nv for.
tune 10 be closely associated with Won in Doli,i.
cal action. We were both members of the Com
ventlon of the Free Democracy which assem-.
| bIed at Buffalo; both members OF the committee
winch unanimously reported the resolutions
winch were unanimously adopted BY the oonven-
non us ITS platform, and both members of the
aommlitee designated by the convention to adj.
wise Martin Van Buren, Of lis nomination. as tic
candidate OF the Free Democracy, for The office
OF Presid ent Of the United States
The grand object of that asscmLlacc, declared
10y itself, was "the union ofthe people, under the
banner Of Free Democracy, in a solemn and final
declaration of their Independence of the Slave
power, and OF their fixed determination ,o rcscuc
The federal government from lis control" The
immediate and pressing necessity of the hour.
was the exclusion of slavery from the territories
acquired from Mexico, but it was clearly under
stood that this exclusion, if accomplished, would
not be fInGi settlement Of the CONTROVERSY be-.
! tween slavery and freedom. Ii was soon ~,
the contrary, that the slave power, resulting from
the unity and magnitude Of the slave interest
and lis firm establishment in nca.ly half tho
states, would still be able to control the national
government, prescribe lis opponents through the
action OF the national administration. bv its ola
poiicy OF refusing support to any political party
! hot prepared to acqulcsce in its demands. and
giving support TO that party which would most
completely acquiesce. Tac convention, thcre-
'ore, dd not contine itself to u simple declara
uon IN favor Of the prohibition of the extension
{ OF slavery into free territory, and the uomnauou
OF candidates hostile to such extension, ha,
While denying the right of interference nv Com
gress With slavery within the limits of a,,y staff,
resolved, nevertheless, that it is the duty Of the
lederal government to relieve itself from all re-
sponslOIlty Tor the existence or continuance Of
slavery, wherever that government possesses
constitutional power to legisate on the subject.
and is thus responsible for It's existence; accent.
ed the issue rendered by the slave powcr,' AMI
It's demand for more slave states and more slave
territory" gave "the calm but final answer mo-
more slave states, and no slave territory" and
declared that "the government ought to return
10 It's original policy, hjch as the history Of the
{ uhtFy clearly shows, was not TO extend nations
alZe, or encourage, but 10 limit, locazr and dis
courage slavery Having thus defined ,heir
position III respect to slavery, and having, also,
agreed upon platform of principles and meas
nres, embracing all the important political cues.
tons of the day, the members of the convention
soemnly pledged themselves TO each other and
the country in this emphatic declaration:
ReSotred, That we inscribc on our banner
free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free
Men, and under Ii will fight on and tioh: ever,
uhtll triumphant victory shall reward our eX-
ertons.
well remember the qualification and delight
which you expressed upon the unanimous adop.
ton OF THIS platform by the committee, and when,
Us lis chairman, you reported it TO the convcn-
ton. The scene which then ensucd will not
soon fade from the memory of any who Witness
ed It, The vast multitude, animated by one i'm
pulse, literally shouted for Joy. The seemed
to teel that Democracy had, ut length, broken
the bonds OF the slave power, and would hence.
forth have Tree course in its mission Of cnfran-
chlsement and elevation, and that our country,
guided by It's maXims and penetrated by its spjr
II, would hencctorth exhibit 10 the world the ex-
ample OF government openly, fcaressly, and
consistently, in favor Of freedom everywhere and
for all.
Nor shall lever forget the honorable zeal with
which the New York Democracy Joined in this
great movement for human liberty. Their deyo-
ton to freedom was not then for the first time
proved. n sooner had it become evident that
the war with Mexico must result in vast Access
slons to the territory of the Republic, than with
single unanlmlty, they joined in the demand for
the exclusion OF slavery from the new acaui,j-
lions. AT first they were almost unanimous in
this demand but the proscriptivo denunciations
with which the slave interest assailpd all the
friends OF prohibition, shook the resolutions of
many, and converted the forward zeal of some
into cold indifference or open hostility. The rad
lcaL Democracy Of New York, however, stood
firm, and when, in 1877, the opponents of the
prOvlso, having obtained as it was alleged, by
force and fraud, the control of the Democratic
Convention at Syracuse, rejected resolution in
favor of that great measure, the radical Dein,c-
racy assembled at IIcrLimer, inscribed the pro,
vlso OF freedom on their banner, and rejected the
nominations Of the Syracuse convention, ensu-
ring, thereby, their rejection by the people The
members OF the legislature, which assembled
the succeeding winter at Albany, representing
both divisions OF the Democracy, united in a call
tor State Convention 10 meet at Utica, to ap-
point delegates to the Baltimore National Con
vcnOn, agrooably to the established usarcs Of
that party. committee of the Syracuse Con
yenuon had already called another convention, /
to meet at Albany for the same purpose. Both /
conventions assembled and appointed delegates
The appontccs of the regularly called Utica |
Convention were trcnds-thosc Of the Albany /
Convention OppOnCntS-of the Proyiso Both |
sets of delegates attended at Baltimore Some
OF the slave states, as usual, were represented
by numerous delegates, vastly diaProportionod to
their electoral votes, aud wcr. unanimous in !
their hostility to the Proyiso and It's irends.- /
The Committee on Credentials reported against
the admission Of the Utica, and in favor Of the a1-
mission al the Albany, dCl'gatcs. The Conycn- |
ton rejected the report; and yet, refusing to de-
eide the question Of right, resolved to admit b3.h
sets thereby neutraliZInr the power Of the ycrIr-