Washington sentinel., 1853-11-08
O. ON munit
NEw YoRK, Oct. 26, 1853.

MEssRs. EDIToRs: The Washington Union
has lately contained two elaborate articles, re-
viewing, at considerable length, the democratic
polics of this State, written avowedly by Hon.
r. Gillet. A more complete caricature Of New
York politics, more one-sided and uncandid
view of the position of things in this State past
and present, could scarcely be conceived. In
this State, with intelligent men, most Of the
letters Of Mr.. Gillet---all that relates to our
financial affairs, to our banking system, bank
charters, State loans, and bank suspension
would be deemed a covert attack upon Cover
nor Marcy, if in other parts Of the letter the
writer did not profess to support or defend the
Secretary of State. The safety fund system,
under which most Of our bank charters we're
granted, originated with Martin Van Buren, !;
or rather was first recommended by him to the
Legislature, when governor short time in 1929.
Most of the bank charters were granted when
Governor Marcy was governor, and the bills
were signed by him. So with the plan to en-
large our Erie canal and extend the system Of
canals. The bills for the construction of the
Black River and Genesee Valley canals, the
last canals authorized, &c, passed in 1886,
when Marcy was governor, as did one or more
bills to borrow money upon the credit of the
State for that purpose; and the bill to suspend
the payment of specie by the banks, in 1887,
was recommended and signed by Governor
Marcy. So it will be seen that all the imputa-
tons in Mr.. Gillet's letters upon the conser-
vatives" of New York are imputations upon
Governor Marcy, whom Mr.. Gillet considers q
sound democrat.
/. Governor Marcy was the author Of, accessory
to, or pagticeps c1,ininis in all the wrongs inn
puted to the conservatives down to the close Of
NJ Dali IL. NJ.
Gillet stigmatizes as conservatives were the
friends and supporters Of Governor Marcy, and
procured his appointment to position in Mr.
Folks cabinet. In respect to all those matters,
Governor Marcy acted with the great body of
the party, and there was no particular division
among democrats till the special session of Con-
gress, in 1889, when some difference arose in
respect to the policy of the independent treas
ury. Mr.. Van Buren was defeated in l840; but
he was fairly supported by the great mass Of
the party in this State, who desired and cordi
ally supported his nomination in 1874 His
opposition to the annexation Of Texas defeated
his nomination at the Baltimore convention in
that year--a defeat for which ho never forgaye
the south; and this is the origin, the secret and
the main cause Of all the difficulty in the party in
this State since that period. Immediately after
the nomination Of Mr.. Polk for President, Sc.
cret circular was scattered over this State sign,
ed by eight or ten Of Mr., Van Burens friends,
recommending the nomination of candidates for
Congress opposed to the annexation Of Texas.
This movement commenced the anti-slavery
agitation in New York.
The men who signed that circular were not
the conservatives whom Mr.. Gillet denounces.
They were what no would call radical demo
erats or barnburners. The same men who, with
their coadjutors of the same faction, kept up
agitation IN opposition to the annexation Of
Texas, against the extension Of territory, adyo-
Gated the Wilmot proviso, and tried to instruct
Mr.. Dickinson out of the senate, and traduced
and vilifed him beyond measure, because he
would not submit TO their dictation on that sub
ject. The same faction, finding itself beaten in
the State convention Of l847, bolted the ticket