Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-03-10


The following instructive letters o
John Van Buren, and Ex-senator Glenn.
ems haying been made public by the
parties, we transfer them TO our clumns
LErrERs FROM PRINCE JOHN.
"MY DEAR CLEMENS:
The position took on the Baltimore
Platform lost me the respect and es-
TEEN Of some Of my truest and best
feiends, but so long as | knew il to be
wise and just, | submitted to this loss
without murmur, or even an expla-
nation, which would have saved me,
bur injured our cause. The covenant
Of peace ON the Slavery question enter
ed into al Baltimore. l thought wise
for the country and indispensable Tor
the Democratic party. Northern and
Southern Democrats differ, utterly
differ. ON the whole subject of Slavery.
What then, can be done? Why. drop
the subject; it is the only way to avoid
quarrel. This was agreed TO be
done at Baltimore; and now. in open
and palpable violation of this agree
ment, tits proposed to repeal or super
sede the prohibition Of Slavery in The
Missouri Territory, and to repeal it, on
the ground that it is either already
repealed or never existed. that it was
superseded by the Compromise ofl85O
or is unconstitutional. lfeither OF the
reasons be true, the act is n fragrant
breach Of party faith, for the assumed
reason that the act itself is entirely un-
necessary. Could anything but de-
sire to buy the South at the Prcsiden-
tial shambles dictate such an outrage?
Now, there are but two men who can
do any good in this crisis-one is Gen.
Cass, the other yourself. Ifyou agree
TO the Nebraska bill fast year it will
be promptly and triumphantly passed.
1 know Geu. Cass is committed to the
theory Of non-intervention. lam sorry
for il; think the theory unsound. Ii
is an idea Of self-governmcnt, and in
expressing the idea you overthrow the
whole theory by imposing govern
ment on the Territory. States have a
right of self-goyernment, Territories
have not; but | don't want TO argue
this. Gen. Cass can surely take this
ground, 1. e.: that the Baltimore Plat
form forbids the enactment or repeal of
any law on the subject of Slavery; and
the repeal Of the Missouri prohibition
is unnecessary, because Gen. Cass
thinks it unconstitutional, and will
leave it to the courts so TO hold
These views, and the fact that the
people Of Nebraska want the old bill,
and that the House by two to one,
passed last year, and that Atchinson
Of the Senate went for it, would give
General Cass fair standing ground in
doing what | am sure he sees to be
right. You, as Southern man, could
advocate il to insure peace and good
will for the South. IL is vital TO them
to live up to their agreement; they
would be worse of to beat us than to
be beat; the sting left behind would be
fatal hereafter. Doyou not think so?
.'lours, truly,
J. VAN BUREN,"
"Thcre is one idea in my head which
i ought to have put in my letter-the
theory Of intervention, rs applied
TO the Nebraska Territory, demands
the repeal ofthe law prohibiting Slavery
in Nebraska. The same theory. Of
course, requires the repeal of all laws
of Congress establishing Slavery
Now, Slavery in the District Of Column
bia exists by the laws Of Congress alone.
The Maryland and Virginia laws up
holding il are repealed. Thenon-inter-
vention theory. as now constructed,
abolishes Slavery in the District OF
Columbia. Upon strict State rights
doctrine too would repeal the Flu gitivc
Slave law. 81. V. b."
February 3, 1854.