Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-02-27
The Extension Of slavery

The Extension Of Slavery.
INTERESTING CoRaEsposDEscE.-The
following instructive private letter Of
JOHN VAN BunEN has been made pub
lie by the parties, we do not hesitate to
transfer it to our columns:
LETTER FROM PRINCE JOHN.
MY DEAR CLEMENS y The boz
sition / took on the Baltimore Platform
lost me the respect and esteem of
some Of my truest and best friends,
but SO long as I knew it to be
wise and just l submitted to this loss
without murmiir, or even an explaiia-
ton, which would have saved me but
injured our cause. The convenant of
peace on the Slavery question entered
into at Baltimore thought wise for the
country and indispensable fof the Dem
ncratic 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 dolie at Baltimore ;
and now, in open and palpable violation
of~this agreement, it is proposed to re-
peal or supersede the prohibition of
Slavery III the Missouri Territory, and
to repeal It, ON the ground that i, is el:
Their already repealed or never existed,
that it was superseded by the Compro-
mise Of 1850, or is Unconstitutional
If either OF the reasons be triie, Tile act
is fragrant breach of party faith, fof
the assured reason thai the act itself Is
entirely necessary. Could anything
but desire to btiy the Sotith at the Pres
idential SHAMELESS dictate siich an out
rage? Now there are but two men who
can do any good in this crisis-one is
General Cass, the other yourself. Ii
you will agree to the Nebraska bill of
last year it will be promptly aud tri-
nmphantly passed. know general Cass
is committed to the theory Of non inter
vention. | am sorry for 1t think the
theory unsouud. It is an flea of self
government, and in expressing the idea
You overthrow the whole theory by i'm
posing a government ON the Territory.
States have right Of self-governrnent,
Territories have not but dois't ,aant
to urge this. General Cass can sfrely
take this ground, i. e.: that the Balti-
more platform forbids the enactment or
repeal of any law upon the subject Of
Slavery and the repeal Of the Missou-
ri prohibition is unnecessary, because
General Cass thinks it Unconstitutional,
and will leave it to the Courts so to hold.
These views, and the fact that the peo-
pie of Nebraska want the old bill, and
that the House by two to one passed it
last year, and that Atchison of the Sem
ate went for it, would give General Cass
fair standing grodnd in doing what | am
sure he sees to be right. You, as a
Southern man could advocate it to insure
peace and good will for the South. 1t
is vital TO them to live up to the agree
lnent they would be worse off 10 beat
us than to be beat the sting left behind
would be fatal hereafter. Do you think
so /? # y u
Yours truly, j. VAN BUREN,"
s'There is one idea in my head which
ought 10 have put in my letter-the the
Dry Of non-in'ervention, as applied to
the Nebraska Territory, demands the
repeal Of the law prohibiting Slavery in
Nebraska. The same theory, of course,
requires the repeal of all laws of Con-
gress establishing Slavery. Now, Slave
ry in the District Of Columb ia exists by
the laws Of Congress alone. The Mary
land and Virginia laws upholding it al e
repealed. The non.interventinn theory,
as now construed, abolishes Slavery in
the District Of Columbia. Upon strict
State rights doctrine, too, it would re-
peal the fugitive Slave law.
"Feb. 3, 1854. J. V. b.