The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-05
HON. ISRAEL WAsHBURN, JUN. SPEAKS
FOR HIMSELF"

The Bangor Journal having affected to deny
that Hon. Israel Washburn, jr., is in favor Of
the Republican movement, and miscOnstrued
MIR. Washburn's own language of last year, as
quoted by US, that gentleman has now addressed
the following letter to the editor of that paper:
ORoNo, June IL, 1850.
TO the Editors Of tie Bangor Journal:
am not unwilling to "speak for myself"
and define my position in reference to the
political organizations in our State.
/ have never acted, and consistently with nv
principles | never can act, with the party
which supports the Administration of Franklin
Pierce-which opposes the repeal of so much of
the Nebraska act as opens the vast country OF
Kansas and Nebraska to Slavery-whch ac-
quesces in whatever the slaveholding ohgarchy
has demanded hitherto, and will acquiesce in
whatever it may demand hereafter. Nor can
| act with any party, or any body of men, who
sympathize in opinion and feeling with this
Democratic Administration party. or will CO.
operate with it or lend it aid and comfort
thereby certainly, though 1t may be Indirectly
and unintentionally, strengthening the Slave
Power in the Republic. | cannot cooperate
with any party or body Of men, whose action
in all essential particulars must be controlled
by the Wing Know Nothings of the South. and
h
In the South more than thTee-ourths OF the old
Wings, including nearly all the leading men,
have left their former organization, and Joined
another; so that there is now no Wing party
South. And in New York, the party heretofore
claiming to be straight Wing" is almost TO a
man ProSlavery and Know Nothing | cannot
act with them, nor with those whose course.
however intended, tends to their advantage,
and therefore to the prejudice of the cause Of
Freedom. / prefer to keep the company of
such men as Seward, Wade, Fessenden, Benson,
who, true to the cause of Humanity, and loyal
to the Constitution of their country, will never
be diverted from the path Of duty and principle,
by eXtraneous and less important questions,
ill-timed and mischievous as they may consider
them.
Regarding the Slaveryextension question as
the leading, controlling question of the time,
must act with those who, while thinking as l
think in respect to it, will, by the action and or
ganizaton which they propose, most surely &C
complish the purpose for which every earnest
and sincere opponent Of the Slavery propaganda
will labor.
The Journal agrees with me, that this great
consideration resisting ~ l~-:--- r -
tyrannical slave oligarch~l now 5,erL . D.
the old party divisions au3 - lav. "a. n
cations Of the country. Ia-t -fH . el
10 U-lhey nave atfeauy gwen way. rt as
think alike must act together"
Upon this question, psramouu- 70 Ed IS Dr.
now pending, the jon eel !.
with the Free-Soiers, tie T-.
Gratis, as well as with ni.., ,cL...s y. ...o .n,s
of this State. Why should it not act with them?
Why don't it? The question, it admits, is first
and greatest. Why should the Journal oppose
these men necessarily, not to say bitterly, even
though it may disagree with them, or many of
them, as doubtless do, on other and subordi'
nate questions?
Coalitions between men of similar vlews are
natural and easy and justihable, because
founded on principle but between those of OPP
posite opinions they can be hardly otherwise
than without principle or justification. Why
should the Journal seem to favor the Pro Sla-
very Administration party, in preference to what
is known as the Republican organization
In Tuesdays issue, the editor intimates he
would sooner go into convention with the Old
Line Democracy than with those who have felt
obliged to abandon that party ON account of its
Pro-Slavery tendencies. | must beg leave to
say that in this respect / concur more nearly
with the views of the late Hon. Luther Sew
erance, expressed in a letter which 1 had the
honor to receive from him, and which have
before me, as follows: ~ must say that, in the
divisions of the Democratic party, my sym.
pathies are altogether with the Barnburners.