Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-10
NUMBER SO.
To the Hon. r. M. T. HUNTER

the American movement Is 60 deep discomfort"
He assumes that the American party ID made up of
all the "isms," and that II is therefore all wrong
II is true that the public mind may become dis
eased, but the existence ofa !" discomfort SO po-
tent and active, as the results OF late elections
prove this to be, should admonish American states
men that discomfort" is reserued popular right,
and that whether the disease be in the public
mind or in the government the power and the
right of the people to reform what they conceive to
be wrong is the same
Admitting that the American party are discon-
tent" seeking to reform abuses of which they COM
plain, we may admit that like all other parties it
is made up Of incongruous and opposing opinions,
and that Il the party were to be judged by the rep
utation OF some of its members, 1t would be con-
demned; but ask, what great party, of any time
or age, can stand such testg 1t is therefore man
ifestly unjust to say that the American party are
abolitionists, because some of its prominent and
influential members are known to be opposed to
African slavery. If, as ! believe, the abolition
movement is attributable partly to belief that the
people Of the northern States are responsible, in
their consciences for the existence of slavery, and
partly to diseased public sentiment, aggravated by
local and sectional jealousy and morbid appetite
for transatlantic notoriety and partly to the
sures OF the Britshpeope and government, then that
movement may be identified with the interests and
policy of foreign government, which it is the
Vi
If be correct in this, and it be true that the
abolition movement is inconsistent with the oblga-
tons which the people of the several States owe
to each other, and that the abolition of slavery if
accomplished will promote the interests and policy
Of England, to the injury of the Amerinan govern
ment and people, then, surely, the organization
and success Of party, extending its influence
into all the States having for its avowed object the
maintenance Of American interests, and an Ameri-
can control over the American government, must
tend to alay sectional feelings and by uniting the
American people, do much to counteract the in
iucnce Of British intrigue, which is now the most
potent and active element of the abolition move
ment
The rivalry between Massachusetts, and Virginia
commenced before the close of the Revolution,
and to the sectional jealousy OF Massachusetts, may
be attributed the ordinance abolishing slavery
| northwest of Ohio. The tendency of the conflict
between the colonies and the mother country, was
| to create abstract theories upon the subject of
| slavery, and the general sentiment In favor of
liberty induced Virginia and the other States to
acquiesce.
The contest between the elder Adams and Mr..
Jefferson brought the republican party intopower
and the consequence. of the southern ascendency
in the federal government was that the federalists
Of Massachusetts, became more hostile to slavery,
believing that they could regain their political
ascendency by making a sectional issue between
the North and the South, on that question.
1t is known that John @. Adams charged the
personal and political friends of his father with
reasonable purposes, and was rewarded by Mr.
Jefferson with foreign mission; and that, after
the war of 1872, he made the treaty, pledging our
government to cooperate with England in her pur-
pose Of emancipation. He WINS the resident min
lister in London in 1915, and Daniel Pope Cook, Of
Illinois, appointed bearer of dispatches to no
tify him Of his appointment as Secretary of State
by Mr.. Monroe 1t was under the influence and
advice of Mr.. Adams that Mr.. Cook went back to
Illinois, and came into Congress to agtate the sa-
very question; because, as Mr.. Cook told me him
self, in 1877, Mr. Adams had convinced him that
the migration northwest of the Ohio would be so
great that the non-slaveholding States would soon
obtain the political control of this country
Subsequently, Mr. Adams, In his celebrated ora
ton in Boston, labored TO prove that the Consttu-
ton Of the United States Is compact between the
whole people, and that it created national gov
ernment, instead Of being compact between SOW
eregn and Independent States. The effect Of his
theory would be to make the people In the nom
slaveholding States responsible for the existence of
slavery In the other States whereas II the consti-
tuition be a compact between sovereign and nde-
pendent States, with limited powers, then il is in
the nature of treaty between independent gov
ernments, and IL follows that the people of Massi-
chusetts have no more right TO interfere with
slavery in Virginia than they have to emancpate
the serfs of Russia the slaves in British India.
These facts show that the abolition movement is
sectional and politica-that its purpose is TO or
ganize the non-slaveholding States as a political
party, on a false construction Of the constitution
BY the 16th article of the treaty Of Utrecht, the
British government agreed to give Spain 100000
crowns and TO the Kings of Spain and of England
each onefourth part of the profits for the privilege
Of importing slaves into the Spanish American do
mnions and yet by another treaty, In 1917,
Great Britain gave TO Spain two millions of dollars
TO abolish the slave tradei Why this change of
British policy' Mr.. Wilberforce, in his speech in
Parliament, on the treaty Of 1917, said
He could not but think that the grant to Spain
would be than repaid to Great Britain in
merciai advantages, by the opening Of great con
tinent TO British industry-an object which would
be entirely defeated If the slave trade were 10 be
carried on by the Spanish nation. Our CONNER
cial connexion with Africa will much more than re-
pay us for any pecunary sacrifices Of this kind"
II is notorious that George Thompson was an
employee Of persons interested In the trade TO In
dia. He was employed by them TO lecture in
England, and was sent to the United States TO aid
in the organization Of abolition societies, pledged
TO exert their influence to dissolve the Union. One
Of our consuls at Liverpool placed in my hands,
and / forwarded TO Mr.. Tyler, then President Of
tho United States, autograph letter of the most
active and influential abolitionist Of England urg-
ing that the best and 8urest means OF abolshing
slavery in the United States was for the abolition
party to agitate the dissolution Of the Union as
the means Of relieving the North from the respon-
sibilty Of the sin Of slavery.
Do you not know that the best way to put down
ono excitement Is to get up a strongerf If we
analyze the elements which give strength and
character TO the American party, we find that
they are more potent, and, of necessity, opposed
10 the abolition movement Let us, therefore, do
what we can to give Il proper direction.
There are some persons who have a vague idea
that there is something in politics incompatible
with religion else that there Is something in re-
lgion incompatible with politics; and suppose,
therefore, that the American party must break
down because they make opposition TO Papal SUI
premacy prominent feature Of their organization.
II is true that the vices Of the Romish church
paved the way for the infdelity of votaire, and
that to the inidety Of that day may be traced the
horrors Of the French revolution, and many of the
errors that were then, and are now, common to
France and the United States. But those horrors
and the errors TO which they are attributable, were