Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-11-10
Matter for the Record.

speech of Mr.. John Van Buren,, at Oswego New
York, in which he not only defended his own posi-
ton, but that of the party with which he acts, and
for which he speaks with reasonable degree OF
authority. have drawn from that gentleman good
humored but significant reply, which we place upon
record as matter Of justice to him and to the
"Soft' wing of the Democratic party Of New York,
well for the purpose Of bringing to the atten-
ton of incredulous Democrats in another quarter,
the facts stated by the distinguished writer We
copy it from Saturdays Union:
To the Editor of the Union:
SIR-I am glad to observe, from some editorial
remarks in your columns this day upon an address
delivered by me at Oswego recently, that State
election is arrestng the attention of our friends out
side the State We are not such devotees of
squatter sovereignty as to reject the advice and
intructon of those beyond our borders, though our
voting is done by the actual settlers. hope you
will be pleased with the manner m which We shall
do this. The election comes off week from next
Tuesday, and we shall thus soon be able to COM
pare the official returns with prediction which
wish to put on record. The entire Democratic
State ticket which you call Soft will be elected by
a plurality of fifty thousand votes. l sorry to
find you stating that, in effecting this result, We
shall have "cut ourselves loose from the National
Democratic organization" Being deeply engaged
in a State election which is rather more important
to our citizens than any national contest is likely to
be, we may not have had our attention sufficiently
called to the position of our brethren in other
States We hare no candidates for national honors
and very fen Of achat are called IN Washington,
national men. Mr.. John Cochran, the Surveyor
Of our port takes the principal charge Of the branch
Of Our politics, which may aptly be termed the
heavy business. He was a member of our State
Convention, and l rather took it for granted he
had seen to this.
As near as l now understand, you object to our
occupying now the position We occupied in lS4S
upon the subject of slavery. That position was
then and now defined as follows:
"Resolued, That while the Democracy of New
York will faithfully adhere to all the compromises
of the Constitution and maintain the reserved rights
Of the States, they deem this suitable occasion to
declare their .fred hostility to the extension of
slavery to free terretory."
Which branch of this resolution do you object to
in the name of the National Democracy? Are they
against the compromises of the Constitution the
reserved rights of the States do they desire to
extend slavery to free territory? And is their
feeling so intense on either of these three subjects
that they cannot act with Democrats who agree
with them on everything else but differ on these?
Again: you object to the following remarks of
mine, which you quote:
"In the first place, upon the subject of slavery,
the practical question is how to prevent the extern
sion of slavery into free territory. That is ques
ton upon which we have right to act, and it is
question which affects the State of New York.
For example, under the Constitution, in the ap-
portionment of Representatives every five slaves
oio hold
who owns five slaves is represented as four persons.
But man in. the State of New York, though he
may own ten millions of property, is merely counted
as one person. This is an unequal apportionment;
but it was one of the compromises of the Constitu-
ton, and which we agreed to be bound by, and
which must acquiesce in 80 far existing States
are concerned. But when you propose to convert
free territory into slave territory you propose to
increase that inequality upon which is based your
in Congress, which lays your taxes.
which makes treaties, which declares war, and
affects the whole property of the country. lis,
then, question with which we have right to
NEEDLE: and when we undertake to declare an
opinion upon it, it should be our true opinion.
This is in no sense abolition 1t is the ground we
took in l847 and ls4S, and we have adhered to it.
This does not necessarily require Congress to pro-
hibit slavery ihthe Territories because that may
plished under the operation of the Kansas bill.
The settlers themselves may prohibit slavery; but
they should not then when the Territory is formed
into State and applies for admission, you hare
again the right to raise the question mlether 1t as
fairly formed into a SLAVE State; and If 1t is
not, you haze the right to reuent 1T from coming
into the Union until it presents itself Nth free
Constitution, If you choose"
l ought to state that the report of my remarks
was taken by the Herald reporter, without my even
knowing there was reporter present, and of course
without my knowledge or consent l suspect it
was done by Seward men, who thought l would
say something in Oswego that would hurt us in
New York. On looking over the report, l am
amazed at its fidelity, so far as can trust my own
1t is wonderful exhibition of skill and
in reporting, and, on reflection do not
see that, in advocating our PLATFORM said any
thing that would hurt US any where. As Oswego
is in the extreme North of our State, and New York
in the extreme South, l am now convinced that
our platform is as broad as our State it may not
lap over, | admit
And now, have you read the extract that you
quote? In it say to the people Of Oswego that
they have right, if they choose, when Kansas
applies for admission into the Union, if it comes as
slave State to raise question whether it was fairly
formed into slave State. Do the National Demo-
,racy deny this right? If they do, the people Of
Oswego will not next year, act with the National
Democracy.
ask you to give this note prompt insertion in
your columns. mightalsoask you to publish all Of
my remarks at Oswego on the subject Of slavery and
the South But they have, no doubt already reached
your readers through the columns of the Herald or
The Evening Post, both of which papers published
them without my knowledge or request. My re-
quest is more simple ask you to read the ex-
tracts you do publish.
Allow me to add that the citizens of New York
propose, this fall, to inaugarate good State Gov
Government that will complete our
magnificent system Of internal Improvements, pro.
sect our State treasury, uphold our State credit,
relieve the occupations of our citizens from uncon
,titutional restraints and their property from legs
ative con6scation, and place the adopted citizen,
wherever he may have been born and at whatever
alter he may worship on footing Of entire equality
With the native We shall thus substantially pro-
vide for the happiness and honor of one sixth Of
The entire population Of the United States. This
IS much to do at one State election. Although not
strictly national, numbers perhaps give us some
little claim to be called nation of ourselves; and
# we should be, as you anticipate, so unfortunate
As not to take part in giving good General Gov
eminent next year to the Confederacy, it is the
more important that we should now provide good
State Government for ourselves.