The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-10-18
LETTER FROM ABIJAH MANN, JUN,
Candidate of the Republican Convention for At
torney General.
New YORK, October 9, 1855.


Candidate of the Republican Convention for At
torney General.
New York. October 9, 1855.
SIR: / possess your letter of the Sd instant,
informing me officially of my unanimous nomi-
nation as a candidate for election to the Office
of Attorney General of this State, in a Repub-
lican Convention, composed by the union of the
late Wing Convention with the Republican
Convention assembled at Syracuse on the 9th
ultimo, and requesting me to signify my accept
ance and my appreciation of the sentiments ex-
pressed in the resolutions adopted in its pro-
ceedings. In doing so, have been requested
by some of my Democratic friends to state
| briefly the reasons which have led me to my
conclusions.
| 1t seems appropriate to the occasion for me
| to comply with that request since | differ with
many for whose opinions and patriotism have
the most profound respect. They unite with
me in condemning the National Administers
| ton for its action on the Nebraska Kansas
| question-for some of its appointments and re-
movals connected with those Territories-for
its repeated attempts to interfere with and con.
| troll the nominations at conventions-for allow
ing and requiring its officers to coerce the po
litical opinions of all its dependents and en-
ployees; and they admit their sympathy with
their friends, whose feelings have been outra
| ged by the Fugitive Slave Law, and the decis
ions under it, well as by the claims and ad
vances of Slavery in other respects, to such a
degree, that they have come to the conclusion
to leave all other political questions to their
fate until these things can be righted. l ad
NIT myself among this class, and / am encour-
| aged in my course by knowing that have their
| sympathy. After all these conclusions, how
4 al LII A. tha
Administration, although convicted of atrocious
violations of the free principles of our institu-
tons, and the personal rights of our citizens,
because they apprehend that it is not the most
effectual mode of redress, and fear it will termi-
nate in the elevation and success of Mr.. Sew
| ard, who, 1t is but just to say has discharged
his duty in respect to the extension of Slavery
with consistency to his principles, and with the
ability and dignity implied and required by his
station. In respect to the mode of redress,
| although L confidently differ with them, have
long hesitated, in the hope that the political Or
ganization to which have devoted my life, and
| whose leading and general principles l shall
not give up, would rise like a strong man from
the morass into which it hopelessly fell in Mr..
Folks Administration. That hope has been
deferred until it has produced its natural con-
sequence of making the heart sick. l will not
blame them for adhering to it longer, but for
one l must, in justice to myself and those who
concur with rae, surrender it. There is no long
er reasonably any ground to hope for redress
from that quarter. We have, l think, reached
| point where we should make stand, and de-
tend ourselves, our principles, and our rights,
by any honorable means within our power.
while we mingie our sympathies with those of
our outraged friends. | fear that many have
forgotten or have never known the history of
mencsd aud by which the Radical Democracy
were sold over to Slavery. 1t is time that they
should recollect, and be informed truly. 1t was
no secret, and was communicated to me by Mr..
Buchanan while he was member of Mr.. Polk's
Cabinet. | regard it, therefore, as authentic.
The country was involved IN a war with Mex
| ico, TO secure Texas, and extend the area Of
| Slavery. Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Van Buren, had
concurred alike that this was both dishonora-
hle and unnecessary. 1t was becoming burden
some and ruinously expensive. The Admins
| tration desired to get out of it by any means
| whatever. Mr.. Polk was timid man, and
more deficient in moral courage than almost
any public man of his time.
| To effect the treaty with Mexico, it became
necessary to have three millions of dollars for
the /" secret service" The bill was proposed
to Congress, and the Jeffersonian Ordinance OF
4
| posed as condition and amendment, providing
that Slavery should not be extended to any
territory that might be acquired by the expend-
iture or by the expected treaty. This raised
| the question between Freedom and Slavery
between free territory and slave territory. The
| Administration, led on by Mr.. Polk, united
| against Freedom. Ambitious and powerful
auxiliaries in the Senate, from the North, were
appealed to successfully in the emergency. The
House of Representatives stood up firmly at
first, but few of its members soon gave way,
under the facilitating influence of patronage
still, not enough to pass the BILL The Admin
lstraton were receding in popular favor, and
reduced to extremities. The Cabinet were
alarmed. The heroes Of Mexico were already
candidates for the Presidency. The throne
trembled. In this exigency, Mr.. Buchanan
was induced to make a personal appeal to his
Democratic friends, representing his State, to
give up the Proviso of Freedom, and pledged
himself to share the fate and hardships they
expected to experience from their constituents
| This was the origin of his celebrated letter. in
hostility to the Proviso, and finally worked GU,
the misfortunes of General Cass, in his subse
quent Nicholson letter, from which he has new
er recovered. The appeal was successful, and
the bill passed. The freedom of the Terrific
ries was thus sold to Slavery for three millions
which, in this age, is only equivalent to the
thirty pieces for treachery in an early and more
important transaction. From thence orders
went forth to insert new article in the creed
of the American Democracy, declaring Slave
ry one OF its constituent parts. Herein lies the
reason why both divisions of the Democracy
always send forward their jubilant congratu
lations to the South, on all occasions Of its tri
umphs in Slavery" The three millions anC
| the Democracy of the free States were by the
same act, assigned over to the dictator of Mex
leo, to procure, corrupty, peace which it wal
supposed would secure the power of the Ad
ministration in opposition to the heroes of the
war, and the Democratic party were thus pla
ced in false position, in which they have eve
since been congratulating themselves upon tn,
blessings expected to be derived from the dit
fusion and extension of Slavery. They wer,
thus shipwrecked, and ever since have beer
sailing under the piratical flag Of Slavery
Many OF our best and most talented Young mel
sunk down with political paralysis under tn
load imposed upon them by the Administration
to carry forward the principles and practice O
human Slavery. 1t was their duty to make
national and Democratic, to illustrate it in it
E progress into the national Territories by tn
, doctrine of squatter sovereignty. This will &C
count for the unfortunate efforts of Mr. Doug
las, aided by the Administration, in repealin
the Missouri Compromise, as we'll as the weak
ness of the position of the late Governor of thi
State, who suffered himself, with the millston
about his neck, to be made at once the instru
ment and the victim Of these atrocious mach
nations, the consequences of which are now be
fore US. Among them, are the rebellious divi:
ions OF the Democratic party having no CON
mon principles OF union or of action, no con
i IL