Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-10-09

| hoH. GE I1naln UahoI1, oi new Jer-
sey, was President OF the National American
Conventio o, held at Philadelphia, at which
FILLMORE and DONELSON were nom.
mated, and the American Platform adopted
He is candid man, and sincere and very
distinguished member of the American par.
ty. There is no n.an, North OF South, whose
opinion is entitled to greater weight than
his, on the subject Of the following admirable
letter.
ScHooLEE MOUNTAIN, N. J.,l
| Sept, 10. 1856.
MEssRs. JOHN H. LYos, JOSEPH w. ALLEN
L. Orr, E. H. GRANDIx, ]. R. CoRSEIL,
jobs R. WEEKS:
| GESTLEMEE-Having been constrained by
the course of public events, occurring since
the meeting OF the American National Con-
vention by which the Hon. Milard Fillmore
was nominated for President of the United
States. over which Convention | had the
honor to preside, to reHounce that nomina-
tion, you, as my colleagues in that Conven-
ton, are entitled to my reasons for so doing
and will bri, fly state them.
|. was known to my friends at Philadel-
phia that the pro-slavery platform there
adopted, and which drove so many Northern
delegates from the Convention. was repug.
uant to my sentiments and sympathies.-
But confding the principles of Mr.. Fill
more, who, in the Legisia. urs of New YORK,
and in Congress, had ever acted with the
friends Of freedom, acquiesced in an ex-
ceptiOnable platform. In view of the per-
fd,ous repeal OF the Missouri compromise,
aud the aggressions and outages perpetrated
by Missouri upon Kansas, With more than
the spprovaI of the general government,
looked for come expression of tie sent!-
ments which pervaded the whole NORTH
sentiments that Mr.. Fillmore had ever pro-
tesSed, in his letter Of acceptance. But in
this expectation was disappointed. There
was studied and significant avoidance, in
that letter, Of the question upon which he
knew, as we all know, the Presidential
election is to be decided, either in favor of,
or against slavery extension. Nor was
less disappointed in fuding the friends of
Mr.. Fillmore in Congress, voting steadily
throughout protracted session, with the
supporters Of aggression and outrage in
Kansas, and perssting in such votes, after,
BY the report of the Kansas Congressional
Committee, it had been irrefragably proven
that the elections in Kansas hac been car
ried by armed bodies of men from Missouri;
that an Infamous code of Territorial laws
had been enacted in Kansas by Missourians;
that settlers in Kansas had been robbed
and murdered by M Missourians; that organ-
lied and armed bodies of men from Missouri
and other slave States had sworn, in socie-
ties, that Kansas shall become a slave
State; and finally, that all these outrages
were perpe.rated with the aid and spprooa-
tion OF United States Judge and Marshal,
and IN the presence of United States troops
Blu, these great wrongs, though arousing
the just Indignation Of Freemen, have elicit
ed no word ,,oi rcproof from Mr.. Fillmore.
On the contrary, in his speech at Albany,
he astounded the Country in declaring that
the election OF Col. Fremont, by the spon-
taneous sutirsges of majority OF the citi-
zens of the Republic, would occasion dis
solution of the Union. And up 10 the last
vote in the called session of Congress,
when the friends Of Freedom endeavored, in
the Army Appropriation Bill, to protect the
citizens Of Kansas by the adoption Of a
conservative proviso, Hon. Mr.. Haven, the
confidential friend and partisan oe Mr.. Fill
more, voted with the Pro. Slavery majority
Indeed, since the commencement of the just
closed session OF Congress, slavery has not
OBJ aimed an advantage that il did not \ owe
! to tho votes OF Mr. Fiiimore's friends; nor
has freedom encountered a defeat that did
not come from the same quarter of the
House of Representatives. His frienGs,
holding the balance OF power, turned the
scale, when it would turn in favor Of Slav-
cry.
Anc where, or in what respect, has Mr.
Fillmore p,ofted, politically, by all these
sacrifices of principle!-ali these violations
OF duty--all these surrenders of indepen.
deEce-all this self aba>ement! What has
been gained by bartering freedom for
slavery!
His nomination, as you know, was de-
manded by Our Southern brethern, who
would only consent, even to his romina-
tion, upon terms that drove most of the
Northern delegates out of the Convention.
1t was painfully apparent in the deliberations
of our Convention that Americansm was
but secondary object. Slavery was with
them the paramount consideration. While
for the sake OF the broad American prnci-
Piles ;hat had taken deep hold of the public
mind, we were prepared to ignore the sla-
very question, they insisted upon making it,
and did make it, the primary article of filth
in our platform.
And how, after imposing terms which
have shOrn the American party of its Ngth-
ern strength, do the South Americans lct!
Have they kept or broken faith with us! In
North Carolina, whose election is just over,
the American party is virtually disbanied.
The Hon. Mr. Puryear, an American men,
Der of Congress from that State, comedies
the State to Mr. Buchanan, though, aside
from Slavery. there is an acknowledged DO
lltical uajorlty against him.
In Kentucky, where was one year ago a
trium phani American majority, our party is
beaten, if not annihilaled. Col. Humphrey
Marshall, gallant leader, seems to have
nailed his colurs to the mast, but that oniy
proves that he is faithful among the faith
less.''
The Hon. Mr.. Walker, of Alabama,
member of oLr Convention, who was among
the most jealous advocates Of Mr. Fillmore ~
nomination, has, from his seat il congress
proclaimed his abandonment of Mr.. Fill
more and his adhesion to Mr.. Buchanan
Senator Jones of Tennessee, with Senators
Pratt and Pearee of Maryland, life long op-
ponents of the Democratic party, have pro-
claimed themselves in favor of Mr. Buch-
anan, and now stand along with Senators
Cass, Douglass, Atcbison, &C., upon the
Cincinnati Platform. There has been,with-