Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-10-17
fremont's Letter.
NEW YoRx Inlr


GENTLEMEN You call me to high
responsibility by placing me in the van
Of the great movement of the people Of
the United States, who, without regard
TO past differences, are uniting in COM
mon effort to bring back the action OF
the Federal Government to the principles
Of Washington and Jefferson. Compre-
hending the magnitude of the trust which
they have declared themselves willing to
place in my hands, and deeply sensible
to the honor which their unreserved
confidence in this threatening position
ofthe public affairs implies, feel that l
cannot better respond than by sincere
declaration that, in the event of my cleo
ton to the Presidency. should enter
upon the execution Of its duties with a
single.hearted determination to promote
the good of The whole country, and to
direct solely to this end all the power of
the government, irrespective of party
issues, and regardless Of sectional strifes.
The declaration OF principles embodied
in the resolves of your Convention, ex-
presses the sentiments in which l have
been educated, and which have ripened
into convictions by personal observation
and experience. With this declaration
and avowal. think it necessary to re-
vert to only two of the subjects embraced
in the resolutions, and to those only be-
cause events have surrounded them with
grave and critical circumstances, and Civ
en- to them especial importance.
concur in the views of the convention
deprecating the foreign policy to which
1t adverts. The assumption that we
have the right to t.ke from another ma
ton its domains because we want them,
IS an abandonment of the honest char
actcr which our country has acquired. -
To provoke hostilities by unjust assump-
tons. would be to sacrifice the peace
and character of the country, when all
its interests might be more certainly Sc
caycd and its objects attained by Just
and healing counsels, involving no loss
Of reputation. International embarrass-
n,ents are mainly the results of secret
diplomacy, which aims to keep from the
knowledge of the people the operations
of the government. This system is in
consistent with the character of our in
stitutions, and is itself yielding gradual
" to more enlightened public opinion.
and to the power Of free press. which,
by its broad dissemination of political
intelligence, secures in advance to the
side of justice the judgment of the civil
lied world. An honest, firm and open
policy in our foreign relations, would
command the united support Of the ma
ton, whose deliberate opinions it would
necessarily reflect.
Nothing is clearer in the history of
our institutions than the design Of the
nation in asserting its own independence
and freedom to avoid giving countenauce
to the extension of slavery. The inhu-
ence of the small, but compact and pow
esful class of men interested in slavery,
who command one section of the conn
try, and WELD vast political control
as q consequence, in the other. is now
directed to turn back this impulse of the
revolution, and reverse its principles
The extension of slavery across the con-
tinent is the object of the power which
now rules the government, and from this
spirit has sprung those kindred wrongs
in Kansas, so truly portrayed in one of
your resolutions, which prove that the
clements of the most arbitrary govern
ments have been vanquished by the just
theory of our own.
1t would be out efplace here to pledge
myself to any particular policy that may
be suggested to terminate the sectional
controversy engendered by political an
imosities operating on powerful class.
banded together by a common interest.
\ practical remedy is the admission of
Kansas into the Union as a free State
The South should, in my judgment, ear
nestly desire such consummation. 1t
would vindicate it's good faith; it would
correct the mistake of the repeal, and
the North, having practically the benefit
of the agreement between the two Sec
tons, would be satisfied, and good feel
ing be restored. The measure is perfect.
ly consistent with the honor of the South,
and vital to its interests.
That fatal act which gave birth to
this purely sectional strife, originating
in the scheme to take from free labor
the country secured to it by solemn
covenant, cannot be to soon disarmed Of
it's pernicious fource. The only genial
region of the middle ATTITUDES left 10 the
emigraats ofthe Northern States for homes,
cannot he conquered from the free labor
ers, who have long considered it as set
apart for them in our inheritance, without
provoking desperate struggle. What
ever may be the persistence Of the part,c-
ular class which seems ready to hazard
everything for the success of the unjust
scheme it has partially effected. l firmly
believe that the great heart of the nation
which throbs with the patriotism Of
the free men of both sections, will have
power to overcome it. They will look to
the rights secured to them By The Consti
tut ON of the Union, as their best safeguard
from the oppression, of the class. which by
a monopoly Of the soil, and Of slave labor
to till it, might in time, reduce them to
the extremity of lAboring upon the same
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