The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-03-11
LETTER FROM JUDGE EDMoNDs,
J. w. .:E,dmepds ON the Republican Party.
From ke Mex York Eve,i i.g Posf.
Nxu Xoeu t.h IA 1856.

DEAR Potter: L have read with great
deal Of interest, your recent letter to the At
las, because it describes, very graphically,
the position in which, perceive, are many
Of my old political associates. But am not
quite satisfied with the conclusion at which
you have arrived.
1t is now about % years since you and l
formed our acquaintance as members OF the
same legislative body, and MS Jealous parti-
zans, both of us, Of the same political or
ganization. The friendship then formed be-
tween lis has never, bclicvc--and certainly
not so far as | am onccmcd-becn for mo-
ment disturbed, but our views on most politi-
cal questions have during that time been
strongly in unison, and should regret to find
us separating from each other now.
We were both then young men, just start
ing in public life, and l. remember how earn
estly we imbibcd and adhered TO the notion
of supporting tho Union of the United
States and the Constitution with its Com
promises, rs the instrument of preserving that
Union. 1t was about that time that the doc
trines of nuliinoation and secession were rife
in the South, and we were called upon to
stand by the Union against what we then
supposed was an aggression upon the common
welfare. We responded to the call, and when
that movement was finally ovcrthrown, for
one congratulated myself that disunion, in
all its phases, was put an end TO, at least
for my day.
! soon, however, cgan TO learn that that
hope was fallacious, and that the element of
discord still lived among us, and bid fair to
| become more active than ever.
During the forty years that had then elaps-
cd, the Southern or slavcholding States had
had the control of the Government four-ifths
of the time, and only eight years had been
accorded to the Free States.
This was not, to any extent, matter OF
complaint exempt among aspiringpolticians
but from it has flowed what is matter of com;
plaint at this day, namely, that such politi-
clans changed their policy into outbidding
each other for the support which had seemed
to get such fast hold upon the control of the
Government. Hence We have beheld, with
in the last twenty-five years, rs the great
men of the South have passed from the stage,
the great men of the North vieing with each
other as to which could proffcr to the South
the greatest boon for its support for the Pres
idcncv. VAN BgRzN, CAss, WEBSTER, FILL
MORE, PIERCE, DoUGLAs, &c, DC, all stroye
to stand we'll with the South, and to do that
seemed TO deem it necessary to court the Pro-
Slavery feeling.
That interest readily saw and appreciated
the advantage of this position. The incrcas-
ing strength of The North, growing out Of
the increase of territory and population, de-
privcd the Sou,hof Ito relative strength, and
4 i l. Al. Al. A..
fill the Presidential Chair from among them
selves; but, finding themselves bound strong
ly together by Il common interest, they per-
ccived they held the balance Of power among
the contcndng interests of The North, and
they naturally embraced the opportunity OF
exercising the indirect control previously en-
joyed They accordingly said, in effect to
the North-We will give YOU the candidate,
if you let us choose the man. Hence VAN
BUREN was postponed to Polk and CAss-
WEBSTER to HARRIsoN--and Cass, BrcHAN-
AN and MARCY to PIERCE, DC.
This state Of things has come to be well
understood among politicians, and we have
been doomed of late to behold the lamcnta-
hlc spectacle of this bidding among aspirants
for the Pro-Slavcry support, and each has
found it necessary to 60 beyond his compcti-
tor. Hence came first the Fugitive Slave
Law-thcn the Compromise mcasurcs-thcn
the Nebraska bill and the repeal Of the Mis-
souri Compromise-and, last Of all, the arm
cd invasion Of Free Territory and its support
"by authority" )
These are measures which have not had
their origin in the South. They have orgll-
ated at the North, been supported by North
ern men, without whom none of them could
have been adoptcd) and been actually by
them thrust upon the South, almost against
their consent. Not quite so, indeed, because
the Southern politicians, / suppose, could
not, and would not be expected to, reject the
boons thus one and again proffered to them.
But it is Northern men who arc responsible
for them and their consequences, and their
action has been impellcd by the consideration
| have mentioned.
Out of that action has grown the present
state of things in our country. A fearful ex-
citement on this great and agitating topic has
sprung up, rcnding asundcr and scattering in
broken fragments the old parties which have
hitherto existed among us, and substituting
in their place divisions which are seemingly
sectional in their character, and which arc
doing more than all other divisions ever be-
fore known among us to alenatc from each
other the brotherhood of great family Of
frecmcr. -
These things have been going on for some
years among us, and it seems to me that they
are now eliminating. The question is, What
is to be done! See how little is to be hoped
from tho old party organizations and their
products; the Free Soil party Of this State
transferred, in its organization, il not in spir-
it, tothc support Of this Administration
this Administration, coming in on a pledge
not to agitatc tho Slavery question, actually
doing more to agitate it than any we have
ever had, anil House Of Representatives.
with majority avowedly adverse to the Pro-
Slavery interest, spending nine weeks in elect
ing ono Of their own men as Speaker, and
escaping, almost by miracle, from putting
into the chair one Of the largest shareholders
| in tbo Irp,fo1 Stofcc 600 foo what Won