New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-10
POLITICAL HISTORY.
The Whigs Of the Free states ana
slavery Restriction.
Al Letter from the Hon. Richard W. Thompson
REPLY ny HORACE GREELEY.
TrRRy HAUrE, Dee. "a, 1855.

- cor,,rv Fsa: Your attack upon me ana
-. &c ,oi,e made last August in your editorial
t,., nj the 18th inst. from Washington entities NE 10
D. h.ard in reply through the columns OF The IRIB
- Although have no time to engage IN newspa-
controversy and am not ignorant Of the great odds
sgaD.t me in carving on an affair Of that sort with
xo, vet shall not shrink from proper defense Of
myself or the sentiments Of my speech.
The very first thing you attempt TO state in refer
s,.s to me ia an egregious error. You pretend that
"seyen OF eight years ago you, and were DOM
"dcipr our best for the Wimot Provso and the gem
eral principles Of confning Slavery WITHIN tne
atorv n possessed" This is not So ana WIZ refresh
son, ro,,norv little a. fear it u getting BAD
Tie time Won refer 10 was in March, ls4s when We
met in Connecticut and made some speeches Hyii
a. ssue siurnp" IL was before the meeting OF pe
IA; National Convention of that year, and when
rather animated but not angry, was gong
ON between the friends OF M Gay ana mo- Oh zen.
Tayor for the nomination. Inc "h,gs Vi NcnnJ. I ~
1rcferred Mr.. CLAY and it was feared they would not
vote Tor Gen TAYLOR If be should be nominated L
agreed with them in this preference ana 30 do you.
m was for the purpose, therefore, OF persnsdhg the
to vote for the nominee OF the CohTeu,J ~
Mr. CLAW or Cen Taylor, that you and MADE sPeecnes
nj tbe time referred to- We both knew and the Wings
of Connecticut knew, that Mr. Clay ana Ten Iaylor
were both natives Of Slave state had hVed III SaVe
States al their ves, and were the owners OF large
numbers Of slaves We knew that netherot them toos
an Ear0r of tie UiimOt PrOrtsO; that neither sylnps-
tLized with Ab0ifiOnism i'll any fOIn ana were both
opposed TO Slavery agitation. ana more Iuan that'
we both knew that neither Of them would vote to eX-
elude State from the Union upon its asking Tor al,
mission merely bec0Use us Constitution Tte0ghf.ed
iSLapeTy. Aud still more: we both Knew that mr..
Claw had declared in 1899 that "Me Tcfus0 10 ram"
ann Dc1o Staic compri.pg witkiH us limits me m
~sf,iatton of Sorery," that evil OF " AboltttoH
that would lead the country to ''FSrfous era ny
"LoHR and bloody road" And, preierng Mr. Clay,
NJ YOU and did, notwithstanding all this, ii wa our
chief business in Connecticut to persuade those Wings
there who entertained like preferences that they might
vote with equal safety, for Gen Taylor II be should
,rt the nomination. The motto under winch we rallied
iben was" Union Of the Wigs for the sake Of the
Union" Our indir,dual opinions upon contrs-
verified political subjects had nothing to do with the
matter We were the representative OF the wing
marty and not candidates for office. Therefore the
sentiment sought to fix in the Wing heart OF Con-
necticut that national sentiment winch was TO
mite them with the Wings of Kentucky, Louisiana
and all the South But we did not attempt 10 DO tins
by telling them that either Mr.. Clay or GeH. Taylor
mas IN faU0r of The Hfimot PrOciso-fOr we knew
that such declaration would have been false and so
did they. The people whom we addressed had TOO
much Intelligence TO suffer themselves to be hum
bu0ped in that way. They knew, as well as we did,
that by supporting either Mr.. Clay or Gen. layl0r
they would have TO ignore me HMngt fT9Tiso' the
slavery question: and al that sort of thing. That was
tbe great object the Wings sought to accomplish anu
the support of it brought you and upon common
ground 1t required surrender or sacrifice OF prn-
cple my part. Ny whole heart was III the w''k'
feated Mr.. Clay IN 1894, aud thus contaminated the
Annexation of Texas and brought on the War with
Mexico. Whether you sacrificed any principle IA no
concern Of mine. l, certainly at that Time, supposed
YOU to be a. honest as was. 50
1 did not in any speech made in lsiS, nor dd you
an nv hearing urge the necessity OF the mOt FRO
Yiso, involving policy either lndoised OF 10 DC
earned out by Mr. Clay Gen. Tayl or. Ii either OF
us had done so, we should have attributed To- them
,ntimen they known not 20 entertain We might have
said with that neither Of them would employ the power
he
slem would in the event Of election nerIose e 'e2 70 pre-
any Constitutional Hesitation upon any subject Ihst was
the Wing OF 1873 everywhere But we were obliged
10 say the ne-ior everybody knew ~ 70 Dc soaat
Ao o them egu0Hy opposed 70 dgtdEg SdteTg or inter
Trfne ch at GM Was Gen. Taylor false to any pledge he
had made when President he recommended TO Congress 10
at Slavery and let the people of neg States coming INTO
the Union hesoresi you aud were authorized to
Nmo, ana did So he oIsS s nreo,Ted 10 sy
h. PSgs, %sS S S; Of a Who s See the, DAY
that neither Nh Clay nor Gen Taylor would give 99uu'e
TO reject the Union account OF Slavery There
fore both before the Convention Of 1873 and aer"ar all soch
Che ground that It was and for the country to let %
srossh And that the burden OF all my .eeche' IN
Connecticut and the doctrine was ndoIseq ana sponoa y
yOu-by your silent scquiesenoe certainly II nov your express
aecarsons My present recollection is that yogy speeches
were con6ned discussion of the Tad and the effect OF Pro-
upon New England manufacturers subject winch no
is Other topics involved il the canvass
OF and sentiments have satedwheh
Why's OF the North aud south could stand together.
But you say had been doV9Vaee" before we met in
This latter committed without fault of mines and
by OF the former suppose YOU mean to say that
my principles SoHheTa and therefore, not such as
Northern should entertain IL certainly very unkd
M you toward the Whiss of Conueoc1t-who hsd nght 10
expect things Of youhst you should stand before them
uIon the stump with such monster a. doHgbdoe
G whose success Won were employing your and your
pen They knew nothing about but they had been long
ought by all to have dealt fairly with them and to have
tod them shO aud ,chdi wasi that was wolf IN sheeps
beneath The "veiess and rattle my speeches
purpose binding them hand and foot and handng them
20 the PIopagsnas OF the South That would have
been acting like ready all times 70 march straight
and boldly the nih when he te' that the truth n him.
that had suspected Of desiring then TO
destroy the Wig parry and turn I, over to oI.c1%
speeches TO you But YOU let me alone 70 Yak IN my ON"
way" dousNoce" ss wss-p%ged me In YOUR paper and
gave your appreciation ell sad-knowiug all the time
that was not then considered very 'o"HG corn by
those who knew me intimately Now 4 was eerisny very
yours been thus engaged helping plant my
ssOEad in the soil OF Connectcut What VIII the people
mp there say to You 1e next tune you 20 among ihemt beg
You ofeOurse TO cay ths, my principle ansund
mately" HAig, that certain; aud meyer knew
s that S was 'TPSfs 60 y Se ~ sS snd I
wore the harness long and who notwithstanding they have
when stood faster fror BY the faith And honor
Of that gallant old party than did Why SIR is fact well
my plcai Mentor. If Ais principles unsoand
mine; that much concee But then what becomes Of
ose Of H. Clay JUS. as did Then YOUR must have been
sssossd too, else pIoesioo not sincere. Which
horn Of the dilemma will take
When you anything fact You should
he careful 20 brow TO be secey since choose 20 IN
held the side Slavery Restriction
Of Conre in 1919" THIS is something OF reHtsTe which
writing about The IS that before that Con-
sss Il 50 happened that made speech upon tails very
so srsen since the ,aSe .tnsst IN substance
vOtet your orieisH You should be little more cautious
sa hlt rely Zoo mseh upon your memey 'Se You Newi9k