Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-07-17
Fremont's Letter of Acceptance.


cnces, are uniting IN a common effort TO
bring back The action of the Federal Govern |
ment to tie principles of Washington and /,
Jefferson Gomprehending the magnitude !
of the ;rus; which they have declared them. |
selves willing 10 place in my hands, and
deeply sensible Of the honor which their un-
reserved confidence. in this threatening posi- |
tion OF the public affairs, implies. ieeI that |
! canToi better -cspond than BY a sincere
declaration that, in The event of my election
10 the Presidency | should eLter upon the
execu' N o. its duties with a single.hearted
determination to promote the good OF the
whole Country and to direct solely TO THIS
end al the poacr Of the government, ire
soective ofparty issue-& regardlesssof sec
tionaI siriscs. The declaration Of principles
embodied in he resolves of your conyen
ton expresses The sentiments in which |
have been educated, aud which have beer
ripened into convistions by personal obser-
walton snd exp -ricnce. With this declara-
tioD and avowal ! think il necessary 10 re-
vert to only two of the subjects embraced IN
those resolutions, and TO these only because
events have su rounded them with grave and
critical circumstances, and given to them
espe cial importance.
1 concur in the views OF the convention
deprecating the foreign policy to which 1t
adveris Tie assumption that we have the
right 10 take from another stiun it's domains
because we want them is an abandonment
of the honest character which our country
has acquired To provoke hostilities by un-
Just assumption would be TO sacrifice the
peace and character of the country, when
all its interests might be more certuinly Sc
cured and is objects attained by iust and
healing coun sells. involving no loss of ~
tation. International embarras>ments are
mainly the results of a secret diplomacy.
which aims 10 keep from the knowledge oi
the people the operations of the govern
ment. This system is inconsistent with the
character of our institutions, and is Itself
yielding gradually 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 dc of justice the judgment Of the
civilized world An honest, firm and open
policy in our foreign relations would CON-
mand the rnited support of the nation, whose
del beraie opinions it would necessarily re-
feet
Nothing is clearer in the his'ory Of our
institutions Than the des gn of the nation,
in asserting its own independence and free
dom, 10 avoid giving countenance to the
extension oil slavery. The influence of The
small but compact and powerful class Of
men interested in slavery, who coinmand
one section of he country End WELD vast
political control as a consequence in the
other, is now directed TO turn back this i'm
pulse of the Revolution and reverse lis prin-
ciples. The extension of slavery across the
continent is the object of the power which
now rules the 20. ernment; and from this,
spirit have sprung those inbred wrongs in
Kansas, so truly portrayed in one of your
resolutions which prove that the. elements
Of the most arbitrary governments have not
been vanquished b. tn jus; theory of our
own.
II would be out OF place here to pledge
myself to any pai ticu!ar polio! that has
been suggested to terminate The sectional
contro"ersv cngendered by political anlmosi-
ties, operating on powerful class banded
together by a common interest. A practi-
cal remedy is the admission OF Kansas into
the Union as a free State. The South
should, in my Judgment, earnestly desire
4, 20
it's good faith. 1t would correct the mis-
take of the repeal; and the North, having
practically the eneft Of the agreement be-
tween the two sections, would be satisfied
and good feeling be restored. The measure
is perfectly 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 SCENE 10 take from
Tree labor the country secured 10 it by a.
solemn covenant, cannot be too soon dis
armed Of its pernicious force. The only
genial region of the middle attitudes left to
the emigrants Ct the Northern States for
homes cannot be conquered from the free
lnborers wh o hare lvng considered it as set
apart for them in our inheritance, without
provoking desperate strugg e.
Whatever may be the persistence of the
particular class which seems ready to hczard
everything for the success of the unjust
scheme srt has partially effected, firmly
believe that the great heart of the nation,
which throbs with the patriotism ofth free
men of both sections, will have power to
overcome it. They will look to the rights
secured to them by the Constitution of the
Union as the best safeguard from the op-
preston of the class which, by monopoly
of The soil and of slave labor to till it, might
in time reduce them TO the extremity of la
boring upon the same terms with The slaves.
The great body of non- savehoiding freemen
including those of the S1uth, upon win ose
welfare slavery is an oppression, will dis
cover that the power of the General Govern
ment over the public lands may be beneh-
cially exerted 10 advance their interests and
secure their independence: knowing this,
their sufirsges will moi be wanting to main
tain that authority in the Union which is alb
soIutely essential TO the maintenance of
their own liberties, and which has more than
oDce indica ted the purpose of disp"sing of
the public lands in such way as would
make every settler upon them ireeholder.
II the people iDtrust to me the admins
tration of the government, the laws OF Con-
press in relation TO the Territories shall be
faithfully executed. All its authority shall
be exerted in aid of the national will to re-
establish the peace U. the country on the Just
priSoihes vi ich have heretofore receive
4 he sanction Of The federal government; OF
The States & o the people OF both sections
Snch policy would leave no a'lment to
that sectional party which seeks its aggran-
dizement by appropriating the new terrific
ries to capital in the form: OF slavery, but
would. inevitably result in the triumph OF
free labor-the natural capital which con-
sti,utes the real wealth of this great coun-
try and creates that intelligent power in the
masses alone to be rel ed OIL as the bull
wark of free institutions.
TN