The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-17


JOSEPH G. HoRNBLowER.
f. r. HOAR.
THADDEUs STEVENS.
KTNsLEY S. BINGHAM
JOHN A. WILLS
G. F. CLEVELAND.
CYRUS ALDRIDGE
To John c. Fremont, Of California.
Col Fremont's Reply.
New YoRK, July s, 1856.
GENTLEMEN: You call me to a high respon.
sibility, by placing me in the van of a great
movement of the people of the United States.
who, without regard to past differences are
uniting in common effort to bring back the
action of the Federal Government to the prin.
ciples of Washington and Jefferson. Compre-
hending the magnitude of the trust which thew
have declared themselves willing to place in my
hands, and deeply sensible to the honor which
their unreserved confidence in this threatening
position of the public affairs implies, feel that
l cannot better respond than by sincere dec
laration that, in the event of my election to the
Presidency, l should enter upon the execution
of its duties with single-hearted determine
ton 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 expresses the sentiments in which
l have been educated, and which have been
ripened into convictions by personal observation
and experience. With this declaration and
avowal, think it necessary to revert to only
two of the subjects embraced in the resolutions.
and to those only, because events have sur
rounded them with grave and critical ciroum.
stances, and given to them especial Importance.
l concur in the views Of the Convention dep
recating the foreign policy to which it adverts.
The assumption that we have the right to take
from another nation its domains because we
want them, is abandonment of the honest
character which our country has acquired. To
provoke hostilities by unjust assumptions would
be to sacrifice the peace and character of the
country, when all its interests might be more
certainly secured, and its objects attained, by
just and healing counsels, involving 20 loss Of
reputation.
International embarrassments are mainly the
results of secret diplomacy, which aims to
keep from the knowledge of the people the OPP
erations of the Government. This system is
inconsistent with the character of our institu.
tons; and is itself yielding gradually to more
enlightened public opinion, and to the power
OF free press, which, by it, broad dissemina-
ton 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 nation, whose deliberate
opinions it would necessarily reflect
Nothing is clearer in the history of our in
situations than the design of the nation, in as
sorting its own independence and freedom, to
avoid giving countenance to the extension of
Slavery. The influence of tho small but COM
pact and powerful class of men interested in
Slavery, who command one section of the coun-
try, and WELD a vast political control as con-
sequence in the other, is now directed to turn
this impulse of the Revolution, and reverse its
principles. The extension of Slavery aerosa
the continent 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 elements of the most arbitrary
Governments have not been vanquisbed by shs
just theory of our own.
1t would lie out Of place here to pledge my
self to any particular policy that may be sug-
gested, to terminate the sectional controversy
engendered by political animosities, operatipg
on a powerful class, banded together by a com.
mon interest. A practical remedy ia the ad-
mission OF Kansas into the Union as free
State. The South should, in my Judgment,
earnestly desire such consummation. It would
vindicate their good faith--it would correct the
mistake of the repeal; and the North, having
practically the benefit of the agreement between
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 pure
ly sectional strife, originating in the scheme TO
take from free labor the country secured to it
by solemn covenant, cannot be too soon dis
armed of its pernicious force. The only genial
region Of the middle ATTITUDES, left to the eusi.
grants of the Northern States fo- homes, cannot
be conquered from the Tree laborers, who have
long considered it as set apart for them in our
inheritance, without provoking a desperate
struggle. Whatever may be the persistence of
the particular 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 throhs with
the patriotism of the freemep of both sections,
will have power To overcome it. They will look
to the rights secured to them by the Constitu.
ton of the Union as their best safeguard nom
the oppression of the class which, BY q monop.
oily of the soil, and Of slave labor to till it, might
in time reduce them to the extremity of labor.
ing upon the same terms with the slaves. The
great body of non-slaveholding freemen, inclu.
ding those of the South, upon whose welfare
Slavery is an oppression, will discover thai the
power of the General Government over the
public lands nay lie bene6oially exerted to ad-
vance their interests and secure their independ-
ence. Knowing this, their SURFACES will not
be wanting to maintain that authority in the
Union which is absolutely essential to the main
tenance of thei1 own liberties, and which has
more than once indicated the purpose of dis
posing of the public lands in such way as
would make every settler upon them freq
holder.
1.-THE people intrust to me the administration
of the Government, the laws Of Congress in re-
lation to the Territories will be faithfully exc.
cuted. All its authority will be exerted, in aid
of the national will, to re-establsh the peace of
the country on the just principles which have
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