The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-09-10


opinions and arguments he put forth when he
supported his father as the regular freesoil can
didate for the presidency, in 1648. In refer
ring to the matter, in a letter to the New York
Tribune, and offering to loan that paper bound
volume of his speeches and letters, in order for
it to prove, if it could, that he had retracted
any thing he then said, or any argument he
then put forth, he said:
when you are quite through, and at your
entire leisure, I would thank you to publish any
line have written, Or syllable have uttered,
retracting the arguments which find this late
favor in your eyes. Respectfully yours,
New Y York, July II, 1856. JOHN VAN buren, -
He, then, supports Mr.. Buchanan upon the
Van Buren freesoil platform Of 1848, and he
does SO because Mr.. Buchanan is entirely ac-
ceptable to him and his father, is there-can
there beany other inference or conclusion drawn
from the premises by any intelligent, candid
man? ...-~E--. .gs, :
Now, it may be interesting to know exactly
what were the precise opinions and language OF
prince John Van Buren at the time referred to,
and to which he still adheres SO tenacously, in
bis support of the present democratic nominee
for the presidency. At the state convention OF
the freesoil party Of New York, in 1849, he
spoke as follows:
81 will state (he remarked fairly, freely and
fully what we expect. We expect to make the
democratic party of this State the great anti
slavery party Of this State, and, through It, to
make the democratic party of the United States
the great anti-slavery party of the q. States.
Those who do not contemplate this result, will
do we'll to get out of the way, for there is no
doubt that, when our principles get fairly before
the people, so tnat they can hear them, and
know what they are-and we have made ar
rangements for that now-that the whole peo-
pie will go with US. And our southern friends,
having had things all their own way, forthe last
twenty five or thirty years, must make up their
minds to let US have our own way for awhile,
we being fair men, and reasonable in our de-
mands"
A short time afterwards he said:
81 am, however, the unmiti gated enemy of
slavery, and would have it abolished without
delay. | say therefore for myself-and | wish
to be understood as speaking for myself alone
that let what will come, shall under no ne
cesslty whatever, support man who does not
believe slavery to be an unmixed curse, and will
not, by virtue of his Office use all constitutional
power to abolish it. But ask by what mode
are we to reach the object in view? The ang
swer is plain. By going back directly to that
adopted and pursued by the immortal founders
of our government. 1t is comprised briefly in
this-no more slave States, no more slave ter
ritories; the withdrawal of the support of the
federal government from slavery, and the abo-
lition of it wherever it can be reached by con-
stitutional means''
And subsequently to this, in the same year.
he used this language:
Il have had occasion to say heretofore that
would not support any man for the presidency
who does not believe slavery to be an unmiti
gated evil, and who will not use all the power
which the constitution and laws may place in
in his hands for its overthrow. [ would give
notice now that the general judgment of the peo-
pie of this State is that they cannot and will not
swerve from this position, and as for me,
shall live and die by it,
In 1850, the next year, in a letter to the
chairman of the freesoil state convention of Con-
necticut, he writes:
''There never was a time when those who
desire to see slavery prohibited in the. terrific
res of the United States, and abolished by the
general government wherever it has the power,
were more urgently called on to speak and act
with energy and decision. The recent mes
sage of the president in favor of the non-inter-
vention policy, ought, think, to satisfy his
in the non -slaveholding States, that
sisting the spread of slavery, and that whatev-
er their hopes in this respect may have been,
they are destined to disappointment. The course
of general Cass, at the same time, while it is in
conformity with bis declarations during the late
leaves US nothing to hope from him or
those who now sustain him. Seeing as we thus
do, All extraordinary conjunction of men deter
mined to arrest the action of the government on
this subject, while slavery steadily advances
upon freesol, recent events indicate that neither
of the two old national parties can compel an
adherence by their members to their respective
"Inaction, by those who have the power to-
determine this question on the side of freedom,
is, in truth, surrender of our territories to
slavery, and the official power of the govern
ment to its advocates.
"Under such circumstances, a deep respon
sibility devolves upon the opponents of slavery.
They should, first of all, be true to their prin
siples, their organisation and their candidates.
They should hold their representatives to strict
esponsibility, and dismiss them if they falter
Or betray their trusts. They should meet and
expose the systematic efforts making to alarm
the business interests of the country by threats
of dissolving the Union-threats which the pat
riotism of the nation will rebuke and defy
They should scout the compromise with slave
ry, which this violence is intended to secure,
and hold up to the just indignation of his con-
stituents any representative who directly or in
directly assents to it,
In the following sentence in the same letter,
he endorses Wimot, Giddings, and others:
THAT faith (the faith Of freedom) is now to
be manifested by works. and great and en-
ightened people will review the execution. 1t
S represented at Washington by men. of tran
scendent ability and courage. Allen, King,
WiImot and Giddings, and several others whom
might name, from their nerve, intellect, ire
oroachable public and private characters are
;ingularly adapted to the present risk. They
nay count on the support of free and firm
people, and take fresh courage in defending the
precious trust confded to them"
Mr.. Giddings, whom he thus commends, is
one ofthe most rabid abolitionists as everybody
~. L. Il. . c,o A.