Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-04-25
cLARKsBURe, FRIDAY. APRIL sSth, isse. SOC.

"I was not member of the Congress
of 1850. and have never been called on to
either affirm or deny the constitutiouality
of the Wilmot proviso." q "My
political existence commenced since that
flood and having never taken any pub
lie position. I am willing. in all frankness,
and candor, to do so now.''
will show you that his memory is as
oblivious as his sudden conversion is
marvellous. This same Henry NJ. Fuller,
on the 18th Of August. I849, wrote a let
ter to B. F. Saxton.-a letter from which
the following are extracts:
'' You state in your letter, that the
free soilers will hold a convention at Hyde
Park, on the 30th instant. There is a
pretty strong probability that will be in
the field for Canal Commissioner and it
would certainly aid my prospects very
materially TO receive u nomination, from
your party"
He had not then this holy horror of a
"wild hunt after office" denounced by
his brethren in Philadelphia. Oh, no
1t would very materially aid his pros
poets" to get a nomination from a regu-
lar Free~Soil convention and as it would
aid those prospects, he wanted it; and
had good reasons to give why he should
have it. Hear him:
am IN. favor Of Free Soil. free speech.
free labor, and free men ) being Witmot
Proviso man up to Tie hub. and utterly op-
posed TO tie extension Of SLAVERY T."
He was up to the hu6 In Free Soil when
he wanted Free Soil nomination and
[ have never heard of his prizing out,
until he wanted the votes OF sound nation
al men for the speakership. He goes on :
The matter will require prudent man
agement and l know OF no man who can
accomplish it better than yourself. 1t
would be bad policy to attempt it without
certainty of success. Consult with our
mutual friends Hackley and johnson, and
write me soon. "Yours truly,
HENRY NJ. FULLER"
Thus it appears, that on the 18th day
of August l849. be was Wilmot Pro-
viso man up to the hub" and on the 18th
day Of january, 1856. he declare, that he
never took any public position on the sub
ject of slavery"-that his "poltical ex-
lstence commenced since that flood !'-
will comment no further on this letter
Mr.. Fuller became candidate for Ca
nal Commissioner, and, while a candidate
made speeches among others one in
Allegheny City. reported in the Pitts
burg Gazette, then Wing paper and
then supporting Mr.. Fuller. In that
speech, published at the time, and uncon-
tradicted, Mr.. Fuller says:
90 I,ak the naOD1o Of tho CouII, toll, nc
they please, slavery was dark and dam
ming stain upon their escutheon." II +
" Let US say to the ProuI waves of sla>
very, rs they beat against the barriers Of
freedom Thus far shalt thou go, and no
further. Let us give our lands, free in
every sense Of the word, to our citizens,
an TO the poor and oppressed Of other
nations.'' II GAS lords Of free
dom. we had a duty to perform TO the
South. Let us do it with proper regard
to our friends there, but let US insist on
the earliest practical abolition Of slave.
ry" Il!
Ay, " the earliest practicable abolition
of slavery" Look at it ! For ''free soiE''
-"Opposed to the extension Of slavery"
in favor Of its "enrliest practical aboli-
lition"--intriguing for the nomination
of u Free Soil convention and in addition
10 all this, when the final vote which
"tried the souls of men7'-Lhe vote which
was to determine whether Banks, the
political Abolftionist-the Black Republi>
can-the northern Know Nothing Sun
ion sliding " absorption Banks,
should be elected Speaker Of the Ameri.
can House of Representatives, or that &C,
complished gentleman and sound, nation
al, conservative man, Governor WILLIAM
AIKEN-he, under the aimsy and miser>
able pretext of having paired of with a
man who was present, being present him
self. lodged, and did not vote a. all
And now with his record fairly before
you--elected upon the principles on which
l was elected submit it to your can.
dor, If I would not have exposed myself
to the just Scorn and contempt of every
good man Of my district, of any party, il
had voted for Henry NJ. Fuller l vo-
ted for William A. Richardson. of Illinois.
l knew him. l had served with him in
the last Congress. knew him TO be the
very soul Of honor. GA man whose
word was as good as his bond :" man
whose large heart could take all the Union
into its affections man who was all
scanned with scars received in battles for
the rights of the South +; man who had
been passed around by the Abolitionist,
(within black lines. in-what they call
their /" roll of infamy." because of his
gallant bearing in those battles ; man
who breasted the storm in I" its widest
ragings' after the passage of the Kansas,
Nebraska bill =; the man who bid them a
proud and bold defiance the statesman
who was our champion and leader through
all the great struggle upon that bill the
statesman who had counseled his friends
in the North to 90 stand and brave the