Newbern weekly progress., 1860-10-09
VOLUME III.
Beverly Tucker to Hon. ReVerdy
Johnson.
LIVERPOOL. Sept. 10. 1860.

Grave issues nave arisen since InaC time, VI
tally affecting the welfare of our valued Con
federacy. Upon these [ have concluded to
write you, with that entire freedom and frank
ness which, Notwithstanding the disparity of
age and the difference in our public positions,
you have always encouraged me to employ. L
looked with great confidence to the national
consultation of the Democratic party at Charles
ton to work out a plan of salvation for its own
unity, and the peace and prosperity Of our COM
mon country. | fondly hoped that one, and
the chief Of the benefcient results of that con-
vention, would have been the presentation of a
candidate for the Presidency, the prestige of
whose name and antecedents would have quiet
ed the public apprehension, and have been a
guarantee against future sectional disscnsions,
in whatever quarter they might arise. Such,
| had trusted would have been the spirit that
animated the hearts, and that would have ex-
cited the mutual emulation of all in that body.
In this, however, were disappointed. Where
peace, good will, and brotherly love should
have reigncd, strife, rancor, and bitterness pre-
vailed. Brothers hands were raised against
brothers--hiends against fiiends-sections
against sections; and this when there was Il
common ground of fairness and precedent, up
/ on which all eXascerbations could have been
! allayed, and all dissentiOns have been healed.
| The standpoint from which | have viewed
with intense interest and sohcitudc these un
happy disscnsiOns, and their causes and effects,
force Inc from silence which, otherwise, [ had
willingly have preserved. \ crisis has arrived
in our social political, and national existence,
when every man, however humble, should put
in his willing oar to steer the good ship of State
! to a safe anchorage within the bail of the Con
stitution and the Union. 1t is no sufficient eX-
! cusc for his supneness and silence that he holds
Il commission under the federal government,
and that hence his honest convictions arc to be
suppressed and his reason to be displaced by a
selfish inanition There is a hardihood, per
haps-but it is patriotic hardihood-that inn
pclS man born in free country, reared III
free country, and hoping to live and die in
free country, to weigh, as Il feather in the bal
ance. all other considerations against the pres
ervation of the rcvered institutions of that cOun-
try The time has come yea, and now is,
when every man, whatever the measure of his
influence, be it great or small, is expected to
exert it III behalf Of this great stake. In my
case, I shall discuss the condition of things at
home with mind free from bias prejudice,
and a heart which harbors no rcSCntments,
either personal or political. Indeed, how could
it be otherwise? ? Many Of the best friends
have in the world, among them those who are
endeared to me by the tendereSt ties of affection
and love, and from whom no diversity of polit-
ical opinion cll ever ALLEVIATE me, have, | per-
cCVc taken different view from that which |
entertain.
have sad there was a common ground of
fairness and precedent presented for the healing
of the dissentions at Charleston. What was
that common ground The Territorial ques-
ton had been fully and ably discussed in all the
halls Of legislation State and federal in every
convention public meeting, and on every huSt-
ing throughout the length and breadth of the
| land. The Democratic party is now divided
upon this question. Stephen \. Douglas, with
the great bulk of the party in the North, and
tremendous minority Of the party in the South,
hold this doctrine Of non-intcrvcntion by Con-
gress with slavery in the Territories The 9th
er divisions of the party in the South, with the
Administration at its head, suddenly, and con-
trary to all their antcccdents upon this ques-
ton, assume the right of intervention by Con
gross for the protection OF slavery in the Terrl-
tories Now it is not pertinent to this branch
Of the subject to diScuss the purely abstract
proposition; for while | confess do not concur
in the views of Judge Douglas yet | see no
practical bearing upon the subject whatever
The isothermal or climatic law will decide the
question practically, despite Of Congressional
intervention or non-intervention.
The issue is fairly started, and shall cndea-
yor to establish the fact that if fairness and
precedent had been consulted by our friends
in the opposite interest, an harmonious nOmi-
nation would have been made, either in the
person of Judge Douglas or some other repre-
senting the principle and idea Of anti-section-
alism. reference to the action of former con-
ventions is necessary to fair statement of the
case In 1914 the National Convention as
scmblcd in Baltimore. Mr. Van Buren had
written his famous Texas letter. The doc
trincs contained in this paper were at war with
all the principles of the party. 1t impugncd
the rights of the sovereign States of the Union.
Many Of them hadinstructed their delegates to
vote for Mr.. Van Buren in convention previous
to the appearance of the letter Such hcrcsics,
however, had to be repudatcd by the party,
and the 'two-thirds " rule was adopted. I'm
der the operation of this charge, Mr. Van Bu-
ren was defeated, and the Hon. James X. Polk
was chosen the candidate of the Democratic
party, and was elected. On the Sd Of March,
1915, Texas was annexed The following day
Mr.. Polk was inauglratcd. In 1916, Al, came
the war with Mexico, and its results, among
which was the acquisition of new Territory
Ever bent on mischief the Abolition party
seized this as fit occasion to fost their odOus
principles upon the country, and even attempt
ed to obstruct the legislation of the government
by offering as an amendment to the the Army
bill the g 'Wilmot provisO." This was resisted,
and successfully resisted, by the Democratic
party and the conservative Union men of the
Whig party. Mr.. Van Buren made the fatal
mistake Of endorsing and identifying himself |
with this measure. In 1913 the convention
met in Baltimore. This new doctrine of the
Van Buren, wing of the party, of Congressional
intervention with slavery in the Territories,
was repudiated, and the nomination of Gen.
Cass was effected Thus intervention was
crushed out, and non-intervention became the
"cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night"
of the Democratic party.
Chagrined, disappointed, and soured at the
defeat of their favorte measure, upon which
they had hoped to ride into power, the "Free-
soilers' bolted, and called a separate conven-
ton at Buffalo, which nominated Mr.. Van Bu
ren, causing the defeat of Gen Cass, and, con
sequently, the election of Gen. Taylor. Stead
lily, persstently, and unitedly has the Demo
cratic party combatted this odious principle.
To have yielded one jot title in this re-
sistance, was to have lost not only its own pres
tige for good but, what is of far greater value
than any party triumphs, would nave endan
gered the dismemberment of the Union itself
Intervention was the abolition doctrine-non-
intervention was the antidote. The dearest OBJ
ject of the Abolition party was to keep the sla-
very question in Congress-the fondest hope
and earnest efforts of the Democratic party were
to take it out of Congress- Where, then, not