Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-12-20

Vub 10 uSelieu eIleCt, .lOf ME- aOalnOun
returned nominally to the democratic
party, supported Mr.. Van Buren's adj
ministration and South Corolina voted
for him in ls40, when he was defeated
by Gen. Harrison s.. 6tsf,I
The Artherton 'gag," as it was just
| ly termed, rule known as the 2lst
rule, was adopted by the House OF Rep
resentatives on demand of the slave pow
er. This rule refused to allow any PEE
titions from the people on the subject of
slavery to be received by their own rep
resentatives and completed the humilia-
ton of the North during the admins
tration of Mr.. Van Buen, opening wide
the gate which leads to the fatal road
down which we have been travelling as
nation and people at a frightful pace
ever since. 1r... .I.f ..
The death Of General Harrison in one
short month after his inauguration and
the accession of John Tyler, then Vice
President, to the Presidency, afforded
an opportunity which was eagerly en-
braced by the slaveholding nullfers, to
take possession of the Government aud
administer it for their exclusive benefit.
That John Tyler proved traitor to the
party which elected him, as recorded in
history. That he is traitor to his
country to-day, aoiU be recorded in histo-
ry. This weak and unscrupulous man
became the willing tool of the slayehold-
ing conspirators and permitted them to
dictate and control the policy of his ad-
ministration. ls .'t .... It
On the death of Abel p. Upshur, OF
Virginia, who succeeded to the Office OF
Secretary of State after the resignation
of Mr.. Webster, John G.. Calhoun, the
admitted chief and ablest of the slave
holding conspirators, was called by Mr.
i Tyler from his seat in the Senate of the
/ United States to take Mr. Upshur's
| place. You who are familiar with polit
ical history will remember that when
Mr. Calhoun went into that office he as
tonished and shocked the moral sense ot
| the civilized world by declaring that he
only accepted the position in order that
| he might the more certainly consum
mate the schemes Of the shareholders
which were first to secure the annexa
ton of Texas, then Cuba, Mexico anC
Central America, and thus extend anC
strengthen the slave power so that i
might control the country while it re
NAMED united, and when they ceased t.
control it, that they might have powe
5 successfully to divide ii. He did no
5 hesitate to make public and defend hi
, scheme of annexing Texas to secure it t
1 slavery. In his dispatches to our Mir
t listers in England and France he declar
: ed this to be the policy of our Govern
| ment. That Mr.. Calhoun was a boil
t and able man all admit, and he went a
his work with a adirectness Of purpos
that places in unenviable contrast tn
: lodging and cowardly conduct of North
: ern statesmen who, while protesting t,
represent the interests of free labor anc
the rights of man, sacrificed them with
: out scruple at the bidding of the slav
{ power John Quincy Adams warne,
the nation before Mr.. Calhoun beeam
, Secretary of State of this scheme. Blu
, the North was SO absorbed in the pun
, suit of wealth and new enterprises tina
: it did not heed the warning of that abl(
pure and far-sighted statesman, and b
q the votes of Northern men claiming t
y represent free labor Texas was annexe
!. with slavery, and this part of Mr.. Ca
q houn's scheme to strengthen and pc
: petpate the rule of privileged class an
a increase their influence in the Cover
ment was consummated on the night {
the Sd of March which closed the men
, orable administration of John Tyler.
! By the management of Mr.. Calhoun
r the question of the annexation of Texa
was made to enter largely into the can
paign of 1874. 1t decided the fate @
t candidates in the Baltimore conventio
: of that year and defeated Henry Cla
because he yielded to the importunitie
! of shareholders and wrote the never-tC
: be-forgotton Alabamaletter. Althoug
a | had not then attained my majority b
j more than two years, / attended tn
/ democratic convention which met 8
! Baltimore in 1874 aud witnessed the pc
l litical movements by which the slapa
Iholders triumphed in that convention
e | confess that | did not then fully con
4 prehend how or why Mr.. Van Bure
I was there defeated when every Demo
I cratic State Convention in the Unite
S States, with but three or fourexceptions
: land those the smallest States,) had il
2 structed their delegates tovote for tn
denomination of Van Bmen and JohI
4 son, the old ticket defeated by Harriso
and Tyler in lS4o, and indeed may sa
t with truth that | never fully compr,
a hended it until after the PRESIDENT.
? election of 1852. After making thema
+. ter subject of diligent search and il
+ quiry, became satisfied that the sav
interest was the power behind the thron
and that that must be spurious Den
: ocracy which sustained and defende
the rightfulness of human slavery. -s.
4 In. 1850 the country had forced upo
7 it the so-called compromises of that yeal
! The action of Southern Conventions an
4 the position assumed by Southern state.
: men and parties in many of the State
2 in 1851 and the action of the Democrat
) ic and Whig National Conventions c
1851, when viewed in the light of histc
Il ny, and the first acts of Pierces admin
. istration confirmed me in my conviction
Z which until then had only been sus
picions-and | declined longer to ac
with the party of my choice.
There is historical incident ofimpol
! tance connected with the canvass of th