New-York tribune., 1886-04-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Tur EpFF SOIL MOVEMENT.


. Rc,nipisceuce of the Free Soil Movement IN
Kew-Iiampshire" is The title of pampniet oS
John l.. Hayes LID, which has recently been
printed at the University Press in Cambridge. Mr'
Uayes has been best known of late years as prom
lnent manufacturer, but he had an earlier distihc-
hon in politics which we are glad to see recaIlcu
by this modest statement of an interesting HIS
torcal event. celebrated III Whitters surfing
lines
God bless NewIIampshire. from her granite PEAKS
Once more the voice OF stark and langdoh sPe'A''
The ovept Tins commemorated was the first open
revolt in tie Democratic party of the North against
the policy of slavery extension, and the occasion vi
Tho revolt WAS the Shareholders scheme ior
the annexation of Texas That measure
the full significance of which was not generally
immediately perceived or at least adimlteV u!
Northern Democrats. though it was we'll enough
understood on the other side of the line. was made
n test of party fidelity. John F. Hale who was one
OF the most popular Democratic representatives I'D
Congress, and candidate for reelection, had the
couracc 10 oppose it, and in letter to his cOnsttu-
en-s he explained his objections to such formlaa-
bic enlargement of the slave power. Although no
had received the regular nomination for another
term. specia convention called at Concord
winch struck his name from the ticket,
pnd substituted that OF john Woodbury..
Franklin Pierce then chairman OF the
state Central Committee, made tour among
the towns to urge the faithful 10 sustain tins ac-
tion and throw Hale overheard Two active
and influential young members of the party, both
LAWYERS refused to listen to him. declaring that If
Hale was to he turned ont or opposing slavery
they were ready TO 90 out with hun THESE young
men were John l.. Hayes of Portsmouth, aud Amos
Tuck of Exeter. The result of conference be-
tween them was the calling of a convention of
l., ,rs'fa, EVofa Eelr
1915 to approve the course of Mr. Hale, and to pre-
test against the annexation of Texas as scheme
which would tend 10 extend and perpetuate slav-
cry and to weaken the influence of free representa-
tjon in Congress" The call produced decided effect.
The meeting was successful; and along with
its address and resolutions Mr. Hayes circulated
copies of a speech which he had tired to make
before a noisy Democratic caucus few days
earlier. This document. an able and temperate
statement of the issue between slavery and free
dom in the Texas controversy. was one of the very
earliest public utteranoes after Mr.. Haes letter.
in what became known lew years later as the
Free Soil movement. The speech is given in the
pamphlet before us.
Mr. Hayes refers TO this affair as a proof that
"the first spontaneous sentiment of the Whole
Democratic party of the North was resistance to
the annexation of Texas as measure of slavery
extension" Certainly the Democratic party of
New-Hampshre spoke ont i'll plain terms.
The resolutions of t6e Exeter Convention
read almost like specimens of some later
Republican platform. They declare " that direct
or Indirect advocacy of slavery, suDpOr of those
measure, which will foster and encourage it, is
wholly inconsistent with the doctrines of human
equality and universal justice; and that the
abandonment by the slaveholding States of the
princIple that slavery is local and municipal in
tfor fho ai1 Of
the Nation to annex a foreign country for the
avo,gcd purpose Of sustaining and strengthening
the nccuar institutions of the South, cOmpes us 20
fhe alternative Of acknowledging slavery to be
great National interest to be projected and
strengthened by the Nation, or Of sOlemnlv pro-
testing AGAINST ITS extension and continuance"
With such emphatic declarations. the Iu-
dependent Democrats went into the cam
pael. which was to have results probably
beyond the widest expectations of their
leaders. Mr. Hale felt bound by the terms of his
own letter to take part in the canvass Even
without his and however the Independents poled
so large a vote that there no choice again they
held the balance of power in the spring of 1S46.
when there was no choice of Governor, and they
made splendid use of this opportunity by compel
ling the Legislature to send John p. Hale to the
Tnitod 81 ltcs Senate while AIr. Tuck wasTeturned
60 the vacant seat III the House of Rep
resentailves. New-IIampshire, which had
been unAinchingly Democratic ever since
1929. was permanently detached from
the slave col Imn. She had the honor of sending to
Washington the first antl-slayery Senator, and IN
the XXXth Congress- which met IN 1Si7 with
compact httle party of three anti-sldvery repre-
sentativcs, the Ncw-IIamDshre Independent, Amos
Tuck, the only one elected on plain anti
slavery platform the others-Ioshua X. Giddngs
and John G. Palfrev-haying been elected as
Whgs The Democratic revolt had spread from
New-Hampshire to Massachusetts, in 1916 and it
eliminated at the Buffalo Convention in 1913.
The Free-Soil party fell to pieces. but the
spirit aroused III New-lIampshire III 1915
ll1Nn ed