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Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
September
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

At the recent Antislavery Convention held at Löndon, in June last, an Address "was prepared and órdered to be directed to the respective Governors of the difFerent slaveholding States of the American Union. It is in reply to this Address, we presume, that the following cavalierlike letter of Governor Polk, of Tennesseappears. We find it in the Globe of the 16th inst. F rom the Nashville Union. REAL CAUSE OF ALARM. We have seen in the office of the SecTetary of State two Communications from the World' 's Convention of Abolüionists iindei the seal of the British and foreigri Abolition Society, oneof them FRANKED by S. M. GATES, A WIIIG MEMBER OF CONGRESS, from NewYork,, and bolh addressed to "His Excellency, James K. Polk, Governor of the Btats df Tennessee." Tkey are INCENDIARY or we wöuld lay' them before the public. We have permission, however to publish the letter of the Governor in reply tö Gates, which is as follows: NAshvilt.e, (Tenn.)Oct. 2,1840. To the Hoy. S. M. Gatjss, Mefnbcr of Congress from the State of New York. Öitt: - I have' received through the past office, a comiríimication, under your ofíícial íVank as a member of Córigress, containing certairt pfoceedings of a body of .men styling "A Conven tion of íhe friends of the' negro, assembled from various partsof the wofld, convened for the purpose of promoting the immediote, eñtire and universa} aboïition of slavery and the slave trade.5' - This it appears, was holden Ut London in ine rnoiitii of June last.-r!The envelope covering the communicafjon, vhiclï eoms to me tmder your i posfmarked at the city of New York-=is sealed with a stamp bearing ifee' pictorial representation of a person in irtiploring: attitude, and eticircled with the words, "Briiish and Foreign Anti8tavcry Society." The communication itseïf contains an appeal to the Governor of Tennessee' to employ all the influence nnd power with vvhich Divine Providence has ent rust ed him, to secure immediate and unconditional liberty tothe slave." Tlie fact is indisputable that you have lentyour ofiicial frank to this self-siyled "World's Convention of Abolitionists," as a means o-f enabling them to send their ínfamous publications iñ manuscript thro' the United States mails, free of expense, and the presumption therefore is, that you countenance. and approve the proceedings which you aid them to circuíate. In a postscript to the communication beaving your frank, 1 am requested to acknowledge its receipt in a letter addressed the '-President of the Convention at London' This request I shall disregard. 1 can not recognize by any act of mine, official or othenvise, the right of foreigncts to make an attempt, in itself so imperlinent and impudente to intérmeddle or interfere with the domestic institutions of fhis State, Buf you, sir, are an American citizerr, and by part you have borne have made yourself equnlly crimiBal and responsibfe with the foreign and fanatics with whose proceedings you1 have identified yourself. We re it not for the official station which you occupy, I am free to declare that I should teeat tho part which you have borne inthis dnrk transaction with the scorn and contempt vvhich I entertain for the proceedings themselves, and which I atn sure all patriötic citizens ardently atfached tö the Union, and desiring its preservation, pronounce upon yöur conduct. It is to be regretted that the aflected and hypocritical philanthropy of British and foreign abolitionists, with whom your official frank identifies you, had not been reserved for the sufFering subjects of their own dominions, whose unremitting toil even in seasons of profound peace is in many instanees scarcèly rewarded by the means of procuring wliolsome food and decent raiment. Ünacquainted as the Convention, whose proceedings you endorse and circuíate by your frank, seems to have been with the peaceable relalion of master and slave in the United States, theiradvice isas worthlëss ás it is gratuitous. The foreigner, in extenuation of his ccime, may plead ignorance of our iorm of government, but from you, sir, his American aidor and abettor, no such plea is admissible. He may be actuated by the desire to produce insurrectidn in the heart of a rival nation. But what apology have you, sir, for lending your oflieial privilege as a member of Congressto aidhirn in an attempt to produce anarchy and confusión in one of the constituent sovereignties of your own government? Have you seriously reflected upon the dangersof the crusade in which you are engaged- a crusade in.alliance With foréigners, which not only threatens the peace and harmony of the Union, but may endanger its existence, if the wicked asritation to whichy ou give your countenance, is persisted 'mí Are you so dehberately reckless of conseqüenees as to be willing to lend the aid of your official privilege to countenance and abet íbreigners in proceedings calculated to excite sectional jealousies and heart buruings- to divide the States by geographical linas - to arráy one section against anotber; and that, too, at the imminent peril of producing domestic insurrection and servile war? Have you yet to be informed thnt $avery existed ih the colonies long befo re independence was achieved? Have yöu yet to lëarn that the adoption of the Constitution, the adjustment of the slave question presented one ofthe'chicf ■ dilHcuhies to the formation of the Union which had to be encountered- and that it was ultimately settled on principies of mutual concession and comproniise? VVould you disturb the fundamental compact on which the Union of the States rests? But I will not argüe, the question. Jt is not one which is debateable. It is a matter of sincere regr.et that any American citizenshould be guilty of such high treasou to the h'rst principies upon which these States, became united. Your official frank covering these proceedings stands up in judgement against you, as a witness whose testimony is not to be impeached Theonly farther notice which I shall take of these nefarious proceedings of foreigners, with whom you stand associíited, will be to expose them to the indignant rcprobation of the people of Tennessee.- ■

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News