Press enter after choosing selection

Letter From Robert Edmunds

Letter From Robert Edmunds image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
September
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Messrs. Editors: - Since you have seen fit to publish a note of mine not designed for publication, and to comment freely on the same, though ín a liberal and becoming manner, justice seems to cal] for some reply on my part, and I hope you will do me the favor to permit me to reply through the columns of the Signal that your readers may judge whether l have any reasons to advance that will justify me in the course I am pursuing. In your stricltires you say, "But now let usturn to Mr. Edmunds and ask himwhat course he intends to" "pursue te accomplish the liberty of the poor slave:': "if our course is not judicious it devolves on him to show us a better one." This better way, by the help of God, I wil] now endeavor to show. Slavery is an evil, and if an evil, then it is wisdom on the part of ihose who would abate or abolish that evil to confine it to the narrowest possible limits. Now slavery exists in the United States under the fosterïng care of our Government: To annex Texas to this nation weuldbe very greatly to enlarge the borders of slavery under the protection of the same government. For the liberty party to vote enmasse for Mr. Birney, is to increase the chances for Mr. Polk's elecPion, and the consequent annexation of Texas, war with Mexico, and ver-y probably with England, bring a debt of untold millions npon our Treasury,_ to be paid three fourths of it out of the pockets of free labor, and bring down the frowns of a civilized and enlightened worldj and the judgments of a righteous God upon our hypocritical nation, But Mr. Beckley says, 'as we do not favor the eleetion of Polk, we do not favor the consequent evils which he would perpétrate," Let us see whether it is true that Mr. Beclcley in the course he is pursuing, does not favor the eleetion of IVItv Polk. The Liberty party, at the head of whiéh intln-s state Beckley stands, is composed of men drawn from the Wbig and Loco Fuco parties in the proportion as every sensible man knows of thrce from the whigs to one from the loco focos.-Now it is reasonable to suppose thatwith the usual increasé of the Liberty party, their vote next November will be 100,000 in the United States,' 75,000 of which will be drawn from the whig ranks. - Now if we take 25,000 ofthis number to .offset against the 25,.0O0 drawn from the loco foco ranks, we have 50,000 withdrawn from the of Mr. Clay after balancing those drawn from the support of Mr. Polk, dimiuisbing, the chances of Clay's and fncreasing the chan.cesfo) Mr. Polk's election to that amount.Mr. B. further says, '!is it certa-in that Clay who says he has 'personally no objection to-annexation,' will opposeliticaliy witli dny greai warmth or persevera-nce?" On this question, I would remark, that Texas is not now a member ■ of this unfon and for this happy circumstance we are indebled not to Mr. Palk or the loco focos, but to' the whigs, the staunch friends of the Constitülion, and if Texas does not become a' mernber of this union it will be owing to the' exertions of the same party. .Now if-Mr. Clay personally was ever so much in favor of annexation, with a party in power that must come in with he coaíd do nothing towards accomplishing that object so mtich desired by the slavefiolders of the South and loco focos of thé N-orthy to their shamëbé it 'said. M-r. B. fm-ther says, '{Mt. Edmunds virtually proposes to us the immediate dissolution of the Liberty party aá the besf meïhod of subser Ving the Anti-slavery cause." On this assertion it is onJy necessary for me to aay that tfee whóle stress is laid-uporr-the adverb "virtually." and all that he has dravvn from ifr is a creation of the brain of the Editor, as 1 have never advised' any süch thing, nor have I written any thing to j.ustify fhe as-sertion.- As to whafr Ir. Beek ley. has said of Robert Edmunds of 1843 appearing to be tl very different petson from the Robert Edmunds of and his being drummed up to as he formerlyuiu, insieuu ui vunng ior ngnreous liberty and all that kind of stuiï]if seems to be a very good nalured play ahd sport of ihe Editor iipdn the wordsof an unpretending farmer, and I will receive it in tho same good natured way. At the same time I i -would assure the Editors thai tny views are unchanged. J have the same unutlerable abhorrence of slavery, and all ihe concomitan! evils attending it that I ever had. Perceiving that it is morally certain that one of the pro-slavery par. Hes will obtain the power of the Governmentj and the exaltation of the loco foco party to potter wil! be foJWed by the annexation of Texas, and all the train of evils that will follow that event, I greatly prefer the elevation of Mr. Cky and the Whig party, fully believing tlmt in case of their elevation, annexation wil) be prevented whh all the evils that will follow in its train--Slavery under the protection of our Government be eonfined to the present limifs of the United States, no obstacle be thrown in the way ol its oltiroate Abolition by the spread of Liberty principl-es, and the aefion of the Liberty party, wbose ultímate tmimphde- pends on the righteousness of their canse, Eind to whom 1 wish success in the ways of well .doine.Remarks. - We have given the reply of Edmunds an insertion, altliough we are erowJed for room, It wiíl be seen fhat while he acknowíedges bot!) partjes ta' be "pro-slavery," he is qyite anxious thaf one of thera éhocrld sn-cceedin preference lo the otherj but lie reit-er-ates the assei'tión tlíat every vote fór Bir-' ney favor the election of Polk. ÑoV' we will join issue whli him on this propo-' sition: tij Every vote given f ot Mr. Clay in Michigan f avors the election of Polk as ?nuck as every vote given for Mr.Do you ask why? Becauaeit ís fact conceded by sensible men of all parties that the electoral candidates of the Whig party will not beelected in November.We need nct argüe the case. The Democratie maiority last year was 6,407 for Governor: each of their candidates for Congress was elected by an average majority of 2,208: every Senator in the Legislatüre was a Democrat, elected by nearly a thousand average majority; and 46 cut of 52 members of the House were of that party; and it is stated that in every district whence thesix Whig members were returned, there was a Democratie majority for Governor and Congressman. Now, it is not to be suppoïsed, that the political character of any State, when thus established hv permanent majorities in every representativo district, will be changed in twelve months without some uncommon cause. Sensible W-higs do not expect any such thing. Thcy know that the State is as süre for Polk and SlaveryasNew Hampshire, Well, this beiiig the case, it fo'llows tha! if 20f00O, or any other rninority of Whig votes were given for the Whig electors, it will not help the election of Clay in the Btft, says' the Whig, does not evèry vote count one totvards Clay's election? No, friend, it countsnothingat all Orneas you' h'avé a rffajorrly. Wheh yoiï vófe for Góvéf"hó'ry évery vote teils one against an opposing vote: when yoú vote for President, 20,000 votes wil] count nolhing unless they are a ïnajörity. Do you peKceive the drffeëncé? Now see how inconsistent' is MY. Edmunds, and those Liberty men who may be áeduced to vote for Mr. CJay. They say, they want Mr. Clay elected, and we will hfilpelect hirtnV Weil, hözö tvill you help? ?Why, I will vote for him.'v ï)o not you seé that your Vote will count nothing unless he gets a majority in the State - aú eveht which, if possible, is yet very far from being probable Henee you leave the Liberty and yet do not help iri the least to accomplish the purpose j or which you left il.' Is this wise? Henee the truth of our proposition, that á vote for Clay favors the eléct'icm of Mr. Polk as much as a voté for Birney: in all probability, in Michigan, neilher will help or hinder his election.U will be scen timt'our retnai'ks apply '.o Michigan' orily. "ÍVe do not argüe that Mr. Clay will not bö élëctéd- for wë'cionsidèi'his chances tobe ábout orí a par with those of PolE We oriïy say that he will not get the electoral vote of Michigan; and every vote for the Clay electoral' candWates, so far as that object in Vol ved, will be thrOwnaway.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News