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Mr. Birney And His Slanderers

Mr. Birney And His Slanderers image
Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
October
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Last week we stated the falsehoods which the Whig presses are so industriously circulating, that Mr. Birney had ]eft the Liberty party, gone over to the Locofocos, accepted a nomination from theih, and pledged himself to support Democratie men and measures. As the Whig leaders at Detroit are opparentl relying on the circulation of this slande to distract and break up the Liberty pai tv, and are getting up affidavits t induce the simple to believe it, we sha present a statement of all the circumstances respecting the matter which have come to our knowledge. . The falsehood itself is undeserving a lengthy notice; but the use attempled to be made of it aeetns to render its refutation necessary. Mr, Birney resides in Saginaw county, one of the least settled of any of the organized counties of the State. The popalation is very sparse, as appears by the vote of last year, when the Whig candidate for Governor received 70 votes, and the Democratie, 101. No Liberty votes were polled. In all the new counties, there is much less party feeling than in those which have been longer settled. - So in Saginaw. Notwithslanding there was a Democratie majoiïly of 31 in the county. H. L. Miller, a Whig, on account of his personal popularity, was chosen Representative to the Legislature. The laws of Michigan require the Board of Supervisors of each county to publish annually a report of all the claims against the County allowed by them. - This the Board of Saginaw County have not doue. A portion of the people were dissatified with their doings, some of which they conceived were not sanctioned by law; and also because three individuals had been allowed one hundred dollars each for settling a claim with the State, which it was alledged, was notly the work of an hour. The proceedings oí the Board, and the refusal or neglect to publish these proceedings, as required by Iaw, excited considerable interest, and after the adjournment of the County Court. a public meeting of citizens was held, which was addressed at length by Mr. Birney, and resolutions expressing the feelings of the meeting were adopted, and ordered to be published in the "North Star," the Democratie paper, and the Only paper in the County. The Editor when called on by Mr. Birney refused to publish themj and tp relieve his apprehensions, Mr. Birney ofiered to give him his bond to indemnify him against all le' gal damages. But as he still refused, Mr. Birney requested him to publish the proceedings In handbills, and he wou ld pay the usual price. He declined the proposition. As this looked very much like a determination to keep all knowledge of the proceedings of the Board from the people, Mr. Birney drew up a statement of the whole affair, to which he put his signature, procured ït to be published elsewhere, and circulated it throughout the County. Having thus taken a prominent part in the affairs of his fellow citizens, man y of them were desirous that he should be their Representative in the Legislature and previous tohis departure for the Easf it appears from a circular put forth by the Democratie Corresponding Committee of that County, that he was inquired of by several individuals, if he would accept a nomination for that office. The circular says: "To James Fraser, Esq. Mr. Birney propounded the following interrogatory: - " Would it not be best to break up both politica!, parties?" having refcrence to the Democratie and Whig parties!) Mr. Birney further stated to Mr. Fraser, "As to tlie Abolition question, it beING A LEAD1NG QUESTION WITH ME, 1 WILL NOT TRAMMEL MYSELF ON THAT SUBJECT."The foregoing facts Mr. Fraser staled at the School House, in the presenceofa nutnber of gentlemen, on the 8th Oct. inst." Mr. Octavus Thompson states in wriling, as appears by this circular, that in conrersation with Mr. Birney, alter mentioning the intended ncmination to him, Mr. Birney replied, "that should he be so nominated and elected to the Legislature, HE SHOULD GO THERE UNPLEDGED TO ANY PARTY, and furthermore askedme that if he should be so nominated, would it not be better for the Whigs not to nomínate a candidate?" The Democratie Convention met Sept 28. Twenty five delegates were presen from five towns. Mr. Birney was de clared nominated, for Representative, the Detroit Free Press says by a majority o one. The same paper says, that VVhig favorable to Birney intruded themselve into the primary town meetings, and un der pretence of benefitting the county in eome local interest, went for delégate who were favorable to Birney, and thu secured his nomination. The Free Pres further says: "We learn also that the Democrats who were put in nomination for county officers by this mongrel convention, immediate ly declined u pon discovering the trick o the whigs, and because they would no run on the same ticket with Birney, who is consïdered the worst enemy of the Dem oer atic party in tkat County."Ovving to these circumstances, another nomination became necessary, and the Democratie comniittee issued a notice for i Mass Meeting, to be held Oct. 17. In their circular, they repudíate Birney in the strongêst terms. Theysay: "Fellow citizens, are )'ou prepared to elect a man, whose avowed deterniination is TO ANNIHILATE THEDEMOCRATIC PARTY- 1o support a man ïphö openhf avmos his inlentinn TO BREAK ÜPTHE PARTY- principies for which we have long contended, and which are dear to every sound Democral'i We .nnswei' no, and fondly trust you wil! cheeriully respond to tlic cali."' Mr. Birney lefl for the Kast before he was nominated, and wc have seen no communication from him on the subjecf, excopt the following extract from a note in the N. Y. Tribune ol' Oct. 8: ilï( I have been nominated for the Legislaturo of Michigan by the Demócrata of the County in which I reside, it hr.s been since I left home. My rflation to the Libertv party, and my tincomproniising OPPOSIT1ON TO BOT1ITHE OTHER PARTIES, is as well understood there as elsewhere'. ífj then, I have been nominated by any portion of my countrymen, ü has been noi as a Democraf, nor as a Wliig. But as I have received no official or authoritative notificaiion of such nomination, it would be premature in me now to take any farther notice of it." Such is the history of this transaction: md from this it appears, 1. That Mr. Birney has noi applied to he Democrats for any nomination ' ïver, 2. That he has not accepted any ïomination from them orothers. 3. That he has not agrêed to accept i my. '" iWhat, ihen, is Mr. Birney's ofence? Asto the thing itself, if any portion-o Mr. Birney's fellow citizens are disposed o avail themselves of his experience, leal knovvledge, and eminent abilities to ccomplish any measures for their Benefit, 'e liave yet to learn that such an ineliation is a henious crime in them, pr that compliance with it on the part of Mr. irney would necessarily render him oboxious to the charge of hypocrisy or -eachery. In Massacbiisetts, and in othr States, in many instances, the Whigs )ave renominated and voted for the nomiees of the Liberty party, and yet nobody rèa'med of a "corrupt coalition" between ie two parties. It only pro ved that, "uñar the circamstances, tlie Whigs preferí ed the Liberty candidates to theopposing democratie ones. Why, then - the readv will naturally ask - if there be nothing n these transactions for whieh Mr. Birey is justly censurable, - why shonld lere be so great a hu e and cry respect ing lis treachery and underhanded villainy? he answer is, that a!l this commotion has )een raised by certain leading Whigs, nd these falsehoods are manufactured nd kept in circulation in the Whig papers for the purpose of destroying all condence in Mr. Birney, and thus inducing s many Liberty men as possible to vote Dr Mr. Clay. The only hope of the Vhigs in this State is in the destruction f the Liberty party, For this purpose ïey labor without ceasing. In order to get np some show of )roof for all their groundless assertions, he Whigs of Detroit sent a Mr. Driggs 11 the way from Detroit to Saginaw to gather up as much news as he might be ble. He fulfilled his mission, made a eport to his employers, and to obvíate its meagreness, the State Whig Coramittee )ublished It uhder their sanction. Theamount ot tne testimony is, that U nggs vent to Saginaw to get affidavits to prove hat Birney had accepled a Locofoco nomination for the Legislature: he asked undry persons to swear to this, but every one refused; and he wrote down what certain persons told him in his travels, and after he carne back to Detroit, made oath that certain persons told him tfiüs and sof On the strength of this evidence the State Whig Committee gravely and officially assure the public, through the Advertiser, that this ''evidence is of a character to convince every candid mind!" The hearsay stories of the barroom, gathered up on the eve of an election, by a political partizan, who personally knows nothing of the matter, and unsupported by a single line of written evidence from those who do know, will scarcely suffice to satisfy intelligent men. But as Mr. Driggs 7cnows nolhing of the malter, what did he hear? Why that Mr. Birney had told somebody that he was a '{Jpf Tersonian Demoerat,' and if a nomination were tendered him, he would be willink to accept it, and if elected wouldcarry out "Democratie principies." All the Whig1 papers sny that he said he would support "Democratie mem and MEAgCRES." but Mr. Driggs was so no ■ lacky that he could not find any body in Saginaw who would even esuch a story. Mr. Driggs also hcard of a letter written by M. Birney stating these things, but was not nble to sec it. Fellow Liberty men! In the absence of Mr. Birney, all these slandeis are put forth, and many more will follow. Be not deceived by them. Our enemies are desperate: believe not their falsehoods. They would begnile you into the support of a WHIG SLAVEHOLDER! The Liberty party will do ampie justice to Mr. Birney: butihey will not condemn him unheard. If he be a trait or, he will receive a traitot's reword; if he has commhted an error of judgment, he willceive wlialever censure it may deserve: if he lias done right, he ís entitled lo your ful! confidence and support. In the meanüme, til! the facts can be known, you are bound to believe his own statement, as expresstd in the New York Tribune: "If, then,I have been nominaled by any partion of my countrymen, IT HAS BKBN KOT AS A DeMOCRAT, NOR AS A WlIIG."

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News