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Communications: "policy Of The Liberty Party."

Communications: "policy Of The Liberty Party." image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
June
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
Letter to the Editor
OCR Text

rCondiidtd.)Detroit, June 1, 1846. VI r . T. Fo s t e r,- The nssumption by the Liberty party of the iroposed neto principies would niso créate this reat danger, tliat in their unavoiJable discusson Liberty advocates must be led away from he rc8stles3 power ff the ore idea to use very 'ragile wea)ons. Such case would be liko the lommander of a three-décker, keeping hts broodide3, and gunners idle, but ordering his marines o fire their muskets at an cnemy. Such niinor principies, too, give advérsanos a ;reat adv.intage. Men. who daré not attnck the ïreat Idea, ca ch átono of these principies, and nvolve ua in a discus3Íon of niric.itc trifles, unil thc one Idoi is lost sight of and buriod beleath the rubbish of its unmturnl Aesociation. iVhat a wny would it bn to plead for the poor lavo, by discussinga tariff orbank! E very au'ence can judge betwcen truth nnd error on ;reat natural principies, but details of mere poliy bave too much fog about ihem. and into this os. every ditputer of our present movementenleavors to run, nnd tempts us to chaee him. In 1R44 we liad an instnictive warning on iU subject. Our opponents fled from our priniples, to the enquiry whether Jainca G Birney vas a t;loco foco" or not. They dragged us fter them. and a great part of thc valunble seaon was lost in thts miserable discuss:on, to the exclusión, só far, of our Grcat principies. I ïave eoldum fek more mortified, than when breed into tbis subject, in which truth was so renaparent. The art of our opponents forced it upon us; yet now it is proposed, tbat by new principies we ourselvcs tender to them, the standing matcrials for the stunt! course. The proponed principie? also eeein to me ob jectionable as they requirc the nbnndonment o our present mode of operations, which I believ to be wise and judictbus, and to requirc but fait! and wuik to ensure full succeeí. We have crealed a :d party to carry out th principies of '76. h is componed of seceder frotn the other parties. lis future niembersbip is to be also thussupplicd. If not (hus suppliet it will perUh. A menibership fro:n only one o t li e partjes will nol be sufficient. Hcreiofoe we have presemcd to theso parties the attraction o greit. paramount.nnd dee)ly ehcrished principies Weshew nothingcontriry to tlieir oíd principies The Whig and ücinocrat may till retain thci old pr'.uciples: they only suspend their operntion for n scr.son. that they niay speak. throtigl the ballot-box ,i morehighly chcrished, and om mon principie. Jus: in proportion os we hnve labored we have found this coursc highly effect uní. Uut when our work ccased, the fruits stop pcd also. But nftor rijl. I am treè to admit ny cor.viction thut we do want neto principlei. These new principies ure just iwo - "fuuh and work.' Let us have tlum and let us give to our nob' one idea its free and unira'mmeled opplication and we will then have a politica] creed mor comprehensive: more glorious: more true: mor God-given and moro irresistible, than the snr of all tbc political cides of nll the polilical jinr ties of all nations nnrj peoplo in the worlJ a t!ie present day. If this firoliiie pnrent Iden wiih is numerous. iis ihiportant and honored oñ spring present not an ntrraction, öufficientl slrong, tó win public support. I know none oth er, to supply iis place. Ií thc vináication o principies, which alone give u? the civil blessing wc erijóy: if a radical reform in our governme.nl a rcduction of tw.i-tHirdi (il public expenditure a free course for free labor: a .emoval from on be'.ovcd country, of the only weak spot in il the conversión of antagonist into liarihoniniia po liticd clement?: the substilütion of a plain aiu Kepublican coveintiicni fir one of fe idal aris tocracy: ihe vindicaiion of din puriiy of ourcoun trj'á honor: its entrenchuioiit on the proud bu wark of Justice, nnd the upiearing throush ou tah'd of one vnst temple to ift'é Almighty, i which his principies may dweil the jircsidin genius of tho counn y: il ;il! these fnil lo attraci a majority of the pcople, then alns for thc po"i Slnve! Norshall we gain mud: of an auxilian when nlongside the towcriiii; "orevaüoii of these despised principU-s wc l;iy thc mole-liill olyects of ordtnary politie?. I hnve dwelt on this subject of new pr'ni p!r becnuse of iis importancc. I have freely expressed my views. Théy niay b'; erroneous. Tim( bests sifts truth from error. Let us all duciis.the subject cnlmly. kindly, htiinbly. and wiili malus] rfefeifence. Let uiacëk truth not victory. Let us not be in i huriy on the SÜbjëct. There is no prcsiiiro, ospccially in this St.ite. Ve want no special Convention for it: such Convention would cost us hundreds of dollars: would not bc a full representa: ion of our Siatc at thif eea8on: would not find us posSesscd ol thc ihought rr q'iisito for wise action. and ívotild nt-compliíh nothing, decide p.a t might. U would bc but the hasty action of a part of iMichigin, a vc-un State, and a n ere f-agment of thc Liberty p.irty. "Marry in hasie. repent at Iéisiiru" s-yaan old p.-ovcrb. Let us at least defor our mairinge loa new policy till our onnual meeting in February rinds usafisombled strong in nnmbers, and mature in ihought. If the new proposals prevail, il will be a virtual nbandonment of our presrrrt organiznion. and the construction oJ a new one. lí ihu principies öf ihat one be so étrong, and so wise, each and every ono of ihcm, ns to win a nmjonty oj thepeople, huving Liberty at tlu-ir hend. then I shoukl eay amen to uch a party. For myseli. I care not whnt the purty or what he machinery be, thnt dfstroyaslavery. nnd gives ine puor slare his rights: I care not how obnoxious to myself may the adjuncts be to such a mnin object, but whenever, and wherever 1 find this puramount object most clcarly, and honestly, and wisely attemi'ted, i shnil givo it my huinble shareofaid. This sacrifice of minor opinión I am satisfied every antielavery man will cheerfülly make, for his darlirig principies. Bui to ensure It, three thinjjs are reqnisite - a clear and unmistakable avowal of Ernancipation: an honesl ovowol: and wise mensure. A party rnay be bold, and honest in its uvowal, yot act so unvvisoly, as to boa suicide to us own ire8sure. Th tim for the adoption f new prinoiples,nvcn it they are proper. in ihmnselvcs. ecms io me not to havo arrived. We are ncwly acquainted wit Ij eacli olher. Wc liavc rcasoned logother loo littlr, to fuse inio ono innss our old lieterogeneous elements of thoughl and principie.- Time will makc us undcrstnnd each othcr br lier: it will crente muiual attachment and confideuce, t will engundera common mode of thoughl nnd nctioti. Resides, all onr converts were made on the "one idea" piinciple. An extensión of principie ivould bo a breach of faith to them. ín concliisiori. my views are these. On all subecis legitimntely embracedby our Great Idoa, or springing froin t, to define our pósition. Al! jiher topics to cxclude, The idea obhges us (o be .1 reform party. - The extent ol the reform 9 great. It ronches svery rcally important subject of present poiicy. Ft cxcludes onlythoseof minor consequehce. - The seulement of these latter may well be left to :hc season of the incoming of the reform power. Fhey will then receive iheir wisest settlement. - The wants r.n 1 interests of tlib rcformed instituons will bo appareht. Wholeaome principie ill be ripe. The government will be in the ands of Representan ves of Whigs and Demoals bl ended into refonrers. Wiih tbcM Rcprentaiivci), as umpires in the confidence of all, e settlement of all proper measures may safely e left. My fï rat comnmnication glanced at some of ir reform positions. Thcy embraced most of ie iopic9 pre8ented at our State meeting, as ew principies. Il I have read rightly the commnications of my associates on the special ommittee, we all now entertnin harmonioue iew8. We are opposed :o a creed on the tanfT, urrency or ether subject 6 in contest between the ld partiea. We favor onc or the other topics. Jut come what will - extensión or no extensión - we are devted to the caus: oi the Slave, nnd eadv to cor.tribute our mite. to the common cfort, in such way. ns a majority 6hall finaüy deermine to be best.