.
Whole JVb. 157.
TarborouSh, (Edgecombe County, JV. C.J Tuesday, November 6, 1833.
Vol. ixm it
The "North Carolina Free Press,"
BV GEORGE HOWARD,
Ts published weekly, at Tivo Dollars and Fifty
Cents per year, it paid in advance or, Three Dot
lars, at the expiration of the subscription year. For
any period less than a year, Tidenty-Jive Cents per
mcnth. Subscribers" are at liberty to discontinue at
;iny time, on giving notice thereof and paying arrears
those residing at a distance must, invariably pay in
advancc.or give a responsible reference in this vicinity.
Advertisements, not exceeding 16 lines, will be in
serted at 50 cents the first insertion, and 25 cents each
continuance. Longer ones at that rate for every 16
lines. Advertisements must be marked the number
of insertions required, or they will be continued until
otherwise ordered, and charged accordingly. .
Letters addressed to the Editor must be post paid,
or they may not be attended to.
AN ADDRESS
To the friends of Gen. JACKSON in
North Carolina, and to the support
frs of his Administration of the affairs
of the General Gorernmenti
(continued from our last.)
It is objected to Mr. Van Burcn, 1st.
that the Baltimore Convention was got
up with the design of securing his nomi
nation and dictating to the people in the
choice of their officers. 2d. That the
State Meeting, which sent Delegates from
North Carolina, was a Van Burcn Cau
cus. 3d. That Mr. Van Burcn is an in
triguer, 4th. That he opposed the South
in the memorable Missouri Question.
5th. That he is in favor of the Tariff and
Internal Improvements by the General
Government. Gth. That lie was nomi
nated at the dictation of Gen. Jackson.
North Carolina Barbour Convention!
Whatever else may be said, by interest
ed opponents, against the Baltimore
Convention, it was undoubtedly compo
sed of men, who are sincere advocates of
the present administration of men who
give General Jackson's re-election no
cold and questionable support. And
when such men win reproach, it will be
expected of their friends to search, with
vigilance, into the probable motives of
those, who have volunteered the duty of
abusing them. At least, it may be coun
ted a most singular office, for the friends
of Gen. Jackson!! That Mr. Van Buren
received in the Convention, so large a
majority, and could ultimately unite the
whole vote in his favor, will "furnish to
unprejudiced minds, the clearest evidence
of his greater popularity and ft requires
the influence of a most determined jea
lousy to pervert this into a proof of in
trigue among those who made the nomi
nation. THE STATE MEETING.
2. It has been more than once insinu
ated huco the commencement of this
contest that the State Meeting, which
nominated our Delegates to the Balti
more Convention, was a Van Buren Cau
cus. This charge is not less gratuitous
than the former. If North Carolina had
sent no delegates to that Convention, we
do not perceive that the omission would
excuse the real friends of the adminis
tration from the duty of uniting. But we
were invited to send- delegates, and hy a
It is due to you, and to the cause we j meeting held at Raleigh during the As
espouse, that we should meet these ob- sembly, a respectable individual, in each
jections with candor, and we are greatly electoral district, was nominated, subject
deceived, it a very brief exposition ol ; to his being displaced, if at any meeting
their injustice do not place Mr. Van Bu- of the people of the district, another
ren before you, as one of those rare men,
whose character has defied the assaults
of his enemies.
1. The design of the Baltimore Con
vention, lis said, was to nominate Mr.
Van Buren and dictate to the people!
Fellow citizens, we have fairly stated
to you in this address, the causes, which
led to that Convention the purpose was
honorable, was openly avowed, and the
invitation was held forth to all the friends
of Gen. Jackson, as well those who fa
vored one, as another, for the Vice Pre
sident. Many friends of Judge Barbour
attended and voted: the gentlemen who
composed it were, many of them, distin
guished citizens of our country; all of
them are believed to be honorable; those
who preferred Judge Barbour, were as
active in its favor, as those who did not;
at the time the Convention was recom
mended, Mr. Van Buren had received
the appointment of Minister to England
had retired for a season from the tur
moils of party, and did not desire, or in
tend to be a candidate for Vice President.
The Senate of the United States refused
to confirm his nomination after he had
arrived in England, and began the duties
of his mission, long after most of the de
legates had been appointed. With those
facts before you, what candid man will
entertain without proof, a charge which
reflects severely on the conduct and mo
tives of our friends? Where too were
these exclusively honest patriots, up to
May 1832, that they did not sooner warn
the people against this deep design on
their rights'! Or it may be, that they
were willing, the people should be dicta
ted to, if the Hon. Judge Barbour could
he the choice ofyour dictators.
Whether their disappointment shall
now be visited on us by a division, re
mains to be determined by a people, who
can have no interest beyond the public
good. Dictate to the people! ! llow
lias it been attempted! Is that the more
exceptionable method of uniting public
sentiment, in favor of one candidate,
where all arc invited to come, and test
the strength of each candidate, or that,
in which the partizans of a single one are
convoked! The former was the Balti
should be named. Of these, only five
attended; four of them were elected by the
people, and the other voted for Judge
Barbour! An intelligent people want
nothing but these facts to dissipate the
I prejudice, which it was hoped to enlist
uy sucn a charge. Justice to tnese re
spectable individuals, who are held up to
execration for this pretended usurpation,
compels us to put before you, other facts,
that may well shame our accusers.
Would not a Van Buren Caucus have
taken care to nominate a Central Com
mittee of Van Buren men? Yet of the
seven who were designated, two are now
ranked upon the Barbour Central Com
mittee a third was one of the delegates
to the Barbour Convention, and was pla
ced on their ticket as an elector, but has
ately abandoned Jackson's cause entire
ly and the four, whose panics are at
tached to this address, did not all then
prefer Mr. Van Burcn as Vice President;
did not then believe, that he would be a
candidate, but fairly intended to unite in
the nomination of the Baltimore Convert
tion. Would not a "Van Buren Caucus"
have been careful to nominate delegates,
who were known to be his partizans?
Yet some of these are opposed to htm,
we believe, a majority of them did not
then prefer him, and we confidently state,
that, if their preferences were enquired
into at that meeting, we, who were pre
sent, did not know it, and did not suspect
it. Would the friends of Judge Barbour,
and the foes of Mr. Van Buren have
countenanced by their presence, and aid
ed by their co-operation, a Van Buren
caucus? Yet, it is most true, that gentle
men, who were partizans of Judge Bar
Bour, attended that meeting, voted for
the resolutions, which were adopted, and
the nomination of delegates. Nay more;
the meeting was earnestly recommended,
and the mode of its proceedings substan
tially suggested and approved by some,
who are now associated with its revilers.
INTRIGUE.
3. Ambitious rivals, whose vanity has
taught them to believe, that whoever ex
cels them, in the race to honorable dis
tinction, is outstripping them by unfair.
means, have denounced Mr. Van Buren,
more Convention; the latter was. the (as an intriguer. 'This is alike an act
of the accomplished partizan, who seldom
scorns to practice the fault, he may yet
profess to despise.
If success crown not the labors of a
public servant, he is too often denounced
by his opponents, as incompetent for his
station; while if he be prosperous in pro
moting the good of his country, he is fre
quently charged with intrigue, that the
alarm of prejudice may awake into vigilance-
the jealousy of the people, and stop
up the avenue to their affections and con
fidence. We should remember, that
such is the lot of human greatness, and
that, while we contemn the vice, justice
forbids us to confound it with the accu
sed, by assuming the charge, as proof of
its truth. The friends of Mr. Van Buren
confidently repel it, as alike unsupported
by evidence, and unfounded in fact. No
man, who was able to know, and speak of
the fact, from personal knowledge, lias
ever ventured to give to such an accusa
tion the sanction of his name. Suspi
cions have been put forth for facts, and
the utmost ingenuity has been set at work
to torture his conduct into some shape of
dishonor. Proof there is none. Mow
many other instances can be found, in
which a distinguished man, for more than
thirty years engaged in political life, has
been violently assailed by his rivals, by
the press, and byJiis opponents, yet not
one act of dishonorable cunning shall be
proved against him. This imputation
against Mr. Van Buren, is "not only with
out proof to support it, but many great
men have honored his name, by bearing
testimony to his magnanimity and candor.
The page of history records more, than
one instance, in which he proudly reject
ed the opportunity, which his public sta
tion gave him, for visiting his rivals with
the mean triumph of personal revenge.
His public life has furnished us evidence
of his having made open resistance to a
dominant faction against that party,
which he knew to be in power, and not
scrupulous in its exercise on himself. He
has thus refused to sacrifice his principles
for the sake of office. Indeed the reward
of intrigue is contempt, that of greatness
is jealousy. Let the contest, that is now
going on, determine, which has fallen to
the lot of Mr. Van Burcn, and you may
thence learn whether he is great or only
cunning.
THE MISSOURI QUESTION.
4. It was to us a matter of surprise,
when we. found among the charges pre
ferred against Mr. Van Buren, that of
having been opposed to the South in the
memorable M issouri Question. We could
not believe it, so far as to invite inquiry,!
until we found it embodied in the address
of the very respectable committee of the
Barbour Convention. We could scarce
ly be persuaded, that these gentlemen
would yield their minds to the influence
of a blind credulity, and yet it seemed
strange that this charge had never reach
ed our State, until Mr. Van Buron had
been placed before the people, as a canr
didate for their favor. A fair enquiry,
honestly made, and most satisfactorily
answered, leaves us no room to doubt,
that those who have charged Mr. Van
Buren with this offence against our con
stitutional rights, have been grossly der
ceived. No public act of his life has war
ranted this charge, and his 'public acts'
are all, that our opponents will admit, to
prove his virtues. 'But more than this,
we have it from the highest sources, that,
on that occasion, so far from opposing
the South, Mr. Van Buren was foremost
among those in New York, who early
and strenuously opposed the agitation of
the question, and - that he was constant
and fearless in his efforts to do so. Says
one, who was himself an active politician
of that day, and whose statement is enti
tied to the fullest credit, "the party of
which Mr. Van. Buren was the alleged
head, 1 well remember was charged, (in
New York,) at that time with being the
friends of Slavery, and of being in league
with the South in relation to the Missouri
Question.' Shall the present day find
leading men of the South denouncing:
him, who for his fearless maintenance of
our cause and our rights, was at home,
condemned by a party, as the friend of
slavery? Js this generous? The answer
is ready, even in the breast of those, who
have hastily inflicted the injury. If any
one among them doubt or yet cling to hisi
suspicions, we are ready to convince sucli
a one in spite of his will. The compass:
of this address will not allow the publica
tion of the entire proof, nor would it bd
consistent with propriety to drag before?
the public the names of individuals.
THE TARIFF & INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
5. The opinions of Mr. Van Buren, oa
the Tariff and Internal Improvements by
the General Government, have not been
concealed by him, and, (if we had the
wish,) there is no motive, which could
induce us to deceive you about them. He
was, about eight years, a member of thei
Senate of the United States, during
which period, the nation was greatly agi
tated in the regulation of the former, and
in the discussion of the latter question.
The sentiments of Mr. Van Buren agree with
those of General Jackson on these subjects.
As a large majority of the State, whicU
Mr. Van Buren represented, were favora
ble to the Tariff bills of 1324, and 1828,
(and with him it is a cardinal maxim ia
politics to obey the known wishes of his
constituents,) his votes were doubtless
governed in a great degree by their in
structions. We have reason for believ
ing that he has not failed to urge on tlm
manufacturers, the necessity and justice,
of a moderate protection only such a
protection, as would not oppress other
great interests in the country in a word,
such a Tariff as shall be judiciously ac
commodated to the acknowledged rights
of a.minority, as well as the wishes of a
patriotic majority. Arc we answered by
his recorded votes in favor of t lie TarifFsl
of 1824 and 1828? We reply: That:
Mr. Van Buren's liberal views on this
subject, were (in 1827) made the ground
of a charge against him in New York
that he was opposed to all protection
and he availed himself of a fit opportunity
to declare his views and opinions, by a
public speech, which then gained the;
highest admiration even in the South, for
patriotic liberality. And his course if?
known to have moderated the Tariff par
ty in New York; the proof of which iis
cltnarly derived from the fact, that hec
members during the last Congress sup
ported n-reduction of duties. We reply
further: That Mr. Van Buren gave hiss
vote in 1828, under instructions from his?
constituents, and these emanated proba
bly from a jealousy, which his known li
berality had created in the minds of thei
New York Legislators. Again, we reply
further: 1 hat he is now most violently
opposed by the Clay party as an anti
Tariff politician, and oue who will be
lisposed to yield too much to the South.
We believe that Mr. Van Buren would
bring into the sphere of his administra
tion a spirit of liberal concession on thia
subject, that is calculated to effect more,
than the election of any other man in our
country. 1 he advocates ot an extrava
gant 1 arm see this, and hence they aro
consistently resisting his election.
If we, fellow citizens, mean to stand
off, and refuse to accept any modification
of the Tariff: if we are proudly to reject
all offers to reduce the duties, because
the principle of protection is yet retained:
if we of the South, who are in the minor
ity on this question, are resolved at eve
ry hazard, to demand and enforce a total
prostration of the whole system, then
indeed the result of this contest should
be a matter of perfect indifference, our
votes would be vain and idle ceremonies,
and to persuade you to a choice of rulers
would be a ridiculous effort. We are not
to be cast by our opponents into the
ranks of those, who advocate the system