Whole JYb. 402.
The "North-Carolina Free Press "
BY GEORGE HOWARD, . '
Is published weekly, at 7vo Dollars
and Fifty Cents per year, if paid i ad
vanceor, Three Dollars, at the expira
tion of the year. For any period less
than a year, Twenty-five Cents per
month. Subscribers are at liberty to dis
continue at any time, on' giving notice
thereof and paying arrears those resi
ding at a distance must invariably pay in
advance, or give a responsible reference
in this vicinity.
Advertisements,! exceeding 16 lines
will be inserted at 50 cents the first in
sertion, and 25 cents each contimmnrn
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. 3yLettcrs addressed to the
Editor must be post paid, or they may
not be attended to.
DOMESTIC.
Mr. Van Buren. The Albany
(N. Y.) Argus stales that Mr. Van
13urcn expected to embark for this
country on the 10th inst. The Ar
us also contains the Correspondence
between the committee of the repub
lican members of the Legislature of
New York and Mr. Van Buren, in
relation to the recent conduct of the
Senate of the U. States. The follow
ing is Mr. Van Buren's reply to the
Committee:-
London, March 14th, 1332.
Gentlemen Your letter of the
10th ultimo, communicating to
me the views of the republican
members of the Legislature of
New York, in relation to the
conduct of the Senate of the li
nked States upon the subject of
my nomination as minister to
this country, has found me in
lhe hurry and press of occupa
tions, public and private, prcpa-
iaiury to my departure. J his '
circumstance increases the dif-!
ficulty which I would at any
time feel in expressing in suita
ble terms, the emotions of my
heart on receiving so eloquent
a testimonial of sympathy and
confidence.
I cannot but be deeply grati
fied and flattered by the appro
bation expressed of my public
services, though I feel that in
the warmth and excitement of
the moment, that approbation!
has far exceeded my deserts.!
In exerting myself to the utmost!
to discharge the successive'
trusts with which I have been!
honored, I have but fulfilled the
obligations incumbent upon ev
ery citizen: had my merits and
success been tenfold greater,
they would already have been j
more than repaid.
But while I dare not arrogate
to myself the measure of ap
plause so generously awarded
la me, there is one testimonial!
which gives me the proudest j
gratification, and a part of i
which I hesitate not to accept
and appropriate as my due.
You tell me that the Democra
cy of New York have long felt
themselves identified with my
political career, and have ap
preciated my adherence to their
faith under the most adverse
circumstances. In the latter
respect they have but done me
justice. Looking upon the de
mocratic principle as the pure
life-stream of our government,
I have endeavored to distinguish
and adhere to it as closely as
possible in its course through
the mazes of party; and when
ever I have found myself in
danger of losing sight of it, 1
have resorted to the true spring
head the public will.
I believe this principle, main
tained in its purity, and opera
ting through the representative
channel, to be the true secret of
Tarbarough, (Edgecomhe County, JV. C.) Tuesday, May 15, 183..
internal order and prosperity
uAiurnai dignity and strength.
ii is congenial to all our institu
tions, and maintains them in a
healthful operation. Whatever
miniates against their harmony,
is some discordant principle,
foreign to the genius of our con
stitution, and brought forth to
subserve the pride, the passions,
or the interest of individuals.
Representative democracy . is
uul "uuunai laitii; and it is to
be studied in the doctrines and
example of its founders, not in
the glosses and mal-practiccs
of modern sectarians. It is nei
ther factious nor intolerant, nor
persecuting, for it is the public
will, exercised for the public
good, but cautiously respecting
the property, the persons, and
the opinions of individuals.
Such is the simple and uni
form principle by which I have
endeavored to regulate my poli
tical conduct; and I trust that,
while rigid in my adherence to
my own, I have always shown
myself tolerant of what I may
have considered the erroneous
creed of others; for I have al
ways borne in mind that a di
versity of parties is inseparable
from a free government, and
perhaps indispensable to its
welfare, and that it is therefore
important to temper those dif
ferences by courtesy and mode
ration. Yet this conscientious
adherence to my faith, has
drawn upon me the attacks of
psuedo republicans, loud in
their professions in proportion
as they were hollow in their
hearts; and my forbearance has
been repaid by an acrimony of
abuse and a virulence of hosti
lity almost without example in
the treatment of any of my co
temporaries. That the enemies thus array
ed against me, are neither few
in number nor subordinate in
station, is well known; whether
some of them, in their heat,
have not returned evil for good,
I leave for their hearts to deter
mine. I spare them the humi
liation of acknowledging install
ccs wherein I have requited for
mer hostilities by something
beyond forgiveness. Yet this
recent blow, dealt in bitterness,
and, doubtless, intended to be
fatal, however I may in the first
instance have been shocked by
the vindictive spirit which dic
tated it, has failed of its effect.
My republican fellow citizens
have promptly interposed a
shield that has deadened the
blow, and their heart cheering
assurances have soothed the
smarting wound.
Whether, in their eagerness
to strike me down, my adversa
ries have not reached beyond
their aim, and given a blow to
the character of our institutions
in the eves of foreign nations,
is a question not between them
i i
and me, merely; nor again be
tween them and their country,
alone; .but between them and
the friends of constitutional lib
erty throughout the world, who
look to the conduct of our le
gislative bodies as the criterion
of that representative system for
which they are all so anxiously
struggling. Fortunately, how
ever, the character of our coun
try and its institutions is so well
established, and has received
such accession of popularity a
broad during the administration
of our present illustrious Presi
dent, that I trust the discredita
ble effect of the act referred to,
tvni oe but temporary.
As to the motives alleged for
my rejection, their futility has
oeen so ably exposed on the
noor of the feenate, and in the
proceedings of the public meet
ings that have already reached
rne, that I shall not now aitemDt
to take the subject out of hands
which have proved themselves
so capable of doing it justice.
indeed, overwhelmed as I am
by the warm and affectionate
sympathy of my friends, I can
almost forget and forgive the
act of my enemies that uninten
tionally called it forth.
lo the democratic republi
cans of New York, I return the
thanks of a heart overflowing
with a sense of present, and a
recollection of past kindness.
Whatever of public distinction I
may have obtained, or of public
usefulness have effected, it is all
the fruit of their early and abi
ding friendship. It was their
unsolicited favor that first drew
me from the walks of private
life, and elevated me into office;
it was their continued counte
nance that, for twenty years,
sustained me through a succes
sion of arduous tasks, and chee
red and encoutaged me under
every trial; and though in my
two last official stations I have
been called from under their
immediate auspices into a wi
der sphere of action, and the
trust reposed by them has been
sanctioned by my republican
fellow citizens throughout the
Union, yet I gratefully trace up
the success of my whole career
to its original source, the
spontaneous kindness and endu
ring confidence of the democ-
racv of my native State.
Be pleased, gentlemen, to
make to the republican mem
bers of the Legislature of New
York, my warmest acknowledg
ments for the high honor they
have conferred upon me; and to
accept for yourselves, with the
assurance of my individual res
pect, my sincere thanks for the
affectionate manner in which
you have conveyed their senti
ments to me.
I am, gentlemen,
Your ob't serv't and friend,
M. VAN BUREN.
To N. P. Tallmadge, &c.
Nullification vs. Southern
Convention. The Charleston
(S. C.) Mercury says: It ap
pears by the proceedings of a
recent meeting at Salem, that
the Union party have either ta
ken, or are about to take their
stand, for a Southern Conven
tion. This course, it seems,
has been recommended by the
leaders of that party, and they
are preparing to pursue it.
Now, there are only three slight
objections to this policy. The
first is, that a Southern Con
vention cannot be obtained, and
that this movement is only an
effort to gain time, and to pre
vent the State Rights party still
longer from doing any thing de
finitive. The second objection
is, that if a Southern Conven
tion could be obtained, it would
be unconstitutional, it being
expressly provided in the Fede
ral Constitution, that "NoStatr
shall enter into any compact or
agreement with anv other State,
unless actually invaded, or in
sucn imminent danger as will
not admitof delay." The third
is, that a Southern Convention
might and probably would lead
to the formation of a separate
southern Confederacy, and
would therelore carry in its bo
som the seeds of disorcraniza
tion and disunion. This scheme
ofa Southern Convention, them
fore, we humbly apprehend, will
not go down with the people of
Carolina. 1 hey" have been
told to wait and wait too Ions
already, and they have no idea
of waiting a year or two longer
to see whether the Union partv
are in earnest, or, if they are,
whether they can succeed in
procuring a Convention of all
the Southern States. They
nave no idea, moreover, of wait
ing for a Convention which not
only cannot be obtained, but
which if obtained, would be ut
terly unconstitutional, and tend
directly and inevitably to a dis
solution of the Union. The
people of Carolina, (that is the
large majority, composing the
State Rights party,) are for sup
porting the Constitution, notfor
violating it for preserving and
strengthening the Union, not
for dissolving it. They can
not, therefore, adopt a plan
which is at once contrary to the
Constitution, and essentially re
volutionary in its character.
They arc content with the
peaceful and constitutional re
medy of Nullification, and will
adhere to that. J hey desire
nothing but to remedy the in
fractions of the Constitution,
and to redress the grievances
under which they labor, and
Nullification is abundantly suffi
cient for these purposes, with
out having recourse to any
Southern Compact or Conven
tion. When South Carolina
nullifies the Tariff, the other
Southern States will either sup
port her, or they will not. If
they will support her, then there
is no necessity for a Southern
Convention. If they will not,
then of course they will not con
sent to a Convention for the
purpose of nullification, the on
ly valuable purpose for which it
could assemble. In every point
of view, therefore, a Southern
Convention is equally unneces
sary and improper.
The War begun. We learn,
with regret, that the acrimoni
ous language which has of late
characterized the struggle be
tween the Union and Nullifica
tion parties of Sumter, has at
length terminated in blows and
violence. Fifteen or twenty in
dividuals are said to have been
arrayed on each side, armed
with sticks, clubs and missiles,
several of whom experienced
slight, and one or two, serious
injuries. We are in possession
of some of the names and parti-
culars, but forbear making them
public until the statement un
dergoes more general confirma
tion. Charleston Gaz.
The Cherokees. Gen. New
nan, one of the Representatives
of Georgia, in Congress, writes
'o one of his constituents, under
date of the 14th ult. "that the
Cherokee delegation at Wash
ington have at last consented to
recommend lo their people, to
make a treaty with the Govern-
Vol Fill .No 38.
ment, upon the general basis,
that they shall acquire a patent
for lands over the Mississippi,
and at a proper time, be allow
ed a delegate in Congress.
The delegation will either ob
tain power from home, to make
a treaty at Washington, or re
tire and make arrangements to
treat at New Echota. We
hope no extravagant demands
on the part of the Cherokees,
will prevent this long agitated
question from being speedily
brought to such a termination,
as will conduce to the best imp
rests of Georgia and the .Tnnn-
ral Union." RaL Res.
Affray at Washington. Va
rious accounts of an nfTrnv
at Washington, between Mr.
Houston, formerly Governor of
Tennessee, and Mr. Stanhnrrv.
a member of the House of Rep
resentatives from Ohio, have
reached this city. It is not our
wont to meddle with affairs of
this nature, leaving it to gentle-
. . . . . . . .
men 10 seme their difficulties in
their own way. and to tli rivil
authorities to interfere when thr
public peace is invaded. As
this matter, however, has recei
ved the action of Congress,
irom one or the parties being a
member of that body and hav
ing laid a complaint before the
uouse, it becomes proper to
take some notice of it. In eon-
scquence of a charcre of afrnnrl
against Mr. Houston, in a speecli
mmisned in the National Intel-
igencer, purporting to be a rc-
jort of certain remarks made in
the House of Representatives
oy ivir. stanberry, the former
person is said to have addressed
a note to the latter, asking him
whether the expressions ascri-
i i ... .
bed to him had been uttered by
him. This note was delivered
by Col. Johnson, of Tennessee,
to whom Mr. Stanberrv maHn.
answer that he denied the rmhr
of Col. Johnson's principal to
question him on the subject.
On Friday evening, Houston
meeting Stanberry, "asked him
(according to the Standard's
account of the affair,) if his
name was Stanberry. He re
plied in the affirmative then I
will give you a thrashing, (said
Houston) and commenced be
laboring him with a hickory
stick. During the affray, Stan
berry drew a pistol and snapped
it at him. Houston knocked it
from his hand and took posses
sion of it, aud still retains it."
N. Y. Ev. Post.
Virginia. Notice has been
given, over the signatures of a
number of individuals, that a
Convention of delegates will
assemble at Charlottesville, Va.
on the 12th day of June next,
to nominate a ticket of Elec
tors pledged to support Andrew
Jackson as President, and Phi
lip P. Barbour as Vice Presi
dent of the U. States at the en
suing election. RaL Star.
Fatal Rencounter. The N.
Orleans Emporium says, that
on the 1st ultimo, an affray oc
curred at Monroe, Louisiana,
between Charles Morehouse,
Register of the Land Office, and
J. Morgan, late Sheriff of Ora
chitta parish; in which More
house was so badly wounded as
to cause his death on the suc
ceeding Wednesday. ib.