GAZETTE AND MERCURY.
GREENFIELD,
Tuesday, October 6, 1840.
HARRISON & TYLER
"Hang out our banner on the outer wall,
Our Castle's strength will laugh the siege to scorn."
WHIG NOMINATIONS.
FOR PRESIDENT,
WILLIAM H. HARRISON, of Ohio.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
John Tyler, of Virginia.
FOR GOVERNOR
JOHN DAVIS.
FOR LIEUT. GOVERNOR
GEORGE HULL
Delegates from a portion of the abolitionists in the eighth District (Hampden
county and some other towns,) met at Springfield two or three weeks since, and
nominated R. B. Hubbard, Esq. of Northampton, as candidate for congress. The
convention was attended by about thirty delegates.
We deprecate the efforts at division, which are making by some prominent abolitionists,
as calculated to do more mischief than good. In the first place, there is no
possible chance of succeeding. It is only throwing away their votes, at best;
and it may be worse than this; for it should result in the defeat of the whigs,
those whig abolitionists who may have contributed to this result, will doubtless
feel that they have done their country an ill service by aiding in perpetuating
the present mis-ruling in power. We believe the abolitionists generally agree
with us on this point; but we regret that any should be disposed to scatter
seeds of strife among the whigs and lead them to a useless quarrel among themselves.
If there were a fair prospect that the cause of the oppressed were to be promoted
by a distinct organization, it is needless for us to say to our readers, that
we should be glad to further the efforts for that purpose, for we have never
concealed our repugnance to the system which reduces men to mere talking brutes,
to wares and merchandise. Gladly would we apply a lever to overthrow it. But
there is no opportunity for doing it with effect at present.
This being the case, it is wise to sacrifice the good which there is a flattering
prospect we shall be able to accomplish by union of effort. Shall we give up
those principles we have contended for, which we have reason to believe we can
now make triumphant, for our attachment is a cause which we know we cannot advance
by any present political effort, to carry which to the polls, necessarily require
the abandonment of the others which we believe we can secure! If in the language
of a venerable friend, we must lose a hand or the head, shall we devote the
latter, and lose every thing, rather than the former, and lose but part? It
seems to us that of feeling—of feeling which gushes from the purest fountain
of the heart. But even the feeling must be chastened and governed by reason.
Let us call upon reason, then, to decide; and as she decides, let us act.
There is another consideration which should not be overlooked by whig abolitionists.
The ominous aspect of the political sky has infused into the administration
leaders, a spirit of desperation which impels them to resort to all the cunning
and intrigue which politicians know so well how to employ, in order to overreach
and defeat their adversaries. The effort to procure a third candidate and to
divert votes to his support by this means, looks much as if were the secret
working of some of these honest appearing but roguery working leaders who know
as well as Milton's bad spirit, how to assume shapes according to their ends.
They will pretend to cast off their Van Buren partialities, and act very zealously
in behalf of the third nomination, persuading as many whig abolitionists as
they can, to sacrifice their politics to their prepossessions in favor of emancipation.
They will hope to prevail on honest men to follow their suggestions; but when
the day of election comes, they themselves will vote for Van Buren. Thus, while
they encroach on the whig strength, they will maintain their own unimpaired.
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