Letter From Joshua Leavitt

Frionds and FVHow-Laborers inaGkiriousCnnse: - BefurothiB letter inflets your eyes, yon willhavo lenrneii tho resnlt of the Convention held iitBufFhio on the 9th instHnt. At a meeting of our brethren, held yesterJiiy merniag in thia city, it wnavoted thiit n sofomitteé be nppo'inted, to give yoa nn account of thf mattsr, describe the steps by whicli we liavehpcii led alongthus fur, imd expresa toyon our unnnimous eonviction that the rcsult is itll right, nnd our high gralification with it, ns the very brst thinj; thnt could havo been done for tho causo wbich we nll liavp so much at heort. It is not only as God Wou ld havo it, bilt his hnnd and bis lova huvo been to conspicuously displayed in brioging it to pass, to ndtnit of a dunbt thut he lias dono it in inm-cy, for the salvation of our beloved country. The gentlemen namod forthis service, were Joshna. Lenvitt. of Mass., Samuel Le wis, oí Ohio; Martin Mitchcl, of New Vork; Stephen S. Harding, of Indiana : Erasteis Ilussey, of Michigan Lnwrence Brainerd. of Vermont; William H. Burleigh, nf Connocticul ; I. Codding, of Wisconsin ; and Owcn Lovejoy of Illinois. Most of these gentlemen werp eeen, nnd not only desired that I should bo their nmaniiensis but consented thnt I should nttach their signatures to whntcver I hou ld préparé, as we we re at once to be too widely Bcattered to allow of nny fuither conference, even by letter, without defeating our object by delaj-. Hnving thus shown that Ido not thrust myself for ward nnauthorized.in thus addressing you, I prefer for greater f reedom. to speak in the first porson, so that they suall stanii vouchers for the trust undertaken, and alono mnj' be responsible for the tnannor of its performance. And being unexpectedly detained for a few hours in the city of Rochester, I thought it best to loóse no time in executing the du"ty. I felt[moreover,thnt it was not innppropriate to write in the placo where the ground was first broken for our ovgnnization. in September, 1839, nnd refreshin.y niv spirit by a visit to the grnve of iWYROIV HOLLE Y. " THE FRIEND OF THE SLAVE AS WELl. AS ONE OF THE EAE11ESX OF THE FOUNDERS OF THAT PARTY." 1 left home fnr Bulïnln undor nnxious npprehen(ïons that the Liberty Party, fitter n pure imd honornble career, thus far, inight be brought to a dishonorablo end. I feared that under the pressure of a deop desire to stay t)io spread of slavery, nnd uinid the excitement of nti immense assembly, our membors would be hurried awiiv to abandon our plntform of principies, and basely desert our loved and ftdmired Btantlaril-berr, bo as t o wenken bis bands anddiscourage hú heart ia the commandiag poíitiou in whicb hij meriti nml octï coafideace had placed him. We weie all actnnted by 80 intense a desire for uuion, that I was atmiii we sbrmlil lay our platform too weak in Ui t'onntlution, pr too narrow in its coinpass, to bold up tha ordiuiuioc wiih which we must botter dowu the citadel of slaviry. .lust bef ore tlie Convention some of the napers friendly to Mr. Van Baren, deelared lliat ihfiüttea iiomiiiation eould notbe wilhdrawn, and ;bat Mr. Van íínrcii must be a candidato, whelhcr he lloulil obtíin i lie nomination at Buffalo or nol. His letter to tlie Utica Convention was too unsatisfactory to U9 to be the basis of union, anti the appearance of ilictation wastoocliareipecllnl to lie subniitted to, j out n sacrificc of sel respe et. And yet I feared that the frienja of Mr. Hale would be so much in bas'.' to in aUo sacritices lor the cause, tliat they would yield to nll tbia without dnly considering what wc owed to the Libert}' party, and its candidate. A3 I traveled somewhnt leisurly through tlie State of New Nork, I was agreeably impressed by tlie tone of candor and respect whicb the frlends of Mr. Van Buren exhibited towurds Mr. Hule and tlie utter adsence of anytliing like attempts eilher to coax or coerce us to he support oftlieir candidnte. They seemed to appreciate the delicnry of our posilion, hy ita resemblance to thcir own ; and to fcel tlmt it would bebeltcr fortis to continue our separate brgauizalions. than ihnt eiiher sliould be given np wiih dwhonor. Indeed, both tlieir liopi's nnd my own, of efTcc'.ing a sntisf'actory nnion, were far frora being as slrng as ouc wishos were ardunt. My position iluring all the proceedings of Lbo Convcntioti, wan ft.s favorable as could be dosired fur forming a correct jmlgein ;nt .is to their characlet I was a meinber of tlm informal or Pmional CommittF.e appoiuted hy the delégate who were on the ground tüc day before the Conventi.n). The.necccseary preliminnry anangements were all eompleted with admirable harmony and despaieb, inlil we rarae to eonsider the mode of pTOcedurei by wliieh the business before us was transactcd in sucli an mínense assembly, with the requisite di-libnration, and with due regard lo therignis mid wif-hes of al!. Mere we were disrtacted with a variety of' uchemes, ahriosl as many aa ihere were raind. The subjecl was at length referred t: a select cotnmittee, ol'ene trom each State represented and tliis ctininittee atïflr au ineffectual attempt to come to sorae conclusión, put it into the hands of a sub-committee, cons'nting of Hon. Mr. B.iscom, of Beseca Folla, Hou. Mr. Hamlin, of Oolurabu, both WhSgg, Dr. Snodgrase, of Bakimore, and myself. Next morning.three projocte were preeent cd and considered, and Mr. Baacom'a plan luiauirauusly approved, reported, and adopted and it curried us happily througli without the leist jarring or confuiion. In tlie ovganization of tlie Coiiverjtion, I beenme n member of the Committee on Resoluiions, coneistingof thveo froiti each state repreBented,cnwLom devolved the duty offraming a platform of principio to bo the biisis of our political unión. Ths general committop, nfter consultation, referred the Work to n sub-cnminittof! of seven,whose labora, as I wns not aniong them, I would commend with unqaalificd approval, did nottheir workspeah for itself.inn mnnner xvholly nbove my feeble praise. Before the meeting of iho cominittee on Thursday morniog, tho Hob. Stephen C. Phillips, of MnMschueet te niet me with a sad heart nnd said he did not kuow whiit to do for lio did not sco how it was possible he should ngree to support Mr. Van Buren, without a siicrifice which no man ought to mnke. But nfter the Committee had mot nnd roceived tho report of the sub-commitlen,with the nnnounccnnnt that ia was unanimoiHiMr. Phillips tooU the first opportmiity to ftpeafc, and with deep emotion declüi-ocl, t lint if that platform could bs nccepfed with equnl unanimity by the Gommittee, and ü' tho Conveiition itsolf would ndopt itas thfir basis, thore was nothing elso tlio convention might do, which he would Dot support eheerfully and cordially. All thia was dono with perfect ease, and to universal satisfsetion anrl delight. The way wns now propared for the selected delegates ft-orn tho sevenilstates to retire nnd mnko the required nominations, td ii'j)resent nnd curry out the objects of the platform. At ihis stnge, bofore tho first or " informal" bullot, it becomo necesairy, in tho opinión of tho contbroncHS, to heir froni Mr. Van Buren, through his msot intímate and faitliful friend, LJon. Benjamin F. Buttler. Mr. Butlor's conree in tho committees had been such aa to win tho rospect ruid confidence of all, thus far, and lio was listened to with th doepost interest, in a detailed statement of the tei)3 by which Mr. Van Baren had been brought to consent to the use of his name by the Utica Convention, when it seemed necessary to the support of his oll politicnl friones, in their separátion trom the party, ns reprc.sentediij the Baltimore Convention. This consent was given,when the movement was confined tö his own State anJ his own party, and bofiire B.ny murtiil could have foroseen such n movemeot as thiê. Mr. Bulier also dotailed with great franknesa, tho rapH chnnge which lias taken placo in his own views, mvl in tho views nnd feelings ofhisfrlendi on thia whola sujoctofshivery,and his cordial sntisfftction in tha platform, for which hc gavn rnuch credit Co Mr. Chnse, of Cincinnnti, tho Chairmnn of tho Confsrees, Roferring again to Mr. Vbü Buren, he suid it WM impossible to sny wholher ho would nssant to tho platform, ns he had nni soon if, nnd couw not for it was adopted only thee hour3 1150. But if ho should recaive tho nomination, h'13 íiccíptance of it wonld include his cordial approval of the platform, nnd hil consent to ■tand is its representativa before country. And ho would Sriy, fmm n!l he knew of Mr. Van Buron, he haá not a doubt that he wonld thu3 ncceptthe noiniiistion, if the conv.ention should offer ittohim, nor that ha would gire his most cordial Eupport to the caU3e, if anv oher individual ehould receive the romma'inr!. Ue thfti rtai a Wtr vhich Mr. m Bureo had, of his own accorJ, addressed to llio New York delegation, iti which he evidently thew hitnsolf wholly into tlio cause, in n nmnnei' which nt onco conciüutcd tilo unhesitating conlidence of us all, that he, was with us, and his name was bofore tho convontioii, n u inanoer tlmt ira entirely sntisfnctorj'. Mr. Hai.k had written a letter, confidiog tlie disposnl of tiis name before thc convention nnreservedly to tlio united judgement of' Snmael Lewis, H B. Stanton, (i. C, Fogg nnd myself, nnd wo hndnnanimoutly agreed that it would be our duty to place his ñamo bef'ire the convention, on precisely the sanie térros with Mr. Van Bureti'g. Thia was done by Mr. Stanton. Judgo M'Lep.n's name was abaolutely withdrawn by Mr. Chase, who however stated thut the Judge was wholly nnd eurnestly with us. TheroH was then calted, eaeh delégate voting viva voice, as nn experiment, preparatory to the regular or binding vote. The result gave Mr. Van Buren a plunility of 40 abovo Mr. Hale, and n ínajorify of 22 abovo all others. Many ot' Mr. Hale's fiiends had becoine so f'ully satisHed that the interests of thc cominon cause would bn best promoted by giving Iha nomination 10 Mr. Van Buren, that liiev voted for hini, even on tlie informal trial, thinking, it mighl havo an ill-efibct if he sliould nothave a handsomu nuijority on this vote. On the arinouncement of the result, which was reei'H'ed uiih considérale Ibrbearance by llie majorily, llie eyeg ol' our friends ivere lurned to me, and wilb a genera] willingneM that I sliould lüivc llie honor ol'olosing ihis business by the voiuntarv sum nder, f Mr. Hale. And wiili llie advices ol' a lew oltliose f'riends whose councils have never misledus, I inouned the platform to perlbrm one oi' ihe inost solemn aclH ofmylile. Alicr giving a vnv brief ikeloh ol' ihe objecls, principies ;md iiislory of'lhe Liberty partv and ol'Mr. Hala, I said that tliia unión Ims l'uily embodied in its phtlorni boili our SsscntiUl prinriples and our polioy, ol independent organizalion in lavor ol Liberty and againt tílavcry respective ot ourl'ormer party connections. We had i'uüy rodeemod our pledges of honor to Mr. Hale, who agreed with us in doing "everything lór ihe cause, and nothing for nien." I knew 1 wasacting in enlire accordance wi!h his wishes, in making a mulion that Ihe resuk ol' the informal ballot shotild be recorded, nnd Mr. Van Buren shoiild be unaniniously nominated as our candirlale for the Presidency. The delight and tnthusiasm wilh wbicli this was n sponderf lo was t'ull ol hope for our cause. I s hall never lurirel tlie ecene. A nicmber of the üliio Delegalton now proposed that Hon. Charles Francés Adams, of Massacliufietts, be our candidalc for Vice President. A speech i'roni Kev. Edward Sinilh ol'Ohio, urging t hal, as the Liberty p;iriy had seenred tíieir principies, it was no more iban fair lo give ollicrs ílic inp. and that, as we were a party for principies not men;:' we had ffot all we wantod, carried the cönferenec as with a whir'winJ. Icon'esa I was one ol'the firftlto yield toits resistiese power. And no was ou: work ! I cannot describe, langu;i-ro oasnot rxpress the spiiit óf the ConvenlioD. I 1). íemet with no man wlio will say thal lic has ever witneased ts equal. - Chrislian inpn of llie highest chaiacter declared that ihey were never more convinced ol' the n ence of the Divine Spirit. All or Liberty Party brethren, so far as I knnw, v.ho nerc preHent, aicfiilly persuaded Ihat it wil well done, and that ifthe whoie party conld have been present, thcre would nol liave bern a dissenting voice. or dividid heart among us, in giving our cnlliusiastic support to our new ticket.