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Letter to Editor
March 14, 1835
Richmond Enquirer
Richmond, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
Newspaper publishes an extract from a letter dated March 5, 1835, by a friend of Vice President Van Buren, responding to Virginia legislators' queries. It states Van Buren views abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia as impolitic and believes the Constitution bars Congress from interfering with slavery in the states.
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Mr. Van Buren's Opinions.—We have spread the speech of Mr. Baptist of Mecklenburg, on the last page. His allusion to the subject of Slavery induces us to lay the following extract of a letter before our readers. It is from the pen of an intimate friend of the Vice President:
"WASHINGTON, 5th March, 1835.
"Your letter reached me almost at the moment that I was making my preparations to depart from this place, for my home, and my reply to it must, of necessity, be brief.
"You inform me, that many of the members of the Virginia Legislature, friendly to the Administration, are anxious to know the sentiments of Mr. Van Buren, upon the points referred to in the following queries, to wit:
"Whether he thinks it would be politic to abolish Slavery in the District of Columbia"—and
"Whether the Constitution of the United States, gives to Congress the right to interfere with the relation between master and slave, in any of the States?"
"My knowledge of Mr. Van Buren's opinions upon the points referred to, enables me to answer your queries without hesitation, and I do so with pleasure.
"He would consider it impolitic for Congress to pass a law, abolishing Slavery in the District of Columbia; and, in his opinion, the Constitution of the U. States does not give that body the right to interfere with the relation between master and slave, in any of the States."
"WASHINGTON, 5th March, 1835.
"Your letter reached me almost at the moment that I was making my preparations to depart from this place, for my home, and my reply to it must, of necessity, be brief.
"You inform me, that many of the members of the Virginia Legislature, friendly to the Administration, are anxious to know the sentiments of Mr. Van Buren, upon the points referred to in the following queries, to wit:
"Whether he thinks it would be politic to abolish Slavery in the District of Columbia"—and
"Whether the Constitution of the United States, gives to Congress the right to interfere with the relation between master and slave, in any of the States?"
"My knowledge of Mr. Van Buren's opinions upon the points referred to, enables me to answer your queries without hesitation, and I do so with pleasure.
"He would consider it impolitic for Congress to pass a law, abolishing Slavery in the District of Columbia; and, in his opinion, the Constitution of the U. States does not give that body the right to interfere with the relation between master and slave, in any of the States."
What sub-type of article is it?
Informative
Political
What themes does it cover?
Slavery Abolition
Politics
Constitutional Rights
What keywords are associated?
Van Buren Opinions
Slavery Abolition
District Of Columbia
Us Constitution
Congressional Interference
Virginia Legislature
What entities or persons were involved?
Intimate Friend Of The Vice President
Letter to Editor Details
Author
Intimate Friend Of The Vice President
Main Argument
mr. van buren considers it impolitic for congress to abolish slavery in the district of columbia and believes the u.s. constitution does not grant congress the right to interfere with master-slave relations in any states.
Notable Details
Response To Queries From Virginia Legislature Members Friendly To The Administration
Date: Washington, 5th March, 1835