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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.

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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This article from the Greenfield, Massachusetts, "Gazette and Mercury" advises the Whig party to remain undivided during the 1840 election. There was an effort by some of the abolitionists in the Whig party in Hampden County and other towns to split the party and run an abolitionist candidate. The writer of this article feels that abolition would be a good thing, but that it could not succeed at this time and having more than one candidate would only serve to take votes away from the party and help re-elect Martin Van Buren.

 

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Delegates from abolitionist sector nominate Hubbard for Congressman article in Greenfield Gazette and Mercury newspaper

publisher   Greenfield Gazette and Mercury
date   Oct 6, 1840
location   Greenfield, Massachusetts
width   2.75"
height   15.0"
process/materials   printed paper, ink
item type   Periodicals/Newspaper
accession #   #L04.144


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See Also...

"The American Anti-Slavery Almanac for 1838"

The Election article poublished in the Greenfield Gazette and Mercury newspaper

"Exhibition of the Young Men's Lyceum"


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