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CHATJNCEI SHAFFER'S EEASONS 
 
 For Voting for JOHN C. FREMONT. IsTf^ 
 
 Saratoga Springs, Aug. 14, 1856i? o I 
 U. Dunn, Esq. — My Dear Sir : I have just received, by way 
 of New-York City, your note of the 9th inst., inclosing the fol- 
 lowing'' extract from The Ithica Citizen, to wit : 
 
 "CominoBack. — Chauncey Shaffer, -wlio was one of the most prominent 
 bolters from the Philadelphia American Convention, and who has been 
 stumping the river counties in this State at the Fremont meetings, has re- 
 turned to the hearty support of Fillmore and Donelson. Mr. Shaffer is an 
 eloquent speaker, and was District Attorney in New- York City. lie belongs 
 to the Methodist Church, and his recent conviction that Mr. Fremont is a 
 Eoman Catholic, is the reason why he withdraws his support from the Ee- 
 publicans. He has candidly examined all the evidence, for and against, 
 which has appeared, and has looked closely into the statements of Fulmer, 
 and the opposition against them, and declares that the evidence in favor of 
 his being a Papist is conclusive, for which reason he cannot support him." 
 
 You assure me that the above is producing an impression in 
 your region, and desire me to inform you whether it is true or 
 not. I answer that is a sheer fabrication — a " Roorback." 
 That no further mischief may occur from the circulation of that 
 article, I will set the matter of my preference of candidates 
 right at once. 
 
 In the first place, I was not a prominent or other " bolter 
 from the Philadelphia American Convention." I was not a del- 
 egate to that Convention. There were reasons why I should 
 not be a delegate. I had too much to do with undoing the work 
 of a previous Council in Philadelphia assembled ; too much to 
 do against the slave propagandists at Binghamton last August, 
 and was too little inclined to see Americanism sold out, to be 
 considered a safe man to go to Philadelphia. 
 
 I staid at home against my will, I admit. Moreover, that 
 Convention was not an Ainerican Convention. 
 
 As far as tJie North was concerned, it was a Silver Gray Whig 
 Convention ; as far as the South was concerned, it teas a Convention 
 for the Propagation of Human Slavery, and theres^dt was the nominor 
 iion of tivo men, otie of whom glories in being the owner of a hundred 
 slaves ; and the other {Mr. Fillmore) in being a most subservient in- 
 strument of the Slave Poiver, as is manifestly proved by his course 
 while acting as President of the United States ; also by his speeches 
 made during his Southern tour in pursuit of a re-nomination, as well 
 as by his nullification speeches at Albany and elsewhere, on his rettirn 
 from his visit to the Pope. 
 
 Hence the leading Silver Gray newspapers of the North (in- 
 cluding The New York Express) claim Mr. Fillmore as the regu- 
 lar Whig nominee for the Presidency, while the South claim 
 
2 'SSZ 
 
 him as the champion of Southtrn rights, (meaning the extension 
 of human Slavery by the action of the General Government,) 
 while Mr. Fillmore, to justify the claims of the South, in effect 
 says, " Elect me, or the South, that loves me so well, shall not 
 remain in the Union." 
 
 As an American, I am not bound by the action of that Con- 
 vention ; rather, let me say, I cannot submit to be bound by its 
 action, any more than can my brethren of Massachusetts, of 
 Connecticut, and of every New England State. The American 
 party of Massachusetts, in solemn council assembled, has de- 
 clared for Mr. Fremont, and nominated electors favorable to his 
 election , and so has the State of Connecticut, and so will all 
 New England do, (for New England has a history,) and so will 
 the American party of this State act ; excepting always a por- 
 tion of the Silver Gray portion of that party. The latter por- 
 tion will stand by Mr. Fillmore, notwithstanding he " has ador- 
 ed tilt leading principles of that platform," the seventh section of which 
 commits the American party to Slavery extension under the guise of 
 squatter sovereignty ; because this " portion of a portion" 
 came intQ the order with the design of retrieving the fallen 
 fortunes of Mr. Fillmore, as is proved hy the attempted ostra- 
 cism of the liberal-minded men of the order, and by the tlireats 
 preceding and accompanying the Philadelphia Convention, that 
 in the event of George Law's receiving the nomination for the 
 Presidency, they, with the Whig party proper, would nominate 
 an out-and-out American Whig', (meaning Mr. Fillmore, I pre- 
 sume,) and also by letters now in existence, and which, I hope, 
 will yet be published. 
 
 I have not " returned to the hearty support of Fillmore and 
 Donelson," nor will I do any act or thing- tending to sanction 
 the outrages of Pro-Slavery, Nullification Border Kufiians, who 
 in addition to their outrages in Missouri and Kansas, of them- 
 selves suflScient to turn the cheek of darkness pale, have, from 
 1852 until now, wrested the high powers of the nation from 
 tlieir legitimate purpose, to the strengthening of the Slave 
 Oligarchy. 
 
 There are other objections to my supporting Mr. Fillmore, 
 founded upon the fact stated by the Citizen, that / belong to the 
 Methodist Church. 
 
 The church owes Slavery no particular good-will, for Slavery 
 has rent that church in twain ; has imprisoned women for teach- 
 ing the slave to read the Bible, and has sought in every way to 
 destroy that church, as being the opponent of Slavery most to 
 be feared. Let facts speak. Last winter, a minister of the 
 Methodist Church, in Missouri, was arrested while in the pulpit 
 by a gang of men, (who, if they live, will probably vote for 
 Mr. Fillmore), who wantonly and falsely charged him with 
 horse-stealing ; and, without allowing him time to put on 
 his overcoat, mounted him on a horse, drove him some seven 
 teen miles (the weather being intensely cold), threw him into a 
 cheerless room, without fire, there left him to die, and there he died ! 
 
8 
 
 My informant is a Bishop of the Methodist Church, and spoke 
 U his own knowledge- 
 
 Another instance. The Rev. Mr. Wiley, and about tiiirty 
 bther ministers of the Methodist Church have been assaulted 
 
 their churches and driven from place to place, like beasts of 
 rey, their lives being every day in imminent peril. 
 
 Another instance. In Kansas, a Methodist minister was 
 ^•hipped, tarred and feathered, tied to a log and set afloat on 
 le Missouri Eiver. 
 
 Another instance. Very recently a Methodist minister in 
 [issouri, while preaching, was dragged from his pulpit and 
 irred and feathered , while, an old Methodist layman, for the 
 srime of expostulation against such conduct was shot ; and it 
 is a notorious fact, and one which will not admit of controversy, 
 that a minister of my church cannot preach the Gospel in the 
 Jtate of Missouri, or the Territory of Kansas, but at the peril of 
 lis life 1 and yet I find no reproof of these outrages either in the 
 Philadelphia platform or in any of the speeches of Mr. Fillmore. 
 
 As to my having examined " all the evidence" in relation to 
 [r. Fremont's religious creed, I have to say, that I have exam- 
 ined all the evidence, including Alderman Fulmer's statement, 
 and have exliausted the means of information within my reach, 
 and have arrived at the following conclusions : 
 
 1st. That Mr. Fremont's father was a French Huguenot, and 
 his mother an American Protestant lady. 
 
 2d. That Col. Fremont was born a Protestant, baptized a Pro- 
 testant, married a Protestant lady, had his children baptized by 
 a Protestant clergyman, educates them in the Protestant faith, 
 while he is a Protestant in practice in all the relations of life. 
 
 I admit that he was married by a Catholic clergyman, under cir- 
 cumstances peculiar to himself, and with which the public is al- 
 ready acquainted. 
 
 3d. I conclude that Alderman Fulmer's statement is altoge- 
 ther untrue. Col. Fremont was not in Washington at the time 
 Fulmer says he conversed with him, nor within several months 
 of that time. He was on the Pacific Ocean, or the Isthmus 
 of Darien, or on the steamer George Law, from Aspinwall to 
 New-York City, at the time fixed by Fulmer. 
 
 1 should add, that upon Col. Fremont's arrival in New-York 
 City, he sailed to Eui-ope withoxit visiting Washington at all, 
 and that he remained in Europe more than a year. 
 
 I should further add, that the conviction in my mind, that 
 AldermaQ Fulmer has borne false witness against his neighbor, 
 is strengthened by the contradictory statements that I am cre- 
 dibly inibrmed he has made concerning this pretended convei'sa- 
 tion, and by the further fact that among his immediate neigh- 
 bors his statement is not believed. 
 
 But if I should refuse to vote for Mr. Vremo'tU because oj his being a 
 RomanCatholic, I could not vote for Mr. Fillmore, and for thereason thai 
 the Convention which nominated Mr. Fillmore was controlled by Roman 
 Catholics as well as by Slavery Propagandists. This is the proof : 
 
 Two sets of delegates appeared from the State of Louisiana 
 
— one Protestant and the other Roiuan Catholic — both demand- 
 ing admission. The Roman Catholic delegation was received, 
 and the Protestant delegation was rejected. 
 
 The reason, I understand, assigned for this singular admission 
 and rejection was, that the Eoman Catholic delegation did not ac 
 knowledge the temporal supremacy of the Pope ; but did the Pro 
 testant delegation acknowledge the temporal supremacy of the 
 Pope? 
 
 There are other objections to my supporting Mr. Fillmore, 
 and as an American, and a man who, at the commencement of 
 his political life, resolutely set his face against the further ag- 
 gressions of the Slave Power, I cannot be induced by any spe- 
 cial pleading, or by any " Roorbacks " that may be hatched in 
 the hot-bed ol^ political zeal, to vote for any other man for Pre's-i 
 ident than Col. Fremont, inasmuch as I see no other way of put-' 
 ting an end to the terrible aggressions of the Slave Power. 
 
 I believe upon the, election or defeat of Col. Freiiont will dejpeiid the. 
 qicestions, ichether or not the blade column of Slavery ^vill be pushed to 
 the Pacific Ocean ; whet/ier or not the African-slave-trade, the sum 
 of all wickedness, will be revived ; and whether or not practical Sla- 
 very shall be forced into the Free States under decisions of Federal 
 Judges, appointed as Mr. Fillmore soiight to appoint and did. appoint 
 some of his Judges ; and, in short, whether this country shall have a 
 Constitutional Government for the Slave Oligarchy ; whether or not 
 we shall recover our lost national honor, and go on in peaceful progress 
 to the climax of human greatness ; or wfieiher we shall be destroyed 
 by the aggressive system of t/ie Slave Power. 
 
 Very truly yours, CHAUJS'CEY SHAFFER. 
 
 Issued by the YOUNG MEN'S FREMONT & DAYTON CENTRAL UNION, of the City of N. Y. 
 Campaign Reading Room, Stuyvesant Institute, 659 Broadway; open daily from 8 A.M. to 11 P.M 
 
 PubHshed by MILLEE, OUTO^ & MULLIGAN, 
 25 PAEK EOW, NEW-YOEK, AND 107 GENESEE-ST. AUBUEN. 
 
 SMUCKER'S LIFE OF COL. JOHN C. FREMONT, end his Narratives of Explorations, Dis- 
 coveries and Adventures, in Kansas. Nebraska, Oregon and California. One handsome vol 
 line Stocl Portrait, by Ritchie, and 8 illustrations, 50U pp, 12 mo. Trice $1. 
 
 Ready Sept. 8th.— THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND ITS CANDIDATES, comprising the History, 
 &c. Principles and Purposes of tbe Republican Party in the United States, from the days ot 
 Thomas Jefferson to the present time, and a Biographical Sketch of Col. JOHN C. FREMONT 
 and WIIXIAM L. DAYTON By Eenj. F. Hall. One vol. 12 mo. with Portraits. Price $1. 
 
 REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN SONGSTER, a collection of Original Thrilling Lyrics, Pasqumased 
 specially prepared for the Friends of Freedom in the Campaign of Fifty-Six. It contain: 
 nearly One Hundred Songs, all adapted to the most stirring popular airs of the day. As . 
 Campaign Document, it will prove of great value in the hands of Committees, Club; 
 and individuals. 103 pages 18mo. Paper covers 12>i cents ; SI per doz ; S7 per 100, an( 
 $G0 pcrl,000. Single copies mailed free for 123-^ cents. Eight copies mailed free for $1,00. 
 
 Ready Sept. 15th.— JOHN ( HAKLES ; or the Young American's Life of Fremont, by I'ranci;' 
 C. Woodworth, the well known writer for youth.— SCO pp. mo. tHcel portrait and numeroui 
 
 'lHE"BEaT°SONGS, AND HOW TO SING THEM— THE FREEMAN'S GLI:E BOOK— A choice 
 selection of Songs Glees and Ballads, with Music, original and selected, arranged and 
 harmonized for each, under the auspices of the Central Fremont and Day ton Glee Club of \j 
 the aty of New- York. Price 20 cents, $1 75 per doz. $12 per 100. llailod free on receipt I 
 of price Thousands of Agents wanted to sell the above and other proUtable works. f 
 
 Miller, Obton & Muixigan, I'ubUshers, 25 Park Row, New-York, and 107 Genesce-Strect .j 
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 JOHN W. OLIVJER, Steam Printer, 43 Ann-Street, Now- York. 
 
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