Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-06-22
To the Wings of the Sixth Con-
gressional District of Massa-
Chusetts.

WASHINGTON, June IL, lCiC.
In conformity with your wishes | attended the
Wing National Convention at Philadelphia du-
ring the last week. You have already learned
that its proceedings resulted in the nomination
Of ZACHARY TAYLOR Of Louisiana, for the pres
ldency. This nomination IS, | feel assured, not
such as would have been preferred by you. 1t
was not made by the aid OF my vote. Through
ont the contest cxertcd my influence and voted
for the lavofite statesman Of Massachusetts
but not single Wing free State came to our
laid. New Hampshire, three delegates from
Maine, with one from New York, were all that
could be brought to vote with us. Vermont,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and every
other free State except two, went earnestly for
southern candidate from the start Ohio and
Indiana, instead of bringing forward Judge Nc
Lean or Mr.. Corwin, or Offering TO support man
who was particularly unidentified with the free
States, voted on the first ballot for Gen. Scott.
On the first ballot the free States cast one
hundred and seventy one votes; Of these, one
hundred and one one were for southern candida
ties, Mr. Clay and General Taylor.
1t is plain, therefore, that the north made no
earnest or united claim for free state candi-
date. On the contrary, we have seen that du-
ring the year past the contest has been among
the people and press Of the free States, as it
was among their delegates at the Convention,
chch Of ticO southern gentlemen should be selected
clusvcly occupied public attention in those
States. Massachusetts, almost alone, demanded
northern candidate, and her claim not re-
spondcd to by other free States. How, under
such circumstances, could 1t be reasonably eX-
pecteG that we should succeed? The majority
Of the free States declared preference for Ell
thcr Clay or Taylor, and they were southern
men. The south were divided between Taylor
and Clay, and 1t was left for the north to settle
III
: New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and
New York were finally, through a conviction of
his superior availability, thrown into Gen. Tay
lor's scale to ensure his triumph.
What, then, have the free States to complain
of? | answer of themselves, and themselves
alone
:, The South, true to its own instincts and in
teresls proposed and urged Southern men, while
: the North contented itself with deciding which
Southern man should be preferred. What
ground is there, then, for US To rail at the South
for this nomination., and to charge the South
with having uamPed upon US in making it e? If
the free States, during the year past, had mani
= tested any general desire for Northern candi-
date, aud had urged their claims with u mode
rate degree of firnness, Il cir demands would
have been respected, and the result might have
been different.
= As 1t is, we have a Southern candidate fairy
Party, and see no reason why the Wing Party
should refuse to sustain him. You sent me to
, that Convention to strive in a spirit of honorable
emulation for a free State candidate. | have
done all that was In my power, and have Jailed
! OF success for want Of support in our own sister
free States. There was no unfairness in the
mode of balotng; every delegate announced
his vote rira uoce so that the whole people might
hear and see it. The majority declared for q en-.
,,-1, 4 II,II ia
, we'd rights, after taking our chance for success,
10 renounce and denounce the action of the
:. Convention, merely because our desires were
not accomplished and our preferences were not
satisfied?
| know my constituents too well to suppose
that they sent me there with any such reserved
and yelled purpose. When they selected me as
their delegate, they knew well as they now
know it, that Gen. Taylor was TO be a powerful
candidate before the Convention, and would be
, urged by large portion of the Wing party
They knew that he had declared himself a Wing /;
and, reposing confidence in the patriotic inten-
tons OF the Convention, they unhesitatngly a.
greed to take their lot 10 it. ! went there, in
good faith, to obtain a concentration OF opinion
which would be ellectua to the tearing down of
, the strong holds of that pernlcious party which
now occupies the high places of our Govern
ment | know no other course by which that
. union Of the Wing party. Gen Taylor was not
f my preference but believe him to be true
Wing, an honest and capable man, opposed to
The acquisition Of Texas, with sound and con-
sentative principles, opposed to further eulars ing
the boundaries Of the Union; and although he
, lives in the latitude where slavery is tolerated,
yet do not believe that he desires or approves
, It's extension.
Ills declared sentiments are guaranty that
Il. eli.
. with the action OF Congress, when it shall forbid
the existence of slavery in our newly acquired
territories. Let the representatives of the peo-
r pie and of the States be left FREQ to act upon
that question, uncontrolled by Executive lnilu-
ence and Executive veto, und we are safe |
need not, am confident, give TO you any new
: assurance that whenever the question, IN any
t form, shall be presented during my official term
. rights of humanity shall find in me an unyeldng
advocate. The issue will soon come it is to be
. met in the halls of Congress and then il was
C to be decided, in all probability, during the con-
G tnuance of Mr.. Folks administration. Let the
people of the free States look to their RepreSen-
tatiueS
II In the meantime, let us labor to bring back
= our Government to the paths of peace, OF pros
). perity, and the pursuit OF happiness, by placing
- It's high trusts in Wing hands. For, in the words
u of that citrzen OF Massachusetts, whose fame
- UClOlRS 10 NIG NOIlu, WullG MS great HedTl ut'
8, longs TO his country-whose whole life has been
!. one of continued, set-sacrefcing, unrequted
labor for the American peope-in the words OF
Z Daniel Webster, standing in Faneul Hall:
4, ''ln the dark and troubled night that is upon
II us, | see no star above the horizon promising
= light to guide us, but the intelligent patriotic,
united Wing party Of the United States"
c GEORGE ASIiMUN.
The NOMINATION IN Ono the Columbus
: State Journal says :-"From all quarters, SO far
o as we have received accounts, the nominations
O of TAYLOR and FILLMORE are. received
with great favor. We were preparhd TO witness
: much disappointment. Men had fixed their
minds upon particular favortes, and could SEQ
c no reason why men who stood so fair with them
J. selves, should not be equally iayorites with all
others. Such is human nature; and when these
; cherished aspirations were crossed, we were
K prepared 20 see some manifestations of disap-
$ pointment There has been far less Of it than
might reasonably have been anticipated. In CO.
lumbus, the nominations were hailed with more
than ordinary enthusiasm. Such seems to have
c been the case at Cincinnati, Dayton, Sleuben-
y vile, Cleveland Chilicothe, and IN fact llon al
! most every point from which we have heard"