Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-07-07
IOn't be Personal,

The Ohio Statesman is very much concerned
lest the Wings should be too personal in their at.
tacks upon General Cass Wonderful discove.
ry the Statesman has made that personalities
ought not TO form part of political controver-
sizes. We wonder if the Statesman remembers
whether or motif was personpln ilsremarks upon
Henry Clay, when that distinguished man wasa
candidate for the Presidency. However conyen.
lent the memory Of the Statesman may be, nei-
ther friends nor foes have forgotten with what
active malignity, it and all the papers of its par
ty assaulted Mr.. Clay. We confidently saw,
that ia the whole history of political controver-
sizes, there is not an instance of man who has
been slandered, more grossly villifed, than Hen
ry Clay has been by he Locofocos. Peruries,
lorgeres, fictitious statements from pretended
preachers,-the bosest lies which hatred could
conceive or malgnity could utter, were circua-
ted throughout the country with an industry al.
most miraculous.
But now the Statesman is marvelIousv tender
on the point Of personality. When the Wings
have candidate against whom no slander could
be uttered which would not recol most disas-
rousIy upon the slanderor, and when the Loco.
lOcos have2a candidate whose political proflga-
cy is such that no creyiCe of his political char
acter can bear to be examined by sunlght,-Lo-
colocoism cries out most poousIy against per-
sonality. Don't be PERSONAL As for General
Cass' private character, we know nothing against
it, and should not care to utter il if we had. But
his political character presents such a tissue of
proiligacy, inconsistency and sefiShness, that it
is impossible to discuss his fitness for The Pres-
dency, without crticsing his conduct in way
which to some Of his lhn-skuned supporters
might seem outrageousIy personal. There is
however no probability that any Wing will make
charges against Gen. Cass, which remorseful
conscience would have to recant upon death
bed, as was done towards Henry Clay.
As TO the matter Of personality, "a considera-
BILE latitude must be allowed in the discussion Of
public ailars,'' or the characters of those who
aspire to high station cannot be properly presen.
ted to the public. BY character in this connec-
ton, we mean mans political principles, and
! the manner in which he would discharge the ex-
eculive functions of government if they were
committed to his charge. In this light, while
private malice or personal sander should never
be tolerated or INDUCED in, it is not only proper
but necessary that the structures upon the char
acters of men who aspire TO the first station in
the government, should be so searching as 10
give the public n full knowledge of their merits
!
or dement's. 1t is not only useless but absurd
mot to damn the shaper, but the dice and as
we hold that Gen. Cas's political conduct has
been such as to dsqualiiy him for being Presl-
dent, the only way to make that disqualification
evident, is by presenting his whole character to
the people. As Pope says, in one OF his letters
to Arbrhnot, "To reform, and not TO chastlse, l
am afraid is impossible; and that the best pre-.
cepts, as we'll as the best laws, would prove of
small use, if there were no examples 10 enforce
them. To attack vices political proAigacy) in
the abstract, without touching persons, may be
safe fighting, indeed, butitis fighting with Shad-
ows.'
Such as the above remarks indicate will be
our course towards General Cass If there be
sore places in his character, they originated
from his own conduct, and if the probing Of
them cause him or his friends to vince he and
they have only himself to blame we wiling
ly Weld General Taylors character to the strict
est investigation which his opponents may choose
to institute.-[ GAINESVILLE Courier.