Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-09-15
THE TELEGRAPH.
C. L. sHoLEs, EDITOR.
Tuesday, September IS, Is4S
a HaOnStrOuS Fraud.

We ACsltdtc llOl ~ say tLLat tiS Aidbd
iteleaders attempting to perpetrate through
out the flee states has never been paraelled in its
magnitude. We say that the contemplated treason
of Benedict Arnold does not equal it, and had that
treason been successful, would not have been pro-
ductive of results disastrous to the OF tree
dom, as will this treason now, ii successful.
The character of the free soil principle may be
inferred from the unanimity with which is adop-
ted by the people. Such is the known sentiment of
the of the people on this subject, that not a
Taylor press nor Taylor stump orator in the nor
! thern states, but is compelled TO endorse it. Why
this unanimity? Simply because it universally felt
and known TO be vital principle OF freedom. And
being so known and felt, il is fact equally as we'll
understood that uniay orable to this princi-
| PIE, get the vote of single northern state.
Hence these Taylor presses, and the stump orators
and their penny aliners who are the slaves of their
thirst for Office and the slaves Of old party ma
chinerY seek 10 deceive the mass of the people into
the belief that their candidate is favorable To this
great principle The fraud, the monstrous fraud
consists in that they KNOW better: in that they
KNOW for base ends they are endeavoring TO wrest
from the people this stupendous principle, and lose
it to them forever Aye, that they. for four short
years may baten upon the spells OF office ard bask
in the sunshine of power, would deceive the
people to their own ruin 1t a fraud so monstrous
that language may not portray its character It
is crime for which no statutes hayceyer vet
conceived an adequate pllishn It. And it is
a ne wlch my not be forgiven by man,
and can only be, by God through his transcendant
mercy.
We say that these men KNOW their candidate is
not favorable to this principle Every individual
who has paid the least attention to the expressions
which have fallen from that candidate know it, and
we believe we can in a few short lines make it so
apparent, that those leaders who persist in claiming
Zachary Tay lor free soil man, must incur the
charge OF rank folly as well rank knavery.
Let these facts be borne in mind. At mature
age, when he was free and qualified to make his
choice, Taylor voluntarily chose his residence on
the banks of the Mississippi in slave state and
there voluntarily surrounded himself with slaves
and slavery. That he is one Of the largest slave
owners in the southern states that he lives from
year to year upon the products Of slave labor, and
is growing itch upon that labor Let it be BONE in
mind say, that all his associations al mature age
voluntarily assumed are with slavery and slave in
situations, and all his interests are connected with
the same institution. SIch being the case, let us
ask what would be the natural conclusion with re.
ference to fayors position on this question Should
conclude upon this evidence that he was in favor
of freedom and opposed to slavery; that the sentl-
mens of his heart and the work of his hands were
in opposition to each other, and that whilst with his
hands he is working in the cause of slavery, in his
heart he is for freedom. Would this be the concu-
sion 1t would not, and every body knows it. We
all know that the premises correct. and from
the premises but one conclusion be drawn, and
that is that Taylor is in favor of slavery. And
what have we in opposition to this irresistible con-
cIusion? Have we any assertion assurance or pledge
from Taylor TO the contrary. Not a word, not
scratch.
We hold, that in view o: Taylors position. unless
he says positively und unequvocaly that he is Tor
freedom, no other sane conclusion can be drawn,
than that he is opposed 10 it. We say then, that
unless these presses and stump orators, lay be-
fore their readers and the public distinct and posi-
tive pledges from Gen. Taylor, that he is in favor
OF the Wilmot proviso, they cannot escape the
charge of voluntarily seeking TO deceive the public
But let us examine for one single moment, the
grounds on which these Taylor men base the scheme
of fraud :hey attempting to carry out. 1t is
upon two letters OF Gen Taylor. one to the editor
OF the Cincinnati Signal and the Allison letter. In
the first OF these Gen Taylor stated that he appro-
we'd OF certain sentiments in favor of the WIlmot
proviso contained in an editorial of that sheet This
without contradictions might have been construed
into an indirect approval OF that principle, but he
subsequently,, in reply to a southern letter, stated
that he did not intend to express his approval of any
sentiments contained in the Signal letter So thai
artillery is turned the other way, and instead of an
approval we have a denial of tie Wlmot proyiso,
and the argument from that source fails. In the
Allison letter the conclusion that ray lor will not
veto tie proyiso, is drawn from the following pas
sage The power given by the constitution to the
Executive, to interpose his veto, is high conser
vative power; but in my opinion should never be
exercised except in cases Of clear violation of the
constitution or manifest haste and want OF consid-
Grafton by Congress Now we need hardly say
that the logic which could draw from this concu.
sion that Taylor would not veto the proyiso is TO
say the least, peculiar. The veto power is higl
conservative power. says Taylor; precisely SAID
Tyler and Polk, when they vetoed the harbor bills;
never to be exercised except in cases of clear vi
olation of the constitution; such as Cd.s and Cal
houn say the Wilnot proviso IS, and Taylor too for
all we know 10 the contrary: or manifest haste and
want of consideration by Congress, Gen Taylor
prudently reserving to hmselfthe privilege ofjudg
ing what constitutes haste and want of consdera-
ton. And yet this is claimed to be evidence that
he will not veto the proviso, and people asked
10 believe it, on such fmsy grounds. ItGen. lay
lors position is as his friends claim Enthusiastically
on the side of freedom, how does it happen that
there are differences ofopinon on the subject among
the wings themselves. Horace Greedy has some
reputation for sagacty among the wings, and he,
by no means considers Gen. Taylor as pledged TO
freedom on the contrary he still wthholds his sup