Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-07-28
THE LEAST OF TWO EVILS,

1HE LEASl VI lNO EhtfS.
Not that wish General Taylci for President
I wish to defeat Cass" Not that am in favor Of
Cass for President l wish TO defeat Taylor. -
Such, in substance at isas I; is the language which
we are hearing every day from the reluctant adhe
! rents to the two Old parties They all unan
imous in charging upon the opposite party the sin
of Welding and submitting to the die citation of the
slave power. And commonly they admit that
full measure of that same fraty lies at the door
| OF their own party. But, while they admit that
the positioh and proposed Of their own par
! ty ere indeensible and Degrading, they maintain
land this is their whole vndcation in the natter
that the other party is farther in, and lower down.
IN this filthy slough OF party corruption and sub
mission 10 slavery dctation, than theirs. II allow
that am drunk but my opponent is more drunk. p"
Il permit myself 10 he made the dupe and the
tool of what utterly abhor but my oppo-
! nent is all that 10 twice the extent that am 81
wish 80 prev ent the extension Of slavery. but one
Of the two candidates now before the nation tH be
| elected One is committed in favor Of the extern
sion OF slavery; and he other is acceptaH- 70 the
south without such pledge "lt slavery must
! be extended says one Il would have il done under
| the former of these" 'And,' says the other "ii
slavery must be extended, ! would have it under
the latter Of these" Now It happens that there
are men OF more worth aud Weight of character
than either or both; OF the nominees of the old par
ties and whose views end creed have been distinct
ly ayowed in this matter, strongly opposed to
the extension of slavery ard in favor of consecrat-
ing all our new territory 10 freedom. IN the nom
nee of the Utica Contention, We have man who,
for talent experience in political life and weight
! Of character in al! the American Union, as well
as abroad is intomparaby superior to either of 'he
other candidates. even his former Political cpp5t-
ents being judges. AID he is. as regards the Viii
mot Proviso Just what free territory wings and
free territory democrats clcitIi that a Candidate
should be. For those friendly 10 the democratic
policy, he is worth acres Of such men as Cass, be-
SIDES being committed TO tn. policy Of slavery re-
Striction. And for wings, far professions
pledges, or promises are concerned, he is as good
as Taylor: and what is thousand times more
important than any other party issues, at this cleo
ton, he is an avowed and Jealous free territory
man; and one who consents to head the free terri
tory party of the nation in the present contest -
How needless, then, and how preposterous, TO con
unue harpng upon the unavoidable necessity which
compes us to CHOOSE the least of the two evils"
in the nominees forced upon the parties by the
slave power, in this instance, as IL was also the
election before this. We are none Of US u ider any
necessity of the kind. We have the lairest oppor-
tunity which we could desire to discard both evils
and choose what we rant, while we wholly reject
what don't want.
But even if no candidate were offered for suf
frages, known 10 be committed in favor of the
grand, paramount principle of freedom, would that
be reason why northern republican lover of
freedom should choose between two candidates Sc.
leced and put forward by the slave power solely
for the purpose of extending and augmenting the
crime and curse Of sayery' Why not say at once,
without an if or but Freedom S candidate is
my candidate. And slaverys can idate, whether
one, or two, or six, twenty are the candidates
whose election l shall oppose" This would be
talking like men-like independent freemen-Hke
know, gentlemen, that those who vote for Taylor
vote for the extension of slavery; and that those
who vote for Cass vote for the extension OF slave
ry. And on the other hand that those who vote
for the free territory candidate vote against the ex
tension ofslavery.
But, these considerations apart altogether In
what other matter under heaI en-, except choosing
the men 70 manage the affairs OF our government,
do we consent TO take the least of two eyilsl We
would chastise boy who should bring home from
the market basket OF rotten eggs, pretending that
he had got not indeed the article which he knew we
wanted but "the least Of t,ro erlls.' The man who
buys COW or horse looks out for good one
And never talks of accepting from the vender
brute whose recommendation is that III is the
least of two evils" Employers never employ the
hands who do their work, on this principle. "A
capable and faithful man, and 10 answer we'll
the most important object which ] have in view,
OF don hire bu' is the decision of course and
in all cases where individual interest makes
the decision. But when come 10 select for the
highest and most responsible office on earth and
At a crisis in our national affairs the most moment
Gus, in many respects, in our whole history then
"the least Of ,co erls," would answer the purpose.
Is this patriotism2 Is this our love OF coun.
try and devotion 10 its honor and welfare? The
least Of f,co eriis is hat give our beloved coun-
try in her hour of peril and EXTREMIST need, and
when she looks 10 for the best and the utmost /
which we can possibly do Tor her. Do we ever
deal thus with families! Is the least OF two !
evils the Patrimony which any one Of US would be |
willing 10 tequeath 70 children7 Nay, verify |
Not the least evils, but the greatest good is our
prompt and earnest choice, in every case where II /
is dictated by self interest or natural afIec -
And no less is this the case with the truly natrot
&c citizen when acting in a matter of high import
ance where the nation is be benefited or It's best
interests sacrificed.
FIGHTING OUT WEST. two serious
encounters have taken place between de-
tachments of L. s. troops and large parties
OF the Pawnees, near the frontiers, betw cen
the territory of our western Indians and the
newly acquired territory. The Indians