Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-09-14

eminent man (; not indeed, IN civil life, bu
circumstances have given him eclat with thu
people if he is elected. with him we shal
have an increase Of the Wing strength in Con
gress, and therefore il is best to sustain him.
That was the oD}ect and motiye--howeve
wise or unwise-Oi large majority Of the con
action.
In my opinion it was a wholly unwisc policy
1t was not suited to the Wing character. ]
was short-sighted But acqult the members
Of the convention of any of the motives ascribct
TO them, especially this one set forth in The
Buffalo platform.
! Such. gentlemen, are the circumstances con
nGcted with the nomination of Gen. Taylor
And will only repeat that those who had the
most agency, originally, in bringing him before
the people, were Wing conventions. and meet.
ihgs in several Sta,es-frce States-and q
great majority Of the Philadelphia convention
from the free States They might have rejected
him if they had SO chosen and wanted anybody
else
! This, then, is the case presented to the
Wings so far as respects the personal fines
and character Of Gen Taylor.
Nov, fellow-ciizcns, five were weighing
the proprety OF nominating such person as 4
candidate for the chief magisracv that is on,
thing If considering the exprdlency, or,
may say, the necessity, to some minds. of sup
porting him now he is nominated-that isquitC
another thing. And this leads to the consldera.
tion Of what the Wings Of Massachusetts ought
TO do. Such of them as aIe not willing to sup
port Gen. Taylor, must, 1t is clear, vote for
Mr.. Cass, or Mr.. Van Buren,, or omit to vote
at all agree that there are cases IN which,
A na do unt IN hat
we should stand still until we do cases in
which, if we do not know what to do, il is
better To do nothing than to do. we know not
what. But in aqueston like this, so important
to the country as popular election ofthe Chief
magistrate, under government whose very
constitutional forms render il impossible that
every man 5 priv ate opinion should prevail, the
inquiry consists IN just this What IS II best
for US to do on the whole And this again
leads lis to an examination Of the question now
Immediately before rs.
Under the practical operation of the consi-
tuition of the United States. there cannot be a
great range in the choice between candidates
for high national Offices. To render their
votes effective, men must necessarily give
them To one Of the prominent candidates. That
is the result of our form of government. and
lhere'bte II does sometimes bring US to the ne
cessity Of choosing from among candidates
neither one Of whom would be our personal
cloice. What then, is now the contingency,
the alternative, presented to US In my Judy
mcnt there is merely one question, and il is
between the election OF Gen. TAILOR or ofGcn.
Cass. That IS the whole oi L. am not
more skilled to torsee political events Il al
others. Judge for nysil II alone, and for my
self, must say that see no possible chance
for anybody, except either Mr.. Taylor or Mr..
Cass, to be elected know that the cnthusl-
asm of a now formed pary-new-iormed IN
name but not III idea. having, IN fact, no new
idea wha,ever-may lead It's members TO think
that the sky is at once 10 fall, aud that larks
are to b. taken IN abundance have no such
belief or expectation.
"aye read, gentlemen, the Buffalo platform,
and although there are some rotten parts a.
bout IT, ! can stand on 1t pretty well. IT is
not wholly new or original. What there is
valuable about il is not new, and what is new
is not valuable. II my friends, the term Free
Soil" party, or Free Soil men, Is meant 70
designate one who has been fixed, unaltcrable,
to day, yesterday aud for some time past, in
opposition 10 slavery extension, then may
claim 10 he and may hold myself as good Il
Free Soil man as any member of that Buf-
fao convention. | pray to know where il
there soil irecr than that on which have stood
pray to know what words they can use or
can dictate to NE, frecr than those which have
dwet on my lips ! pray to know with wha,
feelings they can inspire my breast, more res
Oute and fixed IN resistance to slavery eNtcn-
sion or encroachmeut, than have inhabited INV
G., I 1 -
in public life
The gentlemen 2, Buffalo have placed a, the
head of their party Mr.. Van Burcn-a gentle
ran for whom have all the respect should
entertain towards an associate in public life for
many years. But | really should think that II
| were 10 express confidence in Mr.. Van Bu-
rcn. or respect for his political opinions on any
question of public pollcy-csPccla!ly on tlns
very uHc Of the spread OF slavery, slave power
aud slave nhucncc-ihc exhibition would bor-
der upo,r the ludcrous. if no, upon the the con-
tcmptble. ! never proposed any important
public measure Of policy which he did not OPP
pose. And ! never was obliged 10 oppose any
such measure which he, when with me in
Congress, did not support Ard II he and J
should now find ourselves together under the
Free Soil dag, | ara sure, that, with his ac-
cus'omtd good nature he would laugh. ii
nobody were with US, we should both laugh at
the strange jumbles Of political lie which had
brought hlm and me 10 SIT down snugly, costly,
AID comfortably on the same platform.
My first acquaintance with Mr.. Van Buren,
in public life, was when he was pressing, with
great power, the election to the Presidency OF
Mr. Crawford over Mr. Adams Mr.. Craw-
ford Was not elected Mr.. Adams was And
Mr. Van Burcn during his administration, was
a member Of the Senate Tor part of his term,
and Governor of New York for the rest. And
II is notorious that he was the soul aud centre
or the opposition To Mr.. Adam administration,
ana that be did more than any ten other men
To elect General Jackson These arc facts
which even short memories can retain. Cen
eral Jackson was chosen, aud Mr.. Van Burcn
became his Secretary OF State. IT, July, 1929,
Mr. Mclanc was sent out Minister, under in
structions TO arrange the disputed questions
concerning the Colonial and West India trade.
Mr. Adams had taken high ground On this
sdbjcct H. had claimed as right oi r,cl-
pruclty that our products IN our ships should be
admitted into the West India ports, on the
same terms with the English, since Great Hni-
ain cnioycd the privilege of having her goods,
IN her ships brought into our potts on the same
conditions as though brought IN American YES
sells Mr.. Adams took high and austere ground
ON this matter, as one of right, on the prncl-
- nut IA, I'noliah 0pxprn-