The State guard., 1848-07-11
To the Dem ocrucy of Alabama

JNO. \, WINS HUN.
 T0 the Dem o cracy of Alaba,Da.
 The animadversions of the Hon MT.
 Yancey on the conduct of his co-delegates
 to the Baltimore convention, as contained
 in d speech delivered by him at Charles
 ton on the 9th instant, arrested my atteh-
 tion before returned to Alabama, and de.
 termincd me to lay before the democracy
 of the State, at my earliest convenience. faithful narrative of my action as one Of the members of that bo3y.
 The amendments to the report of the
 committee on resolutions in the Alabama convention proposed by hir. Yancey, and adopted by the convention, prohibited its delegates from casting their votes in favor of any candidate for President or Vice President who was not openly and avow. edly opposed to the restriction of slavery ill the territories either by federal or popu- lar authority. These amendments were advocated by Mir. Yanccy in an able and eloquent speech, and in the course of his argument he read an extract from a letter, which he said might be regarded as ''reli. ab'c authority" detailing the opinions of MT. Woolbury upon those important ques- tons, and asserting their full accordance with the principles affirmed in the propo. sod amendments. MT. Yancey also assur. ed the the convention that in ample time
 and before the assembling of the delegates at Baltimore, these opinions would be laid before the public by Mir. Woodbury udder his own proper signature l set out for Baltimore, expecting the promise expana. lions of Mir. Woodbury, and disposed to give him my vote in the convention. arrived at Washington on Thursday, the
 18th of May, where 1 found the most of my colleagues Letters of inquiry had been addressed by MT. Yancey, and I be- levc, by MT. Winston, to Mir. Woodbury,
 alr. Cass, Mir. Buchanan and Mr. Dallas, with copies ef the Alabama resolutions enclosed. Understanding that answer had been received from these gentlemen, the delegation met at Alr. Yancey's room at 9 o'clock on Friday morning, for the purpose of preliminary consultation, and ot reacng the responses of the candidates
 Letters from AIr. Cass and Mir. Buchanan were produced-the former enclosing a copy of his letter to Ar. Nicholson, and the latter copy O.: his Berks county let ter, with references to him as their replies to the inquiries addressed to them. Mr. Dallas sent verbal message, referring us to his Pi'tsburg speech, but to the surprise ot tn" delegation no answer had been re. ccived from MT. Woodbury. This feel. ing of surprise was increased by the fact that one of our colleagues then stated that Mir. Rantoul, delegate from Massachu. setts, informed him on the preceding day that before he left New England, Mir. Woodbury had shown him a copy of a 'etterwhich he had addressed to Mir. Yan.
 ey in reply to the interrogatcries of the Alabama delegation, and it was minated that the reply did not sustain their expecta tions. MT. Yancey explained however, that letters came to him at Washington under cover to a friend. aud lhe meeting was postponed to 3 o'clock of that day to afford him the opportunity of making the necessary inquiries. Before the delegates separated, some conversation was had in | regard to the course we ought to take. should MT. Woodbury's letter prove un. satisfactory. In reply to my remark. that unless Mr. w. was open and explic;t in hIs ayowal of hostility to both federal and popular interference with slavery in the territories, we were forbidden to support him, MT. fancey answered ''certaialy: ana Tn that event we must look farther.' As the hour of Approached, and the dele gates were about to assemble, according to the understanding of themoming' NIT. Wray met us with the infor. nation that Mir. Yanccy bad been taken very suddenly ill, and suggested postponement which was readily acceeded to. learned however that Mir. Woodbury's letter had come to hard and that the account of its contents through Mir. Rantoulwas fully confirmed. I then became satisfied that under the instruc. I lions of the Alabama Convention, all ! Thought of supporting Mir. Woodbury for l lhe Presidency must be abandoned. Ire. the noble letter of Buchanan to z the people of Berks. county. Pennsylvania, r and retained a lively recollection of the ' hrill of patriotic joy which its publication V 'cnt through the whole Southern heart.-l 4 t was the first beacon fire to safely that h the gloom of the Wilmot provi- i, 70. He was the first distinguished nor. c hern statesman who had he moral cour. |ge, in the face of the legislatures of ten n r the sovereign States, to present him. \ |elf in opposition to the pernicious move il bent of the provisoists, and to assume a q |osition which promised safety to thel '