Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-09-22
on CARROLL COUNTY OHIC-FRIDlT, SEPTEMBER %, 1918.

lhtre Wrre' even among US W hgs qutt
easy enough 10 manlrsilng their confidence IN
this numinaron--o lutte too early il may be,
in uueriug notes of exultaliun IN our anIicipa.
ted triumph. Ii would have been bsuer If they
had waited.
Now The truth is, conference.-the truth is,
and no man can avoid seeing il, unless, as some.
times happens, the object Is too near our eyes
to be distinctly discerned-lhe truth is, that 10
these nominations. aud also in the nomination
al Philudephia-in these Cunveniio~s. and also
in the Convention al Philadelphia, Gan, Taylor
was nominated exactly for ikis reas.h: That,
believing him 10 be- Wing, they thought he
could be chosen more easily than any other
Wing. This is the whole Of it. That saga.
eiOuS Wiss. faT-SeeiHg doctrine Of AVAILA.
BILITY lies at the bottom Of the lOhoie matisrl
| Tremendous enthusiasm aud applause.
So far, then, from impuling any motive 10
these Conventions over the country, or TO the
Convention in Philadelphia, as operating on a
majority of the members to promote slavery by
The nomination of Gen. Taylor, | do not be-
| Iieve u word Of it-not one word. | see that
one part Of what is called the platform of the
Buffalo Convention, says that the candidates
before the public were nominated under the
dictalion Of the slave power. | do not believe
word of it.
In the first place, thu Convention at Phila.
delphla was composed, in a very great majori,
! Iy, by members from the Free States. By a
very great majority they might have nominated
any body they chose. And in the next place, il
is true that there were persons from New Eng
land, most Jealous and active, and who were
most earnest in procuring the nomination o
Gen. Taylor, and men who would cut off their
right hands before they would do any thing to
promote slavery in the United States. do moi
admire their policy,-underStan that; but &C.
quit them Of bad motives. | know the leading
men in that Convention. think | understand
the motives thai govern them. Their reasoning
is this; Gen. Taylor is a Wing; not eminent
in civil lile-not known in civil ife-but still a
man Of sound Wing principles. Circumslan,
ces have given him reputation and eclat in
the country. If he is the Wing candidate he
will be chosen; and with him, there will come
into the two Houses Of Congress an augmenta,
tion Of Wing strength. The Wing majority
in the House of Representatives will be increas.
ed. The Locofoco majority in the Senate will
be diminished. That was the view, and that
was the motive-however wise or however un.
wise-that governed very large majority oI
those who composed the Convention al Pha.
delphia.
Now, gentlemen, in my opinion this was o
wholly unwlse policy; il was short-sighted and
temporising on questions Of great principles
But acquit them Of any such motives which
have been ascribed 10 them, and especial,
what has been ascrbed 10 them in part of lhi
Buffalo Platform.
Such, gentlemen, are the circumstances CON
nccted with the nomination of Gen. TAYLOR.
only repeat, that those who had the most agen.
cy originally in bringing him before the people
were Wing Conventions and meetings in the
several Saes-Free States; and, that great
majority of that Convention which nominated
him in Philadelphia were from The Free States
and might have rejected him if they had cho.
sen, and selected any body else on whom they
could have united.
This is the case, gentlemen, as far as can
discern II. and exercising upon it as impartial a
judgment as can lorm--lhis is the case pre-.
sented 10 the Wings, so far as respects the por.
sonal fitness and personal character of Gen.
Taylor, and the circumstances which have eau.
sed his nomination.
Now, leIlowctzens, if we were weighing the
propriety of nominating such person TO the
Presidency, it would be one thing; if we arc
considering the expediency, or may say the
necessity, (Which 10 some minds may seem 10
be the case,J by well.meanlng and patriotic
Wings to support him after he is nominated
that is quito another thing. And that leads to
the consideration Of what the Wings of Massa.
Inhu do oc 1
see fit TO support Gen. Taylor. OF course thew
must vote for Gen. Cass; or they must vote for
Mr.. Van Buren,; or they must omit 10 vote al all.
agree that there are cases in which, if we
do not know in what direction TO move, we
ought TO stand still ill we do. admit there
are cases in which, if we do not know what to
do, we had better not do we know not what
But on question so importantto ourselves and
the country, on question of popular election
under Constitutional forms in which it is impos.
slble that every mans private judgment can pre-.
vail, or every mans private choice succeed, il
becomes, then, question of conscientious duty
and patriotism, what it is best 10 do upon the
whole. And that leads 10 the considerations
which should influence Wings, in my opinion
upon the question now before US.
Under the practical administration Of the
Constitution Of the United States, there cannot
be great range of personal choice in regard to
the candidate for the Presidency. In order that
their votes may be effective, men must give
them for some one of those who are prominent.
y before the public. This is the necessary re.
suit of our form of government, and from the
provisions Of the Constitution. And it does
therefore, bring men sometimes to the necessity
of choosing between candidates, neither Of whom
would be their original, personal choice.
Now, what is the contingency? What is the
alternative presented to Wings of Massachu.
sets! In my judgment, feIlow-citizens, it is
merely one: the question is between General
Taylor and General Cass. And that is the
whole Of it. Great sensation
| am no. more skilled to foresee political oc:
curences than others. judge only for myself
BuI in my opinion, there is not the least proba
+ biliiy Of any other result than the choice O