The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-09-16
st. JOhnsbury, VT September Is, lS4S,

composed in n very great majority Of mem
bers of the Free States. BY very grea: ma
jority they might have nominated amy body
they chose. And in the next place, it was
true that there were persons in that COnven-
lion from New England. among the most
earnest and the most active in procuring the
nomination of General Taylor, and men who
would cut off their right hand before they
would do anything which they believed would
promote the interest of slavery in the United
Suites. do not admire their discretion, or
their policy, understand thnt but ! acquit
them ofnny such base motive.
know the leading men of tha! Convention
] think | understand the principles, aud ]
think understand the molives which gov
erned them. There reasoning WIS thisi-
! Gen. Taylor is n wing; not eminent in civil
! life, not known in civil life, hut still n man of
sound wliig principles. Circumstances have
given him a reputation, an ecidt, in the coun-
/ Try, and ifhc is the wing candidate he will be
! chosen, and with him there will come into
! the two Houses OfCongress an augmentation
of wing strength. The wing majority in the
| House of Representatives will he increased,
and the Loco Foco majority in the Senate
will be diminished That was the view and
that was the motive. however wise or how
ever lInwse, that governed n great portion
, of the gentlemen, believe n large majority
! of those who composed the Convention nj
! Philadelphia. Now, gentlemen, in my opin-
| ion, that was wholly unwise policy; it was
not suitable to the Wing character it was not
rcconcilable TO true wisdom; it was short
sighted temporZing upon questions of great
principle; but | acquit any body concerned in
il from any imputnton Of that motive which
is ascribed TO them; and especially which is
nscribed 10 them in n part of this Buffalo
platform.
Such, gentlemen, are the circumstances
connected with the nomination of General
Taylor only repeat that those who had
originally the greatest agency in bringing
him before the people were wing Conven-
tons and meetings, in the several States, in
the Free States. and that n majority Of that
Convention which nominated him in PiiiIu-
deIphia, were from the Free States,and might
: have rejected him they had chosen, and
selected any body else on whom they could
have united. THIS is the case, gentlemen, as
far as can discern il, and exercising upon il
as impartial judgement MS can, fairly. this
is the case presented TO the Wings, so far rs
it respects ihc personal fitness and personal
character or General Taylor, and the circum-
stances which have caused his nomination.
! Now, fellow citizens, if we were weighing
the propricty Of nominating to the Prosden-
cy such person, it would he one thing; if
say, the necessity, which TO some minds may
seem to he imposed upon patriotic and well
meaning Wings, to support him, since he is
nominated, that is quite another thing. And
that leads to the consideration of what the
Wings of Massachusetts are to do or such
uftLcm us do not see fit 10 support General
Taylor. Ofcoursc they must vote for Gen.
Cuss, or they must vote for MIR Martin Van
Buren,, or they must omit to vote at all. Ia
Il, Al, Ia, al,
not know in what direction TO move,we ought
to stand still till we 10. | admit that there
are cases in which, five know not what to
do we had better not dove know not what.
But on question so important to ourselves
and the country. MS the question of n popular
election, under constitutional forms in " hiCh
it is impossible that every mans private
judgement can prevail, or every mars priv
ate choice succeed, it becomes then qucs-
ton of conscientious duty and patriotism
what is best to do upon the whole. And that
leads to the considerations which should in
flucnce NVhigs,in my opnion,npon the ques-
ton now before them. Under the practical
administration ofthe Constitution of the L.
nited States, there cannot he great range of
personal choice in regard to the candidates
for the Presidency. In order that their votes
may he effective, men must give them for
some one oflhoso who arc prominent before
the public. That is the necessary result
from our forms ofgovernmCnt, aud from the
provisions of the Constitution; aud it DOES,
therefore, sometimes bring one TO the nCccs-
sity Of choosing between candidates. neither
Of whom would be their original personal
choice.
! Now what is the contingency, and what
the alternative, presented 10 the Wings of
Massachusetts? In my Judgement, fellow
citizens, it is merely ono; the question is be-
tween General Taylor and General Cass,nnd
TINT is the whole Oft. nm no more skilled
to foresce political occurrences than others.
| Judge only for myself: bmt in my opinion
there is not the least probability ofany other
result, thnn the choice of General Tny lor or
General Cnss | know that the enthusiasm
of formed party, the popularity of II
w-iormed name not communicative of any
new-iormed idea, may lead men 10 think thai
the sky is to fall and that larks are suddcnli
to he taken. Ientertnin no such idea.
speak without disrespect of the Free Soil
party. have read their platforms and though
think there are some rotten places in 1t,
can stand on it pretty well. But ! see moth
ing in it which is new and valuable; what Is
valuable is old: and what is new is not val,la-
bic. (Chccrs and lnughter.)
Gentlemen, ifthe term OF Free soil party
or Free Soil men, designate one who is fixed
and unnlterahlc, is so today aud was so yes
tcrtlay, and has been so for some time, then
] hold myself to he as good Free Soil Innl
rs any ofthe Buffalo Convention. pray to
know who is to put beneath my feet II treer
soil than that which have stood upon ever
since have been in public life. ] pray to
know who is to make my lips ltecr than they
ever haye been. for the nttcrance oftrlth and
sound principle, ms understand it. beg To
know who is to inspire into my breast more
resolute aud fixed determination, to resist