The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-26
THE DEChA ALTON
OF THE
CALHOUN SECTION OF TIE DEMOCRACY,
RELATIVE TO THE
PRESIDENT ELECTION.
SPEECH OF JOHN c. CALHOUN.
&c. &c. &c.
From the Charleston Mercury, Aug 81 !
TIE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES POSITION

meeting, and determined to await the deveOpe-
ment Of events, before they committed themselves
to the support Of any particular candidate in the
Presidential election. We agreed with the con-
clusion of this meeting, and expressed our deter
minatlon to abide byit. 1t will be recollected that,
as part of the proceedings of that meeting, mo-
ton was made TO nominate Gen. Taylor for the
Presidency, which motion was almost unanimous
ly rejected.
: The first source of information which was looked
to to guide our future Judgment, was obviously the
wing national convention. Gen. Taylor had again
and again avowed his determination to be a can
dldate, independent OF all parties, and candidate
whether nominated by the wbig convention or not.
II any other man should receive the nomination of
that party, and Gen Taylor continued to be a can
didaie against The regular nominees OF both pares
those who should support him, whether wing or
democrat, would not necessarily abandon their
PRINCIPLES. As Gen Taylor had avowed no prn-
clples, excepting opposition to the veto power, the
support OF him, wrong as he Is on this point would
argue only dissatisfaction with the party nom-
nations 1t remained TO be seen, then, by the
results OF the Philadelphia Convention, whether
wings and democrats would be able to occupy such
a pos ltion In supporting Gen Taylor.
The first development conflicting with this posi-
ton was the submission by General Taylor him.
SELL through the Louisiana delegation, of all his
prefers ions to the Presidency to the discretion
and determination of ihe whg convention. His
friends, who had FIRST brought him forward as an
independent candidate, denied the authority of
the Louisiana delegation thus to dispose of HIN.
They wrote to him from Maryland, where they
had gone so Tar as to establish "a paper devoted TO
his support and nominate an electoral ticket, to
know the truth. He replied that the Louisiana
delegation did act by his authority but requested
that his letter should not be made public where
upon the Independent Taylor party of Maryland
dsbanded and discontinued their press. In the
meantime, Messrs. Peyton and Built IN a card
published in the New Orleans papers, affirm, by
authority of Gen. Tay or, that the declarations of
the Louisiana delegation met with his entire APP
proval. Finally came his own long delayed answer
to the wing nomination, III which he cordially and
unqualiiedly accepts The position of their candl-
date, without word lnllmatlng desire or inten-
ton CT representing any body else.
Here, then, was radical change OF positions
and connexions regard to the Presidential cleo
ton There Was no longer an independent cam
didatc. There were but two candldates--the
set up by the wings, the other by the democrats
and these candidates, OF course, In spit: OF them
selves, must represent the principles of their
pective parties. Under their names, candidates
IN the Presidential election, Congress would be
elected; and Its political character would be deter
mined by the prevailing party in that contest. The
success OF the or the other must bring into the
Legislation of the Union The principles OF the trl-
lmpL;nt patty. Now tvwGs In contemplation of
gust such changes and developments as these, that
We understood the meeting In Charleston OF the
9Th June TO refuse to make any nomination tor the
Presidency, and we have iairly and faithfully car
gled out that policy.
But there was yet another point on which it
deemed of the highest import that we should be
fully Informed, before we committed ourselves on
the Presidential election. The Wllmot provlso
agitation was at lis height IN Congess, and 1t was
known that a very few weeks would give some
decisive indication ct the disposition OF parties on
this vital Issue 1t was considered the dictate of
common prudence to walt for these indications,
and allow ourselves see, by their In Con-
gress whether General Tayors friends were will
ling 10 afford any counienance to those who were
inclined to support their candidate, simply on the
ground of his being n Southern man, and therefore
representing the South on tins question. We felt,
as others have felt, natural prejudice favor of
General Taylor, as Southern man and slave
I ,.r,x,. tIa,p ~,
full weight all pledges and all piots that tended
IN any way to identify him with the cause OF the
South.
We had, indeed, hoped that the representatives
OF the whole Soulh, wings and democrats, would
stand together; and in lhat event we doubted not
they would command such success as would make
OF little consequence In regard to the slave ques
ton, which Of the two candidates for the Presi-
dency shoul prevail Should the representatives
OF the South, however, stand together, and yet fail
to setle the question, then we should have
been prepared TO sustain policy OF running a
candidate for the Presidency true to our rights
under the constitution. independent of both
the great parties OF the Union. The great
test of parties this question was the
bill introduced INTO the Senate for the establish
ment Of territorial governments In Oregon, Cali
fornia, and New Mexico. 1t was introduced UNI
der the sanction of the great body of Southern
statesmen IN Congress. IL was regarded by nearly
all as the only possible settlement OF the question,
under the present organization of parties. lis sue
cess was believed to depend upon the earnest and
unanimous support OF Southern men, In this ext.
gency, when the representatives of the South had
her cause and her fate in their hands, four South
Senators, for reasons futile and Incompetence
sble, broke up the chain and destroyed the power
OF this union, by gong over TO the enemy. We
cannot but regard this deserti0n decisive OF the
fate of the measure 1t showed the North that
the South was divided, and it gave precedent and
argument for deseitIon with all Southern men In
the House OF Representatives, who had any secret
inclinatons to sacrifice the cause OF their country
to the expedlency OF party. Accordingly, awhen
the bill came before the House, while the
Southern democrats were unanimous IN Its support,
as had been the Southern democrats In the Senate,
the Southern wings were divided, as the Southern
wings had been in the Senate. Nay, even tho dis
graceful Office was assigned TO a Southern wing to
make that motion winch denied to the bill the de-
cent end respectful consoles alton Of the House.
five turn from the South to the North, little Ia
vorable as Is the view to any reliance on the sup
port Of either party that little is certainly not on
the side of the wings. From first to last they adj
hered, with solitary exception IN the Senate, to
the extreme ground of the abononsts They
would have no settlement OF the question which
did not secure to the North the possession OF all
these territories, and that by the direct assertion
OF the right OF Congress to leglsae on the question
of slavery. A portion of the Northern democratic
party, IN both houses. not only supported the COM
promise bill, but showed strong anxiety, in varl-
Gus wrys, TO settle the question of slavery terms
not dShonorable to the South. True it Is, that
even this portion of the Northern democrats, dis
couraged by the imperfect support which the South
had given to the only measure that promised a
settlement OF the question, and borne back by the
ever-swelling tld, of free soil agitation, yielded
their POSITION and, with few honorable excep-
iions joined with the wings In fastening the Will
mot Pre- viso upon the Oregon bill. Ii this proves,
as we acknowledge il does, that no reliance can
be placed upon the democratic party Tor the settle
ment of the question, the unanimous opposition
10 the South at The Northern wings, upon every
vote, from the very first, is surely decisive That we
cannot trust them.
We see nothing, then, in the recent develope-
ments on the slavery question to justify any South
em dem crat in abandoning his party, aud fra
ternizing with the wings IN the Presidential cleo
ton. Every candid man must admit that all
who contribute ,o the election OF the whig candl-