The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-06
senator F,oote. OF rlis.is.lppl.


the country, have been In general, altogether In
different, and in all cases heretofore, have been
absolutely silent Nor should vary from my ordi-
nav course upon the present occasion, but that II
is feared by others, whose counses greatly re-
spect, that silence on my part might be construed
into tacItacquiescence In certain misrepresenta-
tons, which, if efi.ctua, might by possibility do
mole or less injury TO a cause to which my lite
has been devoted. i find myself charged with
having declared, during the last hours of the SEES
sion of the United States Senate, that Cass and
Butler, IN consequence OF the conduct OF some OF
their Northern friends in Congress upon the Ore
gon question, would lose the whole vote OF the
Southern States IN the approaching Presidential
election Now this is not only wholly without toun.
datIon, but is most ridIculousy false, What did
say, In substance, was this: 1t will be borne In
mind that the Oregon bill had been returned TO us
from the House with our amendments to II stricken
out There was reason to believe, had commit
tee of conference been allowed us, In accorda ice
with wellknown Legislative usages, that salts
factory compromise OF all the matters In contro-
versy could yet have been effected. Various facts
were stated by myself and others, showing, as
think, conclusively, that compromise might still
have been attained through committee of con-
ference. The Senator from Illinois, (Mr. Doug
lass) who had principal charge OF the Oregon
bill, had consented to committee OF conference,
and had even urged II upon the Senate with his
own characteristic manliness and ability. Other
distinguished democratic Senator'S from the No tn
were more than willing to try the experiment OF
committee OF conference. Under such clrcum-
stances, the Senator from Missouri, (Mr Benton,)
insste upon his motion to recede from our amend
ments; which, taking precedence of the motion to
refer the subject to committee OF conference, cut
of, if successful, all hope of present compromise.
We had struggled for committee OF conference
during the whole of Saturday night. Sunday
morning had arrived, when took occasion, IN the
course of speech running through some fifteen or
twenty minutes, to warn certain senators against
Give course. urged upon them that their conduct
was likely 10 be garded as evnclng asettled hos
tilty and contempt for the South and southern men.
went far even as to express fear that their IN
discretion and seeming lllberaIty might have the
effect of weak enlng presdentiol ticket Ill some
quarters OF the South, or might at least impose
upon its southern advocates heavy and oppres-
sive burden of explanation. besougnt them ear
nestly yet to allow committee OF conference, and
thus place our ticket beyond the reach of misre-
presentation and injury; avowlng, all the while,
that knew Gen. Cass to be thoroughly sound on
the Wllmot proviso question, and that should be
the last man in the Union to forsake him. When
Sunday had passed away, and Monday MORN ng
was in progress, the Senate was again in session.
Southern men had reflected well upon all that had
occurred. Southern democrats had conferred to-
gether. They bore In mind that northern demo-
Gratis, in both houses of Congress, had been sus.
tanning the constitutional rights OF the South, and
been laborng to secure our safety, when northern
wings, TO a man, had proved hostile, and even
few Southern men had shown themselves unmind-
full or regardless OF Southern interests. They re-
cole cted that explicit assurance had been given
us by the senator from Illinois, (Mr. .Douglas,)
with his own characteristic frankness, that he and
his friends would again unite with southern men
next winter, as they had done already In the ses-
sion of Congress now closed, to bring about
such compromise as to the territories of New
Mexico and California, as that for which we had
been contendIng We knew that Dickinson, and
Douglas, and flanagan, and Bright, and Stur-
geon, and Cameron, and other good and true de-
mocrats from the free States of the North, both
houses of Congress, would still be with US. We
resolved to trust to the assurances OF our brethren
who have already. IN 80. many fierce encounters,
proved themselves worthy of confidence; and, ac-
cordingly, when on Monday morning the Senate
again assembled at nine O'Clock, and a motion was
made to suspend the 18th JOINT rule. OF the two
houses, which prohibits the presentation OF bill
or Joint resolution to the President Tor his approba-
ton the last day OF the session, without the sus-
pension of which rule the Oregon bill could not
phaticay observed, the dill stood defeated accord
Ing to parliamentary rules; when all acknowledged
that it was completely at the mercy OF the South,
we solved, on full consultation, and on the as
suIaDces above mentioned, to spare IT. and, after
an attempt two to amend the resolution, was
authorised to rise In my place and announce that
all further opposition would be relinquished; and
thus the Oregon bill did become law. This is
the sum and substance of what occurred on that
interesting occasion. If this seems to indicate
inclination on my part to abandon our nominees,
what will be thought of my Fastening to the heart
OF Virginia, on the Monday night succeeding, Ia
have evey undergone, and addressing large con-
course OF citizens, in my native county Fauquler,
on the Wednesday after, In support OF our noble
ticket! II any are disposed to conjecture that the
last scenes in the Senate augur the enfecbement
of our ticket the South, let me assure them that
never have seen such signs of concord and bro
therly love among democrats from the North,
South, East, and Vest, with very slight exceptions
indeed,) as those same closing scenes unfolded.
may go further, and declare, Gas did by their
express authority, on last Wednesday, in vlr-
ginia,) that distinguished democratic leaders
from the South, heretofore lukewarm or hostile
to our ticket, encouraged by the assurances
given that Northern democrats will hereafter
concur and cooperate with southern democrats
and Southern wings, In bringing about fair and
equitable compromise OF the territorial question,
will now support our nominees cordially, actively,
and to the end could go yet further, and state
what personally know to be actively true-that
Southern wings, leading and influential men
as any IN the whole South, seeing the united and
unanimous opposition OF northern wings in Con-
gress, TO the constitutional rights OF the South
seeing The extraordinary indications now dis
closing themselves, OF a general disposition
among the wings Of the North to iratemize with
the banburneis,ln support of Van Buren, and Adams
-Herceivlng, as all discerning men must now at
last perceive, that General Taylor has really no
strength anywhere, and that the only hope OF de-
feating the abolition ticket OF Buffalo, and thus
securing the safety of the South, and the integrity
of the Union, lies in the success OF the democratic
ticket, have not hesitated to avow strong doubt
whether II not their duty, as true patriots and
southern men, to come with all their weight and
influence TO the support of Cass and Butler. l
speak not hastily on this point; and those who re-
ceive this suggestion lightly, will, in a very short
time, find it made good, and even transcribed, by
actual facts.
Having corrected the misrepresentation which
provoked this communication, have the honor to
be, &C. ii. s. FooTE.
ST.. MARTINS AND MARTINIQUE.-The brig Sarah,
Capt. Higgins from st Martins 14th ult., arrived
at this port yesterday CaptainHiggns reports that
all was quiet when he lett. The slaves, in the