The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-09-16

! do not mean 10 say TINT the great mass OF
the people especially those who went 10 that
Convention from this IStutc, --Sotnc OF them
among my warmnst friends, who had been
political friends for yous-huvc not the high
est aud purast motives. think IlIey act IN
wisely. | ncqnit them ofull dishonest mo-
tiycs. lluk they net altogether under Il
'Inistukc. Others have belonged 10 Mr. Van
Iuren's party, every art Of which llns been TO
bring suvery into tho Union, and of them ]
confess my mistTlsl. II they repent, lot
Ihcm, before we trust them, do works worthy
EDf repentance.
i have said, gentlemen, ,hgt in my opinion
fit were desirable 10 place Mr. Van buren,
!s,t the head ofthc Government, there Is no
chnncc for him. Others nrc rs good Judges
ms | nm; but nlnnet able to say that l see
, any Salc in the Union in which there is n
reasonable probability that he will geta vote
There mny be; others are more Vcrsed ~
such statistics lhnn am; but ! SEQ none; and
therefore think thar tho question IS reduced
teyaclIy TO The issue between Geo. Cass and
Gen. Taylor.
You may remember, gentlemen, that in
Ihe discussions of The year ISii, when Mr.
Biruey was drawing off votes from the Wing
v,nrty, | said here and elsewhere, that in my
opinion, every vote given 10 Mr. Birney was
half vote for Mr. Polk. Bdu't 1t turn out TO
he so, exactly? is it not true that The Wing
wotes which the Liberty ticket distracted
from the Wing strength in New York, gave
The vote of New York to Mr. Polk, and there
fore matle him President? That is us clear
MS any historical fact upon earth. And in
my Judgement, it will be just so now. con-
slider every whig vote given for Mr. Van Blu
ren to he u VOC directly aiding the election
of Gen. Cass. Observe; | say, Uhig Vote
Now there may be States in which the NOM
inotiOu Of Mr. Van Buren, may draw away
from the other side, largely, aud in TINT re-
siHcct rather injure the prospects Of Gen. Cnss
rlnn ofGon. Taylor but / speak Of Wing
votes in this Stale and in any State; and am
Of opiniau for one that any vote given for Van
Burcn irIrcs to the benefit Of Gen. Cass.
Now as to Gen. Cass, gentlemen, we need
not 80 to the Baltimore platform TO instruct
ourselves what his politics are, or how lie
Nvill conduct the government Gen. CasS
will go into The government. Ms coming IN 10y
the same party that elected Mr. Polk, aud lac
will "Inllow in the footsteps Of his ilnstrious
predecessor" hold him, / confess, in the
present state oft'I2 country to b. the most
dangerous man in whom the powers Of the
Executive and the Chief Mngistrary could
well he placed. He himself would describe
himself not as conservative, or proic Give, but
hclongng to what he would call the party
of progress. Tie believes in the doctrine OF
American Gcsliuiya; and that their destiny is
40 go through wars aud invGsions, and arm
les ofagmrNudisnmcut; to establish n great,
powerful. and domueeriug government over
MI this continent. We know that if Mr. Cuss
Souli have prevented il, the treaty with Eng ,
land would not have been made, Ns il was
hmndc with England in i2. We know that
At Mr. Cnss could have prevented it, tie set
clement of the Oregon question would no,
'l,,, lao ntr,Ia II D11Tn in IL Ia
We know that ii Con. Cass could have pre-
Hented the declaration CT continuation Of tho
Mexican war, at his pleasure, he woMld not
,huve done it. We know thot he supported
il with all his might and in all the delihern-
lions Of Congress was first and foremost IN
pressing that war to every extent. tie is
s'nHn OF learning, mau q! tuleDt. win every
Ingredient of character, fur supe-
'rior to his pgeleccssor ifho should be sue
ccssor TO Mr. Polk, but think him Il gentle
man Of rash politics, pushed on by nm ardent
and rash pary,&G committed 10 such course
'ofadmnis,raion as believe not to be con-
,sisent with the security and peace Of the
country and government
Swell, therefore, gentlemen, il is for you
and for me, and far all other Wings, 20 con-
slider whether in tbs state oflLc case we cNu
or cannot. we will or will not, give our votes
for the Wing uomi a'ion. lcav C that TO every
mnn's conscience. ! have cndchvorcd to
state the case MS it presents sefto me. Be-
fore Ger. 1'ny or's nomination. | stated III
ways, when the subject was mentioned Ivy
my friends, that did not and could not rec
onmond tho nomination Of n military man
to the people Of the United States for the Of
4icc Of President. Il was against my Convc
tons of what was due TO the best intci ests of
Ahc country and The character ofthe Repub-
ic stated also at the same time, that if
Gen. Taylor should be nominated by the
Wing Convention fairly, should not oppose
his election. 7 stand now upon the same
declaration. He has been nominated fairly,
AIS far rs know, and cannot therefore and
shall not oppose his election. At the same
time. there is no man who is more firmly Of
opinion that such nomination was not fit to
make. BIT declared that would not OPP
1,ose Gen. Taylor, If nominated by tho Wing
party, subject, Of course, from the nature of
things, to some exceptions. If ] believed
him to he man that would plunge tho
country into further wars. for any purpose
of ambition or conquest, ] would oppose
him, let him be nominated by whom he might.
If believed that he was Il man who would
exercise his official influence for the further
extension of the slave power, | would op-
pose him, let him he nominated by whom he
might. But do not believe either Gap
plause.)
believe that he has been, from the first,
ropposed to the policy of the Mexican war, MS
! improper, impolitic and incXpedient be-
/. licve, from the best information fcnn obtain,
d; land you will take this as my opinion, gem
stlemen,) believe that he has no disposition
to extend the slave territory of the United
States, nor to increase the influence of slave
ry IN the councils ofth nation. That is my
opinion; and so much for what may he con
sidered as belonging to the Presidential cleo
ton as a national question.
u
Gentlemen, after had received the inv.-