The North-Carolina standard., 1848-07-26

FROM
endorsed the Wilmot ProViso:
uwe understand that the Locos had some rare
snort what few were present. at the formation OF tnef
Cass and Butler Club" on "Wednesday night iast'
There were some very remarkable assertions ihduo'
also we learn, which we shall take occasion TO mo-
t;ce hereafter as then for he who would charge
Gen. ZACHARY TAYLoR-a Southern man, owning
hundreds of Slaves, with being in favor of the Wl
mot Proviso merits being handled WItAeut gioVes'
These are the assertions of the Register; now
let US see what Gen. Taylor himself says: On the
18th of April 1s47, the Cincinnati Signal publish
ed long editorial the subject of the Presidency
This editorial the Editor sent to Gen: Taylor, and
the old General replied from the Z" Camp near Mon
terey, May Is, 1s47.'' Among other things the
Editor of the Signal said:
ssThere are questions approaching, which the peo-
pie must be allowed to settle in their way, with
out the interference of Executive patronage or prero
gative. The old political issues may be postponed
under the pressure of circumstances and as Tor the
new-those coming events which cast their SHADOWS
before-let it be understood, that the only path of
safety for those who may hereafter fill the Preslden-
tia Office, is to rest in the discharge OF Executive
functions, and let the legislative will OF the people
find utterance and enactment. Iae American peo-
pie about to the responsibility of framing
the institutions of the Pacific States. We have no
fears for the issue, if the of the high debate Is
the assemblies of the people and their representative
halls. The extension the continent beyond the
Rio Grande of the ordinance Of 1887, Is an object too
high and permanent to be bqed by PresidentfaI Vetoes
All that ask of the incumbent of the highest Office
under the Constitution is to hold ms Aand to pow 70
the will of the people, promulgated in Legislative
forms, and restrain the Executive action In Its apPro
pirate channels"
Gen. Taylor in his reply to the Editor of the Sig
nal said: o." With these remarks, trust you will
pardon me for thus briefly replying to you, which L
do with high opinion and approval Of the sentiments
and vieacs embraced in yOur editoriaL."L 80 Now,
we ask the Registsr, what does this amount to Is
it not an .approval'' of the ordinance of 1857!
And what is the ordinance of 's7 but the Wilmot
Proviso! But, it may be replied, Gen. Taylor did
not intend to approve the Proviso. Who gave au-
thority to the Wings, to any body else, to con-
strue Gen. Taylor's intentions contrary to his Ian
guage2 Is he to say he " approves - thing
when he does not1 One of three things is certain:
Gen. Taylor either did not know what the ordinance
of 1857 meant or he did not mean what he delib-
erately said in writing, his own signatures or
he intends to d" approve" and endorse the Wilmot
Proviso ;-and we defy Wing ingenuity to make any
thing else of his reply to the Cincinnati Signal
These are the facts which Mr. Busbee handled, and
he did with such force and clearness that every
fair-minded man who heard him, must have been
convinced of the truth of his position.
The Register appears to be overwhelmed with as
tonishment at the bare idea that Gen. Taylor" a
Southern man, owning hundreds of slaves should
be charged with being a Wilmot Provisoist. We
say that paper appears to be astonshed for it knows
all about the Signal editorial and Gen. Taylors sap
proval - of it, though that editorial will never find
its way into that paper. dare not let its readers
for themselves tphat Gen. Taylor has deliberately
endorsed and approred. Num- is the word. But
may it not be easily perceived how man may re-
side in a Southern State, and even s. own hundreds
of slaves" and still be opposed to the extension of
slavery. Gen. Taylor may in common with many
Southern men, regard slavery as evil, (Mr. Clay
in his Lexington Speech, calls it "rProaeh " and
may not desire to see it extended Mr.. Badger
said in his Guilford letter, other and distant
gions -and, admitting the Constitutional power OF
Congress, Mr.. Badger does, to enact the Wilmot
Proviso he may think it good policy the part of
Congress to put that Proviso in operation. That
this is the position which Gen. Taylor is supposed,
by the Northern Wings, to occupy this question
and that the support of the people of the free States
is claimed for him, because he has endorsed the WI
mot Propiso principle, the Register cannot deny. In
the address of the Hon. George Ashmun to the
Wings of the 9th Congressional District of Massa-
chusetts, that gentleman says:
| seen. Taylor was not my preference, but believe
him to be true Whg, an honest and capable man,
opposed to the acquisition of Texas, with sound and
conservative principles, opposed to further eniarging
the boundaries of the Union and, although he lives
in the latitude where slavery is tolerated. yet do not
believe that he desires approves its extension.-
His declared sentiments guaranty that he aciH net
er TN the slightest manner interfere with the action
Congress ,vhen it shall forbid the eistence of slavery
ne,Oly acquired territories Let the representa-
tives of the people and of the States be left free
act that question: uncontrolled by Executive in
fuence and Executive veto, and we safe. / need
not, am confident, give to you any new assurance
that whenever the question, in any form, shall be
presented during my official term, the rights of hu
manity shall find in me an unyielding advocate.
The issue will is to be met in the halls
of Congress-.
Mr.. Ashmun is leading Whig and a violent 1'ay-
Tor man, and his influence is felt in all the free States
In addition to this, might quote (and we shall do
so, when we get more room)-the sentiments of the
Boston Atlas, of the New York Express of the New
York Commercial Advertiser, of the Hon. Andrew
Stewart and of scores of Whig presses and Wing
leaders in the free States, all fully sustaining the
position of Mr.. Ashmun.
Under these circumstances, why does not Gen.
Taylor speak out! Why this silence! Why do
not the Raleigh Wings write to him to know wheth-
er or not he is in favor of the Wilmot Proviso
Write to him, gentlemen, and we tell you in ad-
vance that you will get answer! You say he is
sound upon this vital question: but you bound at
the same time to admit that he has committed him
self against US! If sound, why does he refuse to
come out like man, and clear up the matter4 He
has reasons for his silence. Unlike Gen. Cass he
has no broad national platform to stand upon and he