Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1848-09-25
Gen, Cass Cornered.

A correspondence mas come 10 IiSht through te
columns of the Savannah Republican, between
Gen. Cass and Mr.. r. J. Moses, of Florida. a del
egate to the Baltimore Convention. This cores
p%ondence occurred previous TO the meeting Of that
Convention. Mr.. Moses, like any other man Of
good sense, knew that the Nicholson letter was an
artfnl production-that while by that means Gen.
Cass endeavored to clear himself of the Wilmot>
proviso principles that he had expressed, he had at
the same time so ingenionsly worded the letter, that
in the event Of his election, and his consequent ap-
proval of Abolition topics and laws, he could repel
any charge of deception from the South, by taking
mp that very letter and proving from it (s tru'hful-
ly as a minister could from the bible that a God ex-
ists) that his opinions upon slavery, his hatred to it.
were there manifestly expressed. Ifthere is aloathe-
some creature on this earth, and one who deserves
the dissertation of all good men, it is that man who
perverts the mighty intellect which God has enrich
ed him, by employing it in the fnr'heraEce of base
and deceptious purposes: such a man, beyond all
contradiction, is Lewis Cass. Reflect, Lonisiani-
ans, and do not bend at the shrine of his intellectual
powers, and be the dupes of his chicanery!
If Gen. Cass had not attempted by the Nichol-
son letter lin his peculiar ray TO place himself in
a favorable attitude before the South on the ques-
ton Of Slavery, then he might with a great deal of
p%ropriety. in his position as a candidate for the Pre-
sidenriaI nomination, decline TO answer any In
terrogalories upon that subject; but after he had
expressed himself in writing upon this matter, and
a Southener, a delegate, addresses him a letter, re-
guessing his explicit meaning of certain ambiguous
Observation-Disclosures that were rather dark for
Southern eyes-he should, like an honest man and
a gentlemen, have given a plain, direct and positive
answer. He was thus addessed by Mr.. Moses; and
his reply-such a reply!-in which he enc'oses, as
sufficient explanation, the VERY LETTER about which
in some passages Mr.. Nj. wished to be more en-
lightened-is a direct insult to that gentleman and
to the whole South!
Here is the correspondence:
Coleman's Hotel,
WASHINGTON, May 10, lS48.
Hon. Le,cis Cass:
Dear Sir-As your name will, in all probability,
be prominently Before the Baltimore Convention,
to be holden on Monday next, for the purpose of
nominating a candidate for President of the United
States, and as | shall have to cast the vote of the
State of Florida, in conjunction with my COL
leagues, should they arrive, Cor alone. in any other
contingency it is desirable that the Delegation
should be informed of your views upon the right of
shareholders TO migrate to new territory with their
slaves, that we may know how far they accord with
the instructions under which we are directed to
act. will, therefore, respectfully inquire
1st. Whether you still adhere to the positions
taken in your letter TO A. 0. P. Nicholson. Esq, of
December last?
I'd. II ESQ, am I c~orrectin constructing it 10 mean
that, You consider that the inhabitants of a territory,
before they form a State Government, have a right
TO establish or prohibit slavery. as they may deem
most consistent with their local poEcv7
Sd. And that, the policy so expressed is the
paramount law during the territorial probation,
changeable only by the people of the territory upon
the formation of a State Government, or under
such Legislative sanction as they may direct?
There is another matter. but slightly alluded to in
yonr Nicholson letter, 10 which | will also direct
your attention
DO you consider that the shareholders wnnsd
have the undeniable right to migrate, with their
slaves, to any Mexican territory that may be annex
ed to the United States-or would you regard 1T
doubtful matter, in consequence of the Institution
of slavery not having been recognized in said
territory by the Mexican authorities Immediately
preceding the acquisition ofsuch territory, (%suppos-
ing it should be acquiredl)
Your reply will enable the delegation to deter
mine whether, under certain circumstances, they
can, consistently with their instructions, Castillo vote
of Florida in your behalf as a candidate for the Pre-.
sidency. Yours, respectfully.
R. J.. MOSES,
Delegate from the State at large.