Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-10-09
Tue.day Morning, October .. ls49.
GEN. TAYLOR AND MASSACHUSETTS,
wHIGGERY

WHIGGERY.
The wb;ss Of Massachusetts, are The neal oe-
.cend.ns ri The old Hartford Convention feo-
eraliss-and in their ultra id''"u' oN'
Srines on slavery and other quesuoas, 'hsy p'o'u
themselves worthy OF their lineage. IL may wen
\. wondered how they can stand on the same
n,.,torm with Gen. Taylor, whose great coaihi
wo. thai he was "no.party" man, and VINO was
cried up by S ,uthern Wings, C'housh they al the
.,ms lime. voted for the Free-Soier, FILLMORE
Nc souDd and true on the Slavery question: a.
fully guaranteed by his 200 slaves TO MAKE d
Soulbern President. We have, therefore, peruseu
with no lille interest Inc proceedings oil the ia'e
Massachusetts Wing Convention, whicp fe'non'
mated Briggs and Reed Tor Governor apa Lieut.
Governor In their address, they elfboraeiy
examine the position of Gen. Taylor, this "Soutn-
crn President" and they concusive'y snow y
his own letters and by the acts OF The Regency
.nce his accession, hat he is "good enough Free
Soil tor their purposes" Southern Wings may
wis, the matter as they please-lhey may orlps
into play all their sophstry and Jesnllica r'chs'
10 prove that Zachary Washington means 10 oc
true 10 The South but they canno, make the least
impression on The compact and ImpfeSnaole ivy
LITIGATION OF argument, erected oy lne'f loving
brethren of the Bay State. We Gle few Passa-
pes from The Massachusetts Wing address, ana
challenge reply 10 its logical and conclusive
demonstration That Gen. Taylor is and will con-
tinue 10 be, most efficient practical ally IN The
cause OF Ffee-soil. The address proceeds 10 Ie-
- I'll y,,a "a On
lor will mol aid in The restriction or abolition OF
Slavery, and says:
"Let us examine this charge, so far as il af-
fects the President, and See if there exists
reason upon which il can be founded In the
FIRST place, General Taylor, prior to The election,
pledged himself TO bis countrymen as 10 the
course be should pursue if elected President,
and used the following significant and pointed
language, viz:-"Tnat the personal opinions OF
the individual who may happen to occupy the
Executive chair, ought not 10 control the action
of Congress upon questions of domestic policy,
nor ought his objection TO be interposed where
questions Of cons itutional power have been
settled by the various departments OF the go
vernment, and acquiesced in ny the people,
Now it is perfectly we'll known that Congress
has lesislated upon the question Of slavery evei
since the formation Of the government, aud
that several acts prohibitory thereof, and
restricting its limits, have been adopted and
acquiesced in by the variou, departments Of the
government and by the people; and Genera!
TAILOR mast be understood 10 say, thai he nW
spprore and sign rha'ep r iawi Congress may pass
upon tie SUBJECT Of slavery. And h. further de
clares, that he holds to The Wing doctrine, o!
not "forcng Congress by the coercion of the
veto, 10 pass laws TO suit him, or 10 pass none
Il is manifest, therefore, that the action of Con-
gress upon this subject is left entirely free, with
q pledge in Advance from the President that he
piA coinciie 18th, and approre tier acton -
To say 10 the face of these declarations that the
President will, in any manner, impede the legis-
ation Of Congress upon the subject of slavery,
is to charge him with attempting TO impose false
hood upon his countrymen. To this charge, II
directly made, we may say that Gen. Taylor has
given evidence Of his possessing sense OF
honor and duty too strong for corruption itself
ever 10 pretend that such base allegation Is
entitled to the slightest credit.
"But Gen. Taylor's views on The subject OF
slavery extension are no, be inferred from his
previous declarations alone. Fer during the past
summer, upoH Information thai an expedition
was flung out fom the Uuiled States, with The
design OF making descent upon Cuba or the
northern provinces OF Mexico. in view oil their
ultimate annexation 10 this country. as slave Ter.
riiory The President has ordered ine vessel and
munitions OF war, procured Tor the enterprise,
10 be seized; and in proclamation, breathing the
principles OF morality and peace, has warned
the nation that any a,lempt 10 carry out the cb-
ject OF The proposed expedition, will draw upon
the persons engaged therein, the seveiest penal
ties OF The Law. II Gen. Taylor had been viii
ling TO increase The slave territory OF the United
States, or had been in any degree negligent Of
his duty 10 preserve the peace OF The nation,
little incredibly al this juncuIe would in all
probability have drawn us into war, Similar
10 that watch grew out OF III. annexation vi lex
as. IL any doubt existed Of the sincerity oil his
previous declarations upon the subject OF slavery,
II must have been removed by The general tenor
OF his conduct since he has occupied the execu-
live chair-in the appointment o! fire OF the
seven members composing his cabinet, Who are
wholly unacQuainted with slavery, ur any inter-
est iheTein-and 10 The piomptude with which
he has suppressed the first attempt 10 extend IFS
area. Upon this evidence there can exist no
reason why every friend OF human freedom
should not give TO Gen. Taylors administration
hearty support"
The address next shows That the Wing party
have always been faithful TO the cause OF anti
slavery. They have always branded as uncon-
s,itu,ional ard unjust" The refusal OF Congress 10
receive aud consider abolition petitions, while
this refusal was $50 long counienanccd and up
held by Northern as we'll as Southern Democracy
sand every question touching the annexal ioB
of Texas found the Wings a!rayei aga inst the
extension OF human slavery. On The faal vote
in Congress, every D.mocratc vote in boln
Houses (save two) vas cast in lavor of The ne
tarions scheme OF annexation; while every Wing
representative save ono, and every Wing Scna>
tor save t,OO, (who were afterwards spurned by
the Wing party in their S,ates1 voted againslit."
10 word, says the sd iresS, the conduct oil
the Wing party has always been marked by an
uniform and consistent opposition to The exten-
sion OF slavery" and "the doctrine proiessed by
The Free Soil party in lS4s. upon The question oil
slavery, was merely coincident with That aloaps
practissd by the Whigs."
Such is the party which now hugs TO lis DO.
som Gen. Taylor and his an,islavcry cabilet
for his virtual affilialion with them and his re.
cogniion OF their mischievous DOCTRINES and
practices" The elections in every Southern
Stale this year show that the people truly appre-
ciate the condition 1T afairs-and we Go not cite,
this new evidence, 10 open The eyes Of the SouIh
but 10 satisfy them that, in voting down The Re.
gency, they have acted wisely and well. The
proof of treachery to The South is piled mountain
high on The Taylor administration, and MISS
sppi and Louisiana will cap the pyramii OF po-
pular Reproduction.
CONSCIOUS FEAR.
Some lime since we published suggestion
from the New York Commercial Advertiser, thai
the editors of the Union, for their free DISCUSSION
OF The acts OF the President and Cabinet, should
be made to "suffer in their persons and pocket';'
in other words, for daring to exercise the freedom
of the press, should be fined and imprisoned
This infamous proposition has been properly
frowned upon by few Of the Wing presscs-but
j has been folly endorsed by The following article