The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-07-27
neGni,,r nis TInsi1ioIl.

There appears to be general desire
all over the country, among our great mem
to define their position. Among the rest,
a letter has been called out of Gen. CAss,
by some remarks of Col. WEBB, of the
New York Courie1and EnQuirey, in rela-
tion to the Generals views upon various
subjects discussed during the last Presi.
DENTAL canvass. The view taken by
Col Webb ofihese opinions was SO diff.
ferent from the general understanding,
that Gen. CAss has thought proper to
"defne his position" The following is
an extract of the letter.
"In the course OF conversation between Col
Webb and myself. referred to the last Presiden-
tiul contest, and To the palpable injustice which
hal been done me by the Wing press aud politi.
ciano In holding up my letter to the Chicago Con
vention us an evidence OF my hostility To all i'm.
lprovements, however general mud necessary by
congrees. and to my letter to Mr. Nicholson as
an evidence OF my desire that slavery shonld be
esthlishsd in the territories eeded by Mexico To
the Uuited States called these efforts the
hum5pgs of the day. 40 they were, and must now
be confessed 10 have been by every candid mnn.
In neither OF these letters is there tn be found
one syllable favorable to the construction thus
put upon them The letter to the Chicago Cou
ventinn mikes not The most distant allusun to the
question ofinlerna improvements. A person may
6e the greatest latitudinariau the srictest con
uuctionist. aud yet Lave written that letter will
perfect consirtancy simply because all it does il
~ decline being present OH that 0coasion. The
letter to Mr. Nicholson examines and denies The
power of Congress tn pass the Willnot Proyso
; aud endeavOrs 10 show that that measure would
be nexpedient and unnecessary even II il were
! constitutional. This ia It's extent. There is no
} in it from beginning 10 end, one word going Il
. show my opinion was that slavery would be es
5 tablishel there. All this will surprise many gnot
men who yet retain the impressions they received
during period oi excitement, aud which the,
gained from the press. too often pursuing its OBJ
jeCt without regard Ia the higher considerations o
Justice. Let him WHO doubts what say ou tht
subject Of these letters, turn to them aud read io
! himself To the law and to the testimony"
The remainder Of the letter is occu
pied with the discussion of the uncon
} stutionality of the Wilmot Proviso.
Tho complaint here made by Gen. Cas-
was tho very cause of controversy. i
was his refusal to give his opinions upor
, this subject Of River and Harbor I'm
provements and his failure to state hi
Y views uponSlavery, that were complaine,
D of. The Baltimore Platform, like III,
n Generals letter to the Chicago Conveu
i ton, was non.commiltal and the two to
h gether produced state of "crcumstan
9 ces" that prevented" the people fron
j giving him their suffrage. 1t is to b
IS hoped that the General has, at length
. learneda good lesson aud that, hereafter
II he will not triAe with the request of h
o fellow citizens when his opinions are aske
npon important questions. At leas
le there is ground for this hope. as he has
=. in tho above extract, confessed his dt
I'd pliciEy in not making known his "pir
il ions. Confession generally brings rt
'r pentance.