The North-Carolina standard., 1850-07-06
To the People Of North Carolina.

didate for Governor, at the ensuing eeCuon ~ NY
apology for this address. As do not claim the sup
mort Of any man, against his honest convictions OF
duty to his county, shall address myself to the
reason and understanding Of the people, and cheer
fully abide their decision.
Believing that the great measures Of public policy
advocated by the Democratic party were calculated
to promote the prosperity and welfare of the coun-
t.y have given to those measures my cordial sup
port If asked what these measures are, may point
to our statutes aud the history of the country for an
answer. may point to the overthrow of a corrupt
National Bank, and the establishment of the Consti-
tutional Treasury; to the repeal of ruinous Tariff
system, and the enactment of the more liberal policy
embraced in the act Of 1876; and to the acquisition
of large valuable, and fertile Territories destined to
add wealth and strength to this great country;
These, and other measures, may point to- as proud
monuments of the PATRIOTISM, the purity, and WIS
dom of Democratic policy. Although Democrat. l
owe no allegiance party farther than the policy OF
such party calculated to promote the good OF the
country. .
= The adjustment of the slavery question is sub
and more especially to the South, with whose fate
our interests and destiny are nseparahly intertwned
Long before my entrance into public liie the aglta-
ton of this subject led to what is famiIiary known
as the s. Missouri Compromise" Although be-
leved that, in entering into that Compromise, the
South had for the sake of peace and harmony, con-
iceded too much to the North yet when 1 came into
public life disposed to carry out that Compro-
mise in good faith. We had a right to expect and
to demand of the North that she would, on her part
been sadly disappointed. very large portion of
the people of the North seek to violate it, by de-
mands incompatible with the interests. the safety,
and the honor Of the Southern States. The Terrific
~ of the United States acquired by the common
blood and common treasure of all the States; and to
appropriate it to the of some of the States, to
the exclusion Of Others would be violation of eve
ry principle of justice and equality. Moreover,
vast amount of slave property is every year escaping
into the Northern States and most OF those States,
the Constitution. actually interpose legislation to
prevent the recapture of fugitive slaves. In this way
the South has lost millions. This grievance de-
mands redress. The slavery question is of vital
importance to Us. To the North it is a mere ab-
stract political question. TO US. it is not only
Of private property, but the pepetuity Of the Union,
,v Of ourselves and families /11e crisis demand.
that tie South should take firm stand in defence Of
her rights. l have always been Union man. l
yield to no man in devotion to this glorious Union,
and Idesre it preserved and perpetuated all
time. After the enjoyment of civil and religious lib
erty, there is no object more desirable me thar
the preservation of the Union. But the best and
surest means, in my humble opinion, to preserve and
perpetuae the Union, is for the South to take firm
and decided stand in favor of her rights, against the
encroachments Of the North.
did not approve of the movement in favor of
calling the Nashville Convention, yet personal ac-
quaintance with large number Of gentlemen, both
Democrats and Wings, who were in favor of that
Convention, enables me to repe the charge that they
were in favor of treason disunion. They gen.
tlemen Of elevated patriotism, and ardenty attach
ed to the Union.
hope that wise and salutary counsels may pre-
vail. and that this distracting question may at once
be settled upon principles of justice to the South.
While member of Congress l endeavored to ad.
here to the principles of the Missouri Compromise
and when bill was before that body to establish
Territorial Government for Oregon, containing a
clause inhibiting slavery, in that Ierritory-being
ton against extending the protection of laws
to that distant people, voted for the bi together
with many Southern gentlemen. Some partzan Wing |
newspapers have seized this pretext, and charged
me with having voted for the Wimot Proviso. This
charge is untrue, for am, and ever have been op-
posed to that Proviso, and have voted for
any time in any way. The restriction in the Ore
gon bill applied to that Territory alone, all of which
lies north of the Missouri Compromise line, whereas
the Wilmot Provso proposes to inhibt slavery both
North and South of that line. voted for the Reso-
lations annexing Texas. which contained Proviso
excluding slavery in all that part of Texas North of
the same line. These Resolutions were voted for !
by all the Democrats from the South, yet in doing SO
we did not vote for the Wmot Proviso. While on !
this subject, it occurs to that if these Whg paI-
the opinions of their candidates. and less in mis-
representing the opinions of Democratic candidates.
it would be better for the country. Two years ago
cautioned them against voting for Gen. Taylor, with
out public declaration of his opinions. They would
not take my advice but turned round and denounced |
Gen. Cass as +" Wilmot Proviso Aboli,onist,'' and
that too in the face of the fact that he had publicly
declared his opinion to the contrary. Gen. TAYLOR
was honored with the vote of North Carolina, and
Gen. Cass was defeated. Since then, sUho has done
most for tie South, Gen. Cass or Gen. Taylor! Gen.
Cass although instructed by the Legislature of his
State to vote for the Wilmot Proviso boldly and elo-
,uently appealed to the North to do US Justice and
openly proclaimed that before he would vote to carry
,ut the instructions to Perperate this injustice upon
Ihe Sorth, he would resign his seat in the Senate.
for the same Legislature assembled, and in spirit
Of liberaty highly creditabe to themselves and still
more complimentary to him, repealed those nstruc-
lions. This is the same Gen. Cass who was charg-
ed in the late canvass with being Wilmot Proviso
Abolltionist. How stands the case with Gen. Tav-
or! Itaords no pleasure to state that his course
has not done justice to the South. You looked in
rain to his Annual Message to Congress for any ap-
peal to the North to v. up your fugitive slaves or
10 do You justice in relation to the question of slave
'le non-action policy, which is, in the end to accom-
Plish the very object of the Wilmot Proviso.
This plan has become the scheme of the Abolition
lists at the North Gen. Taylor's policy has already
been denounced by the veteran statesman, Henry :
Clay, to whose eloquence many of you have delight
ed to listen and around whose standard many of You
have delighted to rally. Yetinthe face of these facts
my competitor, Governor Manly, in Speech deliv-
cred before the Wing Convention accepting the NOM
nation, in speaking Of the policy of Gen. Taylor said
The Wing party Of North Carolina, by maiori- !
Of 5000 votes, contributed to bring him into power
Ind we will be the last desert the standard of the
brave old soldier.'' ,
And again in the same Speech he says: II
The Wing party may well congratulate them :
lvea2 and fhaN hos: |