The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-13
From Tie ctneinmsiti Enquirer.
4 Little Poop ints the Future.

District, has u letter IN the Journal of the 9th
instant which gives US an indication Of the
feelings of Southern Wings in regard to the
Presidency. and affords US a glimpse Of what will
BE- demanded in that quarter Of Presidential as
prants An open and unqualified support Of
what are called the " com sromise measures" is
to be the test questions other questions will be
merely secondary to that. 1t is very plain that
Gen. Scott is no favorte with the Southern
Whig politicians. Fillmore ranks much higher
Ia their affections than does the hero of Chip
pewa.
The following extract from Mr.. Marshals
letter explains his position, and we have no
doubt that Of the great body of Southern
Wings:
s'Is Ger. Scott in favor of maintaining or re-
pealing the Fugitive slave law Of the last Con-
gress! Who can express his opinion in reply
to this question? To satisfy me, his opinion
must be explicitly made known--not merely on
the Fugitive slave law, but on variety of other
topics. Nor will you deem this soicitude un-
reasonable, since we see the most active indi-
viduals in heralding Gen. SCOTS pretensions
were the most conspicuous opponents OF the
Fugitive slave act and other kindred measures.
have no political affinity to free-soism or
Free-soilers | regard it and them ms the most
mschievous elements ut present in our political
system; and, whether the doctrines of free
soilism be urged by Wings or Democrats am
free to declare, / will never consent to be party
to any organization of which they form dis
tinctive feature. have no ambition to rank
with any administration in which they are to
have or over which they can possibly gain con-
troll. And would prefer, as a Wing, to sur
render power tomorrow, rather than to aid in
the production of an administration in partner
ship with the Freesoilers or those who lend
them countenance. If Gen. Scott will publish
or declare his adhesion to the compromise acts
If he will write himself down by the side of
Willard Fillmore on those questions, and he
shall be the choice of my party will yield my
support to him, though he would not, even then,
be my choice.
~ Rave said that Kentucky will require an ex-
plcit avowal Of the opinions Of any candidate,
in the particulars | have suggested, before CIV
ing him her support, no matter how heraded,
or with whom associated. have said that, in
my orinion, when Kentucky ceases to look for
ward to the success Of her own distinguished
statesman, whose latest actions have been the
most respendent in public estimation, she will
prefer Willard Fillmore to Gen. Scott, or any
other leader of the present time He has per-
formed the most difficult task of patriotism.
He has breasted the prejudces of education
the fanaticism Of his own section-the enmity
of powerful men, from both extremes, who pro-
NOTED discord, and, by the force of his high ex-
ample, he has freely, unhesitatingly, and firmly
rescued his country from the ertremest peril, and
has continued thenceforward, to maintain the
constitutional rights of the slaveholding States
He has been abandoned by Northern Wings for
this very reason Kentucky would be untrue to
her own interests and untrue to the principle for
which she seeks distinction, were she to discard
him, who has never deviated from the faith she
Processes, but who stands to-day in the chief
Office of the nation, the model Of consistent,
conservative Wing statesman. The very reason
which Northern Free-soilers give for deserving
him will endear him to Kentucky yet more"
The Louisville Journal, in calling attention to
Mr. Marshalrs letter, says:
"We commend this letter to the consideration
of our felIow-citzens. We are sure that Col.
Marshall, in expressing his warm approval and
admiration of President Fillmore and his cab-
net, speaks the sentiments and feelings of the
whole Wing party of Kentucky. Mr. Fillmore
might not be the first choice of all the Wings of
the State for the next Presidency, but we think
there are none of them TO whom his election
would not be highly gratifying
Col Marshall has doubts as to the position
tIIdt Otu tcCotl oCCuplco VI DitcuuS w oeSuP1
upon the Fugitive slave law. Col M. is right in
saying that he will not support Gen. S. for the
Presidency unless the old hero shall declare
himself in favor of the maintenance of that law.
We have no reason to believe that Gen. Scott is
not perfectly sounu in respect to this matter, but
most assuredly he cannot, ,oiihom an erpl CT
opocal of his piews, obtain solitary electoral rote
in any siareholding STATE"
We place in italics the unqualified assertion,
that without an explicit avowal Of his views,
Gen. Scott "cannot obtain a solitary electoral
vote in any slavehodng State" The Southern
Wings are going to abandon the {" mum" policy
Of their party, and require their candidates to
"speak right out" We rejoice at that. II has
marIiness aboutit it. The Indiana STATE Journal,
a Scott paper, does not like the tone assumed
by the Southern Wing papers. 1t thus laments
this determination Of rs contemporaries in that
quarter.
"We regret to notice disposition on the part
Of some of the Southern papers to require of
Gen Scott, as condition precedent to their
support of him, (should he be nominated by a
Wing convention,) distinct pledge in relation
to questions arising out Of the existence Of sla-
very. These gentlemen ought to remember
that the Wings of the free States supported
Gen. Taylor without requiring any pledges from
him on that subject All the pledge given by
him was to faithfully enforce the laws enacted
by Congress. Gen. Scott will occupy the same
ground, and with that Southern Wings ought
to be satisfied"
But Southern Wings do not intend to be sat-
i.fied with any such thing. They intend to in
sist on something more positive and detini e.
They want and W Il have distinct pledge on
the subject Hear the st. Louis Republican,
(W.) II says:
No man can be Wing candidate for the
next res'dency, with any chance of success,
who is not openly a friend Of the compromise
measures of the last Congress, and who is not
pledged to adhere to them strictly aud honorably,
as a compact not to be broken or set aside for
any cause whatever. He must not give it a
mere formal support, but it must be warm, thor
ough, consistent, and patriotic. Unjust be such
a support as Clay and Webstar and Fillmore
ave. and even Cass and Foote---have given to it,
and stand bound in honor to give to II. This
compromise" settled so far as the slave States
are concerned, the question Of slavery; and no
attempt to destroy il, or to change its provis-