The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-18
let district-John Bra gig.

9th Williamson r. W. Cobb.
7th Alexander White.
"Of these gentlemen Messrs. Harris, Hubbard,
and Cobb were members of the last Congress The
others new members.
according to former political distinctions, the
members elect are all Democrats, except Mcssrs.
Abercrombie and White. The representation from
Alabama will therefore stand as it did in the last
Congress- to-
''As to the leading political issue of the present
day, it may be set down that Messrs. Bragg, Har-
ris, and Hubbard, (thrce) Southern Rights
men, while Messrs. Abercrombie, Smith, Cobb,
and White, (four) Union men. But this d
vision demands explanation. None of the mem
beers elect are disunionists advocates Of seces-
sion. The Southern Rights men only contend for
the abstract right of secession a supra
tiona remedy, but do not urge its exercise for ex
listing causes. In this they are not materially diff
ferent from the Union Representatives who all
claim to stand upon the Georgia platform, and are
pledged, in caac of any further aggressons, to
sis, 'even to disruption of every tie which binds
the State to the Union They therefore practically
differ from their Southern Rights colleagues only
as tweedcdum did from tweedledee.
sBut this further explanation is also necessary to
understand properly the political character of the
members elect. In the first and third districts
the election turned mainly upon the question of the
approval of the Compromise measures. None of
the candidates advocates ofsecession. Messrs.
Bragg and Harris were chosen because they were
opponents of the Compromise, whilst Messrs.
Ian don and Mudd, their antagonists, were its
advocates and justifers.
"In the second district the Southern Rights
candidate, MIR. Cochran, understood to hold
ultra secession views, and was defeated for that
reason. Had moro moderate and conservative
Southern Rights been run, it is probable he
would have been elected. The same may be said
as to the seventh district. Mr.. Rice advo-
cate of the doctrines of the Montgomery platform
indeed one of its chief framers-and so extreme in
his sentiments as to fnghten off hundreds of the
warmest friends of Southern Rights in the strong
Democratic district in which he run, and thus to
secure the election of Mr. White, the Federal
Wing Union Compromise candidate.
"In the other districts the issues to Southern
Rights have not been made as distinctly in South
Alabama The people have generally adhered to
their old party divisions. This has caused the cleo
ton of Judge Smith, who, coming out as an indie
pendent candidate, has probably (though the re-
suit is not certainly KNOWN received in addition
to the entire Wing vote, sufficient number of
Democrats TO defeat Colonel Erwin, who as
the State Rights Democratic nominee.
'In the sixth or Huntsville district no issue was
made as to the Compromise measures or the ques
ton of State action. Both the candidates were
Union men, both Democrats, and both in favor of
abiding by the Compromise
sMr Hubbard, from the sixth district, is, as we
have stated, warm Southern Rights man-bnt
not disunionist.
''In conclusion, we may remark that the words
Union mem and union party have a very differ
ent Specification in the interior from what they
have here in Mobile. With US they indicate the
friends and justi6ers of the Compromise mea-
surcs.' The Southern Rights party embraces all
the opponents of those measures. Had this CLASH
fisaton been observed in the other districts, and
the issue turned solely upon that point, we have
no doubt every district in the State would have
shown itself strongly in favor of southern rights
as the first"
*George S. Houston is since reported to be
elected in this district.