The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-11-09
From the South Side (Va.) Democrat.
Gum nlers and johnson

From the South Side lva) Democrat.
Summers and johnson
1t is amusing TO contemplate The course which the
whig party have pursued in reference TO their abolition
list candidate George w. Summers. AT first they were
nigh exploding with indigration as his abolition exer
lions IN 1882 gradually unfoded 10 The public gaze.
With the greatest vehemencc they repeiied The "unjust
accusaon'-tbe Islander" But when they discovered
that Summers did certainly utter the language attributed
him. they pretended that he had long ago reaounced
the faith of his 'youthiha the scheme of abolition,
which he advocated with much zeal and energy, was
"by gone Transaction and that his opinions now
as safe and sound any mans What the eyl.
dences OF his repentance and converson When did
he make his recanalion' These questions staggered
wing politicians. The record bore no testimony the
eyideoce of Summers conversion But the thing must
be cleared up-they must wipe out the charge or
dfop their candidate. But one resource was left 10
them. Being unable themselves to acquit the
cused, they besought him 10 undertake his own de-
fence Baiied in their endeavor to discover recania
ton u his higher law faith they enlreaied their candi
81 their candidate conscience is The chief staple OF abo-
uonistsl was not quite go plant and supple us heytx
peeled. Tie could give up something, but not all lie
was willing to disayos the opinion he once maintained
tina, the Stale could eonhscae slave property at It's
good pleasure. bal ~ de5sra eonpietion his nindihe
long s.clrd ylss hsartss duties ,rhieh he opsd his
O,se tnee aHs hs eounty-lhese be could never
surende-. not 10 The most imperative political ne
cessi,y. Thus SuBmerss Iecaniaon did not satisfy the
the assurance the whig candidate hal regard
for the constitution they want 10 know whether, 10 his
hear, ne is the friend or foe OF slavery Upon this ma
teria point he refuses 10 be caiecbsed he declines
re.ractng his denunciaons of slavery. Now his
adheTenls mns have recourse 10 some o,her~expe-
dent Unable 10 defend their own candidate, they
resolve TO assall the champion OF the democracy
For this purpose they set TO work ransskng the records
OF The past and hye like digging up the pulrd skee
tons OF long buried caumnies. Against the personal
honor Of Jose phi Johnson the slanderer
accusation HIS public life must be scrutnzed with mi
croseopic malisnty, and some political sin mus, be pa
raded before the people Where - the public man who
in fhcia has led
OF Judgments For thirty years Joseph John
son was public funclonary. During that long period
lie and IL is the highest tribute 10 his patriot
ism and his soundness OF judgment that parry ingenuity
has been bsfed IN the attempt to assn upon him single
charge OF inhdey TO the interests OF his constituents or
dsloy atty 10 the honor Of Virginia and the constitutions OF
his country Where is the politician whose public career
has been 80 pure so wse so patriotic as Joseph John
point should be discovered, and that accusation
should be made the attempt must be made 10 divert
public Indignation from the head of George w. Sum.
mers, teemng with abolition schemes, and, if possible
10 discharge il upon that gallant, noble, hearted
patriot, Joseph Johnson Hence the accusation which
paraded with such pomp OF print, such marks OF
aslonishmeni such signs OF horror federal journals
Joseph Johnson advocate Of The Wumoi pror,o Thus
do they announce the killing charge; AMI we echo the
disgust they affect but its object the guilty defamer and
not the innocent accused What says the record in ref
erence 10 this accusation against Joseph Johnson Look,
reader at the Congressional Globe for the frs, and
ond sessions of the goth Congress- and YOU uiH that
Joseph JOHNSON opposed the application Of the Wiimo props
,oi unoapering hostility When the proviso fret pro-
posed by David WIlmot, OF Pennsy vana, connexion
with the three million bill, Joseph Johnson promptly
took his stand upon the true southern ground, oppos
to the earous scheme OF northern anaicsm, and he
firmly maintained his position. In one instance did he
role for The Wumot propso; but find III,
corded against u, whenever the House brought 10
division. Yet wing papers denounce hun ad
vocae OF The Wlmot proviso. But. say they. Colonel
Johnson voted for the Oregon bill, and thus indi-
reilly sanctioned the application OF the Wilmot provso
What were the facts OF the case Slavery was already
excluded from the Territory of Oregon by the Missouri
Compromise Wilmot, nevertheless, proposed 10 attach
his ptovIso 10 the Oregon bill Colonel Johnson rotsd
against this and. BY sustaining Burrs amendment de-
cared that he would agree to the passage Of The bill only
because the Missouri Compromise embraced tie Territory
OF Oregon within lis operation In the most emphatic
mannerby his conducthe protested against the applI-
cation of the Wlmo provso and he finally consented to
the exclusion of slavery from Oregon only in Difference
to that great adjustment, the Missouri Compromise 1t
was upon tbs principle That the amened Polk sanctioned
The Oregon bill The territory from which slavery was
excluded lay north OF 80 deg. 80 min. and therefore
he consented 10 lis admission free SOIL al the same
time protesting that he would sanction the exclu'
sion OF slavery IRON territory south oil the compromise
line And upon the same principle did some of the most
exiieme southern men-meD whom wing papers de-
noance as daanionists-voie with Colonel Johnson and
&C, with James X Polk. Houson OF Alabama, Black OF
South Carolina, Brown OF Virginia, Daniel of North
eaona, and Jacob Thompson of Mississippi. all
voted Tor the final passage of the Oregon bill Does any
oooy suspect them OF dsoyay TO the Sonihl Yet they
are not one whit iuer the interests Of the South than
,oseph Johnson But who are they that iaunt Colonel
yonnson with the advocacy OF the Wi!mot provso
VINO are thty that represent his concurrence the pas
ssse o. me Oregon bill az deseron OF the South
Men who, not three weeks ago. labored to elect John
Minor Bolts to the Congress of the United States After
his repeated declarations that the Wmot provso was
CONSTITUTIONAL measuIejournas which applaud and sup
port Robert C. Winthrop, who is in fact the father Of
the misnaned Wmo proviso--a party whose acknowI.
edged leader ia Henry Clay, who protested with The nj
most energy and soemiiy that he would never consent
10 the Introduction OF slavery into territory in " bich i,
did not already exist Are wing politicians nsensibl.
to shame Do they perceive inconsistency, no eeli
qualification. denounehg in othea what they do them
selvesi Yc hypocritesS cribes and Pharisees-pluck
the beam from your own eyes.
Thus,tis The wing party Of Virginia, failing &C.
quit George w Summers Of the Just, true, and perfectly
established charge Of abolition have undertaken TO ose,