The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-10

TO declare his sentiments, and my rule has been,
that whoever IL voter has a right to my
opinions, and he can get them whenever il suits
his convenience. This Is what understand to
be the true principle of representative govern
msnt, and would ecorn to represent men upon
this floor, or in the highest Office IN the world
by conceament of my opinions upon questions
of public policy.
| did not intend to support General. Scott in
any event. think him unfit for the Office under
any circumstances, and dangerous to the country
in the highest degree, in his present position. |
| am now offering additional rea 'ons, furnished
| by himself, why he should not be elected to the
Office which he seeks. The reluctant members
of the convention are told, " You went to Balti-
more and you are bound by the action of the
convention" But | wish to show them that this 10
moi sound principle party action, and that you
have the right to demand Of your candidates to
stand up to general rules of honor and good
faith Whenever parties declare their prnci
pies, they have a right to have a candidate to
carry them out. They have right TO know
whether the candidate approves of those prnci-
Piles or not. II he says he will not, then nobody
is bound by the nomination. ThOse are my
op,niocs of party nominations
General Scott has not done IT, lie has not
declared his appreciation of these principles in
any part of this letter. but on the contrary he
has declared that principles shall make no diff
| ference, when it comes to the important bust.
ness of becoming the almoner Of fifty millions
of dollars Of The public money.
1t was very easy for him to say whether or
not he agreed with those principles, and ap-
proved Of them, as Pierce and King and Graham
have DONE He is painfully obscure where it
was his duty to be plain, but sufficiently certain
| H. - Jck boo
dent. His additions to the platform are certainly
not 10 my taste. He has put two additional
planks to it. Laughter. That is little
singular, as his friends seemed 80 much opposed
to this kind Of political structure. General
Scott is for enlarging and making the platform
broad enough, not only for you and me, and this
country, but also to cover his own past errors,
and get himself out of his past commttals. II
became necessary to him to re-write part of
his own political history. He had certain com.
initials to the tenets of an exploded party. His
former opinions of our naturalization laws we're
not agreeable to large class of our countrymen.
lie therefore proposes to alter them. He pro-
poses to give "to all foreigners the right Of
citizenship, who shall faithfully serve, in time
of war, one year on board of our public ships,
or in our land forces, regular or volunteer, on
their receiving an honorable discharge"
am opposed to that position, and think he
will find the great body of the people are OPP
posed to it. do not think he cares much about
it, and probably if he had not been trammeled
by past errors, we might probably never have
had the suggestion. This new mode of max
ing citizens is liable to many and grave objec,
tons.
There is great question lying under it, and
wish had time to consider it in all it's bearings
before this House, and before the American PEG
pe The policy of this government from its
beginning. has been, that the flag of this re.
public shall be upheld and defended by American
citizens, those who are citizens either by birth
naturalization, and none Others; and hope never
to see the day when it will become necessary
for this mighty nation to have that fl ,g defend.
ed by ANYBODY else. When you need mercena-
ries owing you no allegiance to fight your bat
ties, you will be ready for a master, and you
will soon find one. When you are not willing
to defend yourselves, either from internal COM
motions or foreign aggressions-when you trust
that fl to other hands than those OF citizens,
either native born or fully adopted, you betray
the cause Of liberty and your country. want
the flag of my country to be defended only by
those who are entitled to demand and receive her
protection. They are able to do it, they are
willing to do il, and l trust they ever will be
both able and willing. Let those who come
among u, assume the obligations of citizenship
voluntarily to the Constitution and law; then
they have an interest in that flag, and have the
right to join in it's defence. 1t is bad plan, if
it agreed with the Constitution of your country,
which il matter of more than doubt.
have but few moments more, and shall
not be able to review all of this letter Of Gene
raj Scott.
He has another plank in relation to the pub
lie lands. Well, this is a vexed question. 1t is
question should have been gratified to have
seen any great statesman attempt to solve-to
present me a system which would solve it wise.
" and we'll But General Scott has not done
80. He has not undertaken to grapple with it.
He wants it solved, 80 as to benefit actual set
tiers, and irjure nobody upon the face of the
earth That is safe, but it is not finite. do
not know whether | agree with him or not.
cannot tell, until he shall have submitted some
plan for effscting his object
There is another clause in General Scots
letter especially offensive to my own and the
declared o., inions Of the great body of the peo-
pie of Georgia. He says: IL should neither
countenance or tolerate any sedition, disorder,
faction, or resistance to the law or the Union, on
any pretext, in any part of the land" The
State Of Georgia has solemnly declared that she
holds the Union secondary in Importance ITO
the rights and principles it was designed to
perpetuate," and has pointed out certain princi.
pies settled by the compromise, for the reversal
Of which she "will and ought resist, even Gas
a last rcsorD to disruption of the Union"
Mr. Clay and Mr.. Webster both affirm her right
in one of those contingencies to resort to those
extreme measures. General Scott does not
seem to be able to discriminate between lGwless
mob., Christiana murderers, and the action o
the sovereign States of this Union. He seems
not to have studied to advantage the republican
fathers. These opinions of General Scott make
it still more important to know what he thinks
Of these great principles settled by the compro
mise, and whether he will abide by and maintain
them. We can get neither the one nor the
other from him. He tells us, finally, for my
strict adherence to the principles of the Wing
party, g., can offer no other pledge or guaran
tee than the known Incidents of long life now
undergoing the severest examination" Laugh
ter. That life has been long and brilliant