The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-01

the great battle which you are fighting involves
all that is glorious or immortal of the present
and the past-all that is dear and hopeful OF
the future. 1t is the battle of the preservation
of the Union and the Constitution-the per-
petuity of our republican institutions. | trust
in God that you may be successful IN your
patriotic undertaking for most heartily dP--
prOUe of all the measures Of your bill, and w'H
! giue 10 them cordial and energetic support,
He also addressed similar letter it is said,
to Mr.. Webster, after reading his great speech.
! According to the writer, General Scott also
/ remarked to him:
/ Did not during their discussion in Con-
gress personally exert my influence for their
passage through both Houses? Besides, there
! is extant the most incontestable proof, that had
it not been for my humble aid and influence,
the Compromise measures could not by vote
of from five or ten have passed the House of
Representatives"
Even the Washington Union, anxious as it
is to throw doubt on the position of General
Scott, does not question the credbity of this
statement; and the Neto York Tribune admits
that it has no reason to doubt that he was an
early, efficient. and most jealous supporter of
the Compromise In late editorial favOring
the nomination of the General, it holds the
following language
" For, he it ever considered, we are not asking
you to support Higher Law candidate-an
opponent Of the Compromise Your organs
are never weary of asserting that Gen Scott
was an early, efficient and most Jealous sup
porter of the Compromise, which we have no
regs)r-riSA TO deny"
Win these indirect concessions to the South
satisfy its requirements Not at all The
National Convention will select either Fillmore
or Webster or, if constrained to take Scott
saddle him with the Compromise and Fugitive
Law
Suppose our prediction prove false-suppose
Scott be nominated, without a platform, and
that he should rcsolutely refuse to embarrass
himself with any pledges; the Democratic can
ddate on the contrary, being pledged openly,
by his charuc,er ms declarations and the action
OF the Democratic Convention to the Compromise
and Fugitive Law--what would be the results
The loss of the Southern Wing vote, either by
a junction with the Democratic, or by its being
cast for another candidate The concentration
upon Scott Of the entire Wing vote of the
North, making discount in some of our large
cities for few Disconnected Hunkers The |
support of all those Anti-Slavery voters, of
Wing afinities, who have for years past been
accustomed to act with their party, only !
when it involved no conflict with their princi-
Piles on the Slavery question. Such men as Mr. |
Campbell of Ohio Messrs Mann and Fowler
of Massachusetts and others of similar views |
would probably enlist actively under such
standard-bearer. Anti-Slavery Democrats &C
customed to independent political action, might
call another Convention and nominate can
didate of their own, who would draw his sup
port from the Democratic ranks If thew did |
not do this some would vote for Scott, some, for
the Free Soil candidate should one be in the
field, some, stay at home. The Free Soil party
would find it exceedingly difficult amidst such
distracting events, to make Roadway with an
Independent nomination. The Democratic par
ty might be defeated, and Scott be elected by
the electoral vote of the North
But suppose. as no intelligent observer it
seems to us, can doubt, that the nominee of
the Wing National Convention be Mr.. Fill
more, or MIR. Webster, or General Scott, on the
platform of the Compromise and the Fugitive
Law, what then may we expect The Wings
of the South would remain united, and increase
their vote. The Wings of the North as Party,
would sustain the nomination OF this there
can be no doubt. Where is there a leading
Wing journal or politician ut the North, who
hints ut resistance to such u nomination.
should it be madel The Wing State Conven-
tons in the free States have abstaned from any
expression Of hostility to the Compromise and
have announced their determination to support
the nominees of the National Convention. who
ever they might be- In Congress, Southern
Wings have insisted upon the disqualification
for the Presidency of any man not committed
to the Compromise, and no Northern Wing has
rebuked such prescription. A regular caucus
of the Wing members of the House as pre-
liminary to the business of organization, adopt.
ed the Compromise and Fugitive Law, as part
of the basis of party action, and only two or
three Wing members seeded while not one
in either branch of Congress has since then en-
tered formal protest against the proceedings,
if we may except Messrs Campbell and Fow-
Ter. Mr.. Seward a man looked up to by the
anti-slavery Wings of New York, has been ST.
lent the whole of this session, intimating no in
tention to resist the incorporation of the pro-
slavery test in the party creed. That he
will oppose it, we have no doubt but that
he will hazard the union of the party on
the point of extreme opposition, nobody who
understands the theory of political action
as held by Mr. Seward believes There is not
the slightest ground for supposing that he will
not abide by the action and nominations of the |
National Wing Convention, whatever they may
be-
Then take the New York Tribune, the or
gan prominently of the anti-slavery portion of
the Wing Party it has frankly avowed its
purpose to support either Mr.. Fillmore or Mr..
Webster, should either be the choice of the
Convention. Nay, more than this-the editor,
in his paper of March Goth, goes into an argu-
ment to show that "New York il not opposed
to Mr. Fillmore because of his approval of the
Compromise measures" He says:
If that were the difficulty, it would be far
from formidable. There are very many of our
citizens who do not approve those measures
and who especially regard the Fugitive Slave
Law as a wanton, useless, calling outrage on
the Free spirit and humane instincts of the
North. Yet the great mass of those who thus
regard that law are also aware that the Consti-
tuition arms the slave-hunter with certain pow
ers-that the whole subject is beset with
diihculties-and they have never attempted to
make acauescence i'm or hostility To the Fugitive