The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-14
IMPORTANT FROM NORTH CAROLINA.
The Hon. 7. I. Clingman Out in Favor Of the
Election Of Gen. Pierce to the Presidency,
&c. &c. 30
RALBrGH. Oct. &. 1859.

RALEIGH, Oct. 8, 1852
DEAR SR-In compliance with your request, I
proceed briefly to state in writing, the substance Of
my conversation with you in relation to the APP
proaching Presidential election. do this the moro
readily not only because have no political opinions
that wish to conceal, but because as one OF my i'm
mediate constituents you entitled to have them
in form capable Of preservation for future refe-
romeo.
universally stated, in conversation with my col
leagues other members of Congress- and in fact, all
who felt an interest in knowing my views, that
did not intend to support Gen. Scott In reply also
TO such letters received, asking for my opinion,
repeatedly wrote to the same effect, to gcHtlemen
of both political parties who were residents Of my
DISTRICT and also to some from other portions of tho
State. Several Of these letters were written soon
after Gen. Scotts nomination, to gentlemen Of both
parties canvassDg for seats in the Legislature. l
mention this, least it should be charged Dha. hest
tated to commit myself in writing, &nce /. was
easy for any one Of those gentiemen-thero being
no Injunction of secresy theni-to have furnished
evidence Of my position did not think it expo
dent to make publication the subject partly
because it was said by tho papers friendly to Gen.
Scott that members Of Congress ought not to at
tempt to dictate to tho people. and in part, also,
because preferred giving my views to my oons.tu-
ents face to face. in full and free manner, my
return 10 nay district.
between Gen. Taylor and Gen Scott, and that the
former had refused to take any position with re-
ference to the great pending questions Of the day,
and not being disposed to adopt him on trust, and
blindly support him, !, after long waiting for ie
velopement Of Gen Taylor's views, determined TO
advocate the nomina alton of Gen Scott, rather than
his. Since then have had reason to regret that
course. As apprehendcd and predicted, as soon
as the policy OF Gen. Taylor's administration was
developed with reference to the groat slavery ques
tons then pending, /, in oonjunot elton with . msjo-
rity Of the Southern wing members OF Congress,
thrown into opposition to it. Though such was the
IF fnra ha hafrr Gan
Taylor's death, yet the public not generally
aware of it, Ais sudden demise prevented an open
and violent collision. About the first Of July, 1850,
it was determined, ut meeting of n decided msjo-
rity Of the Southern wing Of Cong that
it duty, before an open declaration Of hos.
tities, to advise the then President of purposes,
&c. Three gentlemen were selected for that pur-
pose, to wit :--the Hon G. NJ. Conrad, the present
Secretary Of War. the Hon. Humphrey Marshall, of
Kentucky, and the Hon Robert Toombs, Of Geor-
gis. They, in accordance with the views Of the
meeting, separately called on the President, and gave
him to understand that he must expect our deter
mined opposition if he persisted in resisting such
compromise advocated, and insisted on his poll
cy of admitting California an New Mexico States
and supporting the claim Of the latter to the terri
tory on this side Of the Bio Grande. According to
their several reports to US, Gen Taylor was uu-
yielding, and frankly declared to them that as soon
as the constitution of New Mexico reached him,
which he looked tor in few days. he should send III
q message to Congress recommending its admission
at once State, as he had done in the case Of
California; that he also declared that Texas had
right to the territory claimed by her, and that
he was disposed to support the claim Of New Mexico
against her. To one of these gentlemen he said
that he placed in such position that he would
probably be forced to sacrifice wing of his party
and that we ought not to expect him to sacrifice
eighty four men from the North rather than twenty
nine men from the South. these being the number
Of members Of the Northern and Southern sections Of
the wing party in Congress. The great body of the
Southern members OF Congress, with Mr.. Clay at
hnol ,,.tA
sition, and would have cen compelled, with the aid
OF the conservative men Of the North, to fight the
whole force Of the administration. The death of
Gen. Taylor alone prevented struggle which would
have shaken the country to its centre. The decree
OF Providence thus 0yerted the contest but the les
son is which ought not to be lost on us With
out, no veyer. going into detail these points,
proceed Mt once to speak of Gen Scott.
In the summer OF Is 10 his Canada annexation
letter was published Gen. Taylor having just
been inaugurated il seemed probable that he might
he re-nominated for election, with the support, as
it was then supposed, OF the whole South. IL
would be necessary to secure the Northera vote in
opposition, to supersede him Gen. Scott, there.
fore, while expressing his wish for the acquisition of
Canada voluntarily, and without being questioned
the point went 10 declare his opposition to
the acquisition of Mexican territory. In substance,
he saia that while he for taking territory that
would strengthen the North, he .ase opposed to
such acquisition as might, in like manner keep the
South even with the North. ] then looked upon
this open, undisgused declaration Of his
wish to be regarded ss the Northern Presidential
candidate 1t could be considered in no other
light than as bid for Northern support at the
expense, too, of our essential interests. During
my journey Through the Northern States, IN the
autumn Of that year, had other evidences to
the same effect ] felt that General Scott had
not, in tho position he had voluntarily taken any
claims on me or any other Southern man. On
the contrary, / that the rights Of my sec
tion under the constitution, us equals in tho
Union, had been put up for saie, in the political
hat Inv ula r. nh a
Gen. Scott believed he could be elected by North
ern votes alone In fact, / have the best reason
to believe that he, much more recently than
the time refer to, repeatedly expressed tho opinion
that he could be elected without vote from slave
State. For the last three years he has been iden-
tilted with the antislayery party OF tho North but in
1StS, Mr.. Seward, who is the leader of that party,
was opposed to him. During the session Of the Whit
Convention Mt Philadelphia in that year, had some
conferences with Mr.. Thurlow Weed, the editor of
the Albany Erca'ng Journal, and with Mr. Horace
Greeley, the editor Of the New York Tribune, both
Of them being well known as intimate friends and
mouth pieces of William II. Seward. They were ut
tery hostile to Gen. Scott and said he could not
possibly be supported by them, on account Of his
nativism and various other points enumerated by
them. Why is it that Mr., Seward and these geu-
tlemen have since taken up Gen Scott, and given
him the nopina ton! Because they found they could
make usc of him to destroy Messrs. Fillmore, Web
ster, and other friends Of the compromss; and they
therefore seized upon him rs fitting instrument for
that purpose But, it is said, that he had in his
private conversations expressed himself Ia favor of
those measures IL it be true, it makes the case
sronge against him. After the passage OF the bills,
q fierce attack was made on those Mt the North,
who had had the lberaty to assis. in getting them
through Seward and his followers took the field to
crush Webster and Fillmore. Blu. while the storm
of war raging for their destruction. where was
General Scott? As they had only done what nc
thought il WAS their duty to do, Why did he not
star d by them like man! A sentence from his pen,
declaring his appreciation Of their course would have
materially aided them. Though appealed to az sin
and again he would not write it, On tho contra.
ry he allowed his name to be inscribed on the
banners of Their enemies 1t WAS under tho cover
of his military glory that Seward and bis clan fought
the battle against our allies. Was such proceed.
ING fair ard honorable the part OF General Scott
Let me state similar for illustration. Sap.
poso that, during his Mexican campaign, portion
of his army had, in accordance with his app-oba-
ton, taken an advanced aud dangerous position,