Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-10-28
Letter fra I'M Hon. Z. L. Clingr

Letter from Hon. I. L. CIinsnan.
We invite special attention to this
document Read it-and get your
neighbor to read it, before voting
1t IS lengthy, but never MIN that
- ead "a Mr.. c. is whig of the
old school, and las long been eonsid-
cred one of the ablest wing members
Of Cobgr4 IS from North Cal blina.-
Read what be says
RAL&icu, October s, 1852.
DEAR SlRE In compliance with your
request, | proceed briefly to btate, in
writing, the substance of my CONVEX.
sation with you in relation to the APP
preaching Presidential elect Zion. |
do this the more readily, hot only
because have no political opinions
that I wish to conceal, but because
as one of my Immediate cons titnents,
you are entitled to have them in a
form capable of preservatio b for flu
ture reference
From the time Of Gen Scott's
Nomination | have universally stated,
in conversation with my colleagues,
other members Of Congress- and in
fact all who felt an interest in know
ing my views, that | did not intend
to support Gen. Scott. In reply al
so to such letters as / received, ask
ing for my opinion, I repeatedly wrote
to the same effect, to gentlemen Of
both political parties who we're resi-
dents of IN y District, and also TO
some from other portions Of the
State. Sew ral Of these letters we're
written soon after Gen. SCOTS nomi-
nation, to gentlemen of both parties
canvassing for seats in the Legisla-
ture. | mention this lest it should
be charged that l hesitated TO com
NIT myself in writing, since it was
easy for any of those gentlemen-
there being no Injunction Of secrecy
on them-tp have furnished evidence
of my position. I did not think it
exb edient to make a publication on
tho subject, partly because it was
said by the papers friendly to Gen.
Scott, that members of Congress
ought not to attempt to dictate to
the people, and in part, also, because
I preferred giving my views to my
constituents face to face, in a full and
free manner on my return to my Dis
trict.
In 1913, seeing, that the contest
was likely to be between Gen, Taylor
and Gen. Scott, land that the former
had refused to take any position with
regard to tn great pending questions
of the day, and not being disposed to
adopt him n rust, and blindly sup
port him, !, after long waiting for a
development of Gen. Taylor's views,
determined to advocate the ncmina-
tion of Gen. Scott rather than his =
Since then / III I've had no reason to
regret that course AS l apBrehen-
ded and predicted, rs soon as the
policy of Gen. Taylor's adnlfnist "a
ton was developed, with reference to
the gredt slavery questions then, /,
in conjuR ction with 4 majority of the
Southern members to CongrHss, was
thrown i Ito opposition to it. Though
such was the condition Of things TO-,
seventeen months before Gen. Tay-
lor's death, yet the public vi BIS not
generally aware Of it. His sudden
demise p reverted an open and VIC
lent COLI Son. About tie first of Ju-
", 1880, it was deiernl ined, at a
meeting of d decided majority of the
Wing members ofCongress,
that it W hs our duty, beloreean open
of hostiIities, to advise
the then President of our purposes,
sc.
Three gentlemen were selected for
that nurhosa to Wit; thA Hon. C.. M
Conrad, the present Secretary of
War, the II pa Humphrey Marsh all,
Of Kentucky, and the Hon Robert |
roombs, of Georgia They, in acc or
dance with t he views Of the meeting,
separately cd He'd on the Preside mt,
aud gave him to understand that he
must expect our determined oppqsi-
ion if be pd rsisted in resisting such
| compremisb as we advocated, and
insisted on Ills policy of admitting
California and New Mexico as States,
md supporting the claim of the lat
Ter to theterritory on this side of the
Rio Grande- According to their
several reports to US, Gen. Taylor
vas unyielding, and frankly decla red
3 them that as soon as the Com ti- h
ution of New Mexico reached him, ]
rbinh he lacked for in few days, he