Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-25
A "Woodcoek" Gagged.

and space to review. We may be pardoned,
however, for indulging in hurried reply.
The pindicator denominates our challenge ga
syringe to catch woodcocks" We are happy to
find that it operates to perfection. 1t has caught
one, at least, which we now find Auttering against
the bars OF its prison-house, in vain endeavors to
release itself. One who has been 50 effectually
Gagged may well caution others to "beware ofraps."
Certainly we shall continue to keep ''springe"
set at the head of our columns, with such unques-
tonable evidence of its successful operation before
our eyes. To leave fgurcs-we shall certainly
keep challenge standing which the pindicater
admits cannot be answered.
We think, that it will be an easy task to ''re
duce" the paf6ticator to an ''absurdity." That
paper arraigned Gen. ScoTr upon the charge that
he ''should not be trusted by the South" If there
is not in that charge direct implication ofhs hos
tility to the South, then we know nothing Of the
force of language. We joined issue with the pin-
dictator and defed him TO produce one word that
Gen. SCOTT had ever uttered that could be tortur-
ed into an expression of hostility to the South-in
other words to make good his charge from the re-
cord. This issue it is candidly admitted is SIDE
cidedn in our ''avor" Thus much being conce-
ded, the Vindicaor is compelled to rely solely upon
what General Sco1T failed to say and do; viz:
that he did not write letter before his nomination
endorsing the Compromise. Now we have shown
that the Virginia Democracy failed to endorse the
~, +lo+
garded the Compromise as unjust to the South;
that Gov. JOE. JOHNSON failed TO write a letter
endorsing the Compromise; that Gen. PIERCE
wrote no letter before his nomination, though spe-
cially written to on the subject and that notwith-
standing these failures TO do md sag, the pindica-
tor never was known to declare that the Virginia
Democracy, or Gov. JOE JOHNSON, or General
FRANKLIN PIERCE ''should not be trusted by the
South" Will the Vindicator be good enough to
reconcile these facts with its present furious as
saults upon Gen. ScoTT. In its last they were
entirely overlooked.
But the Tindicator persists in the absurd charge
that Gen. ScoTT has not endorsed the Compromise
even since his nomination, and asks us to point out
in his letter of acceptancea fulllment ofhis pledge
to WIN. S. ARCHER, that he would give his views
in ''terms at least as strong in their favor" as those
he had previously read to him. Now that was 4
private communication-ho does the Vindicatcr
know how strong those views were? This inter-
roratory will serve to show the value of the boast
inp declaration that Gen. ScoTT's pledge to ARCH
Err .'remains unfulfilled." Never having seen or
learned the contents of that paper read by General
ScoTr to WIN. S. ARCHER, it is utterly absurd for
the Tiadicator to say the Compromise is not en-
dorsed in the letter of acceptance in strong terms
as as it was to ARCHER. We contend, however,
that Gen. ScoTT did, in his letter of acceptance
endorse the Compromise, sin terms as strong IN
their favor" as he could have read to ARCHER or
any body else. The resolutions of the Wing Con-
vention, contain as full, complete and unequlvocal
an endorsaton of the Compromise Measures, as
language can convey Those resolutions General
Scorr accepts as the embodiment of his own
views. He accepts them as quite as strong in
favor of the Compromise, as any he could draft
He adopts their language, and makes it his own,
just as the Vindicator in the paper before us ap-
propriates the language Of correspondent of the
Spirit of Jefferson, and publishes it as an expos-
ton of its own views of Mr.. FAULKNER's speech.
Every man of common sense, and common candcr
knows that man may express his sentiments with
as much. and oftentimes, more clearness by adopt
ing and declaring to be his own, the language OF
another, than by using his own language! This
is what Gen. ScoTT has done. Instead of drafting
Compromise Resolutions himself, he has accepted,
adopted and endorsed, as an embodiment OF his
own sentiments the Resolutions of the Baltimore
Convention BY thisact we contend he is entitled
to as much confidence as ifhe had drawn those res
outions with his own pen. But we havea "cllnch-
er" upon this point. No man can read the follow
ing extract from Gen. ScoTT's speech before the
Mississippi delegation since has nomination, as re-
ported by member, and entertain doubt as to
his position on the Compromise. In that speech
Gen. ScoTr declared that in point oftime he was
the 9Th man to declare for the Omnibus Bill. He
continued:
.sI, afterwards and during the progress of the
various compromise bills, sanctioned and sustained
each, as it came up, in all its length and breadth.
have, on an average, ever since, at least times
day, declared the same sentiment. declared
for these measures as early as the lst of February
1850. Mr.. Clay visited me on the day, or the
next day after their passage by Congress, and
NAV saw. embraced me as brother and partner In
their success. am surprised at and cannot ac-
count for the contrary rumor that has gone abroad
especially amongst my friends, at the the South
am gratifed to have this opportunity of setting
myself right in presence of the accredited men Of
Mississippi"
He proceeded to state that his opinions Oh the
the Compromise had not been concealed from sew
ARD. One would suppose from the following no
bic reply to that worthy (who Gen. SCOTT says
upon meeting him for the first time for eight years,
alluded to those measures) that SEWARD had con-
siderable influence over him:
.sSir. am dead for the Constitution-dead for
the Unon-DEAD FOR THE CoMPRoMIsE-and
dead against any man who is opposed to them, or
either of them" 81"
As to the ''cofrupting associations" of General
Scorr, we have only to say that he stands quite
as fair as FRANKLIN PIERCE, who was reared "a
mongst Aboltionists, as corrupt and corruptlng"
as any to be found in the Union, and that he is
supported on the ground that he is better Adolf
tionis than ScoTT, by hosts of avowed opponents
of slavery at the North. (Soo speech Of MIR.
HAYNES in another column.)
Having thus shown that all the indicators
arguments fall UNNECESSARILY short of their ann,
we proceed TO prove that according to his own AD-
MISSION Gen. PIERCE ''should not be trusted by
the South" The writer says:
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