New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-26
THE CONTRAST.

to attribute 10 the Journals WHICH support
the nomination of Gen. Scott. The friends
of Mr.. Fillmore, it tells the public, have
never assailed the old General; they have
not even opposed him; their course is
worthy Of all commentator and honor,
while the Scott journals have dealt in
/" opposition. vituperation and coarse
abuse" of the President, as a man, can
didate, and an Executive officer. Having
said this, The Register infers with the
same Sinking complacency, that it and
its tribe are the only genuine Wings.
We, on our part, are quite willing to be
judged by the contrast between the camp
in which we are contending, and the mode
in which our controversy is pursued, and
those of the opposing clique. We are quite
willing that the public should decide on
which side are motives of personal inter-
est and malice, and on which regard to
the triumph of the party and its principles ;
whether on the side of those who are seek
ing to force upon the country an imprac-
ticable candidate, and to divide and break
up the Wing ranks by the useless intro
duction of new tests and sectional ques-
tons, or on the side of those who urge the
nomination of a candidate whose name is
synonymous with victory, and who contend
for the unimpaired preservation of those
broad National doctrines on which men of
all sections of the Union are united, and
on which alone the efficient cooperation of
every section is to be hoped for.
1t is true that the Fillmore organs have
not openly assailed Gen. Scott. They
dared not. They knew too well the pro-
found admiration of the masses for his
genius and services, for his unflinching in
tegrity and patriotism, to venture upon
such course. And they felt all along that
triumph was written on his banner in this
as in other cente ,ts, and feared that too
bitter opposition to him now might not be
the best preparative for the protestations
of love that might be natural hereafter.
Thus debarred from making open war on
Gen. Scott himself, they have compensated
thems elves by expanding their envenomed
attentions to his supporters, and have
regarded no other offense as so unpardon-
able as an earnest effort to secure hts nom
nation. Witness the dismissal from office
of Fitz Henry Warren, simply because he
was a Scott man, and was not willing to
peril the success of the party in order to
crafty Mr.. Fillmore's desire for the nom
nation.
On our part we have resisted the graft
fication of that desire, in the only fair and
manly way, net by abusing Mr.. Fillmore's
satellites, but by criticising the pretensions
of their principal. We have shown the
hopelessness of his election and the folly
of risking the nomination of man under
whom we are sure of nothing but an utter
rout. We declared long since that he was
in desperate minority in his own State,
and the primary elections have now made
good our statement. We called attention
to the fact that the only thing in Mr.. Fill
more's career that had ever caused him so
much as to be thought of, or named for the
Presidency, was his accidental elevation to
that office through the death of Gen. Tay-
lor. We appealed to the public to Judge
as to the fitness of man as popular can
didate whose course in office has been so
proscriptive and unwise as to have had no
other result than to distract and greatly
weaken the party in his own State. We
appealed to Mr.. Fillmore himself, from re-
gard for his own dignity and reputation as
well as for the public welfare, to withdraw
from contest so unworthy, and to nip in
the bud the efforts Of federal effice-holders
to dragoon and trick the party into seem
ing support of his pretensions.
Mr.. Fillmore has not seen ft to accede
to our appeal. He is still an aspirant for
the nomination. Personally we bear hin
no i'll will, and do no injustice to any anna
bic quality that he may possess. On form
er occasions we have labored earnestly,
and perhaps not Intellectually, for his sue
cess. But as long as he occupies such q
false position as now before the party and
before the country, we must speak of that
position in the language Of franknsss and
freedom. There is nothing in i. that can
be grateful to Wing, New Yorker, or
an American. There is much in it to pro-
woke indignation as well as regret. But
we are happy to know that this false posi-