The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-10

ern Rights of themselves.
For one, sir, will never give my support to a
man whose position is not definitely and clearly
known. did give my cordial support to General
Taylor. i asked no pledges of him, nor Of the con-
vention which nominated him. had most implicit
confidence in the man, and believe he lived and
died pure patriot the world ever saw. Hut
the mode OF his election, and the failure OF the
Wing Convention to define the principles on which
they would conduct the canvass, produced sec ton
al agitation, which seriously endangered the ex-
istence of the Government am now sensible that
!, and others who thought and acted with me, com
united a mistake, wcllnigh fatal, in not requiring
the Wing Convention to "define the position" OF the
party on vital questions then agtating the coun
try, and in sustaining It's nominee without pcrsO
nal or party pledges. -
VOICE. You supported such q man in lS4S
MIR. CABELL. Yes. But if can be forgiven for
that. will never do the like again. beg my
Union friends, and all southern men, not to COM
nit the same error the Wings committed during
the last Presidential election.
Irepeat, sir, and think this should be the posi-
ton OF all men who love this Union, that before
any man should be nominated for the Presidency,
or sustained by the South, any part Of the cOun
try, his opinions should be clearly spread upon re-
cord Nothing, think, could be SO unfortunate
for the country az recurrence OF the incidents Of
the last Presidential election
On this point believe the Southern Wing party
is nearly undivided, and the Dhoe country should
understand their position. The South should not
and Will not counenancc any efforts OF this sort TO
by concealing the opinions of the candidate they
are called upon to support. wish that position
clearly laid down by the members of both parties
But believe that scheme ia now on foot by the
members of the different divisions OF the Demo-
| cratic party to nominate man whose position is
underlined, and who will enable the party to keep
up the slavery agitation. wish to call the atten.
ton OF the country to 1t, in order that the people
themselves may speak upon this point find the
gentleman from Massachusetts,, (Mr. RANroUL.)
who has recently addressed the House, and other
gentlemen from the North, and gentlemen from
the extreme South, expressing their determination
to stand by the platform OF 1914 and 1913. That,
they say, will satisfy them. All these-Abotion-
lists, Disunonists, and Freesoilcrs-are willing 70
stand upon that old rotten platform of lS4S, by
| which they will be enabled to nominate a man
whose opinions have not been expressed, and are
| not known They will, at the North, represent
him as an Abolitionist and Frccsoiler, and, COM
ing down to the South. represent him as a true
bona fde southern man. We find these gentlemen
now acting in concert with the Van Bnren and the
Benton class. Mr.. Benton has recently published
letter in which he expressed the opinion that the
Democratic party should go into convention upon
the resolutions of lS4S, and nothing more, as has
been recommended by southern as well as other
northern gentlemen.
Mr.. Benton sage, in defining 'the Democratic
ground in relation to slavery"
Adhesion to the Baltimore platform OF lS4S 10
another point on which hold you to be right, and
| the Nulihers wrong. That platform contains the
Democratic ground IN relation to slavery. The
| NuIlifiers wish to engraf upon ii a new dogma,
which was expressly, and almost unanimously, re-
jected by the convention which framed it-namey.
that Congress has right TO iegislafe upon slavery
| IN the Territories. This dogma, like all the doc
rnes Of the school to which il belongs is OF modern
invention, and only invented for the purpose of
multiplying chances to find prctexs to resist the
laws of Congress, and for flying of into that new
confederacy which is to consist wholly OF slave
States, and 70 be christened The United States
South The Democracy take the Baltimore plat
aa " Ia
to- still less sreected-and, above all attempted
to be interpolated by the dregs of the party which
made the effort and miserably failed in it, at Bal
tmore"
Mr. Benton objects to any addition to that plat
form of AS, which my Union friends anxious
to adopt, for the reason, he says, that such addi-
tons tend TO express the opinion "that Congress
has right to legslate upon the subject OF slavery
in the Territories" He is for the resolutions as
they are, though they justify the doctrine of the
Wilmot proviso. Here find men, extreme in their
southern opinions, willing TO go into that conyen-
ton and adopt the resolutions Of AS, and willing
TO stand by them. | ask, how can Southern Rights
men, or Constitutional Union men, act with such
an association as this?
But we are told that VIC must nominate some
body, and vote for somebody. Well, cir, my choice,
an individual member of this House, and
citizen of the United States ia for the present Pres
ident OF the United States. have never hcsitatcd
to express my opinion that am in favor of tho re-
election of Willard Fillmore. ! think the country
is more indebted to him than any other man living
for the peace and quiet we enjoy. And believe
there is a moral obligation resting upon the South,
especially southern Wings. and indeed Of all
Compromise Union men, to stand by Mr.. Fillmore,
and re elect him to the Presidency. We all know
the agency he had in quoting the slavery agita-
ton and We know, too. that without his aid those
measures would not have been passed. can I'M
derstand how Southern Rights men, and Disunion.
lists, and Aboltionists, can vote against him. But
it seems TO Inc that men who desire the peace and
quiet OF the country, and are In favor OF the Com
promise measures, as a final settlement of the
citing topics embraced in them, arc bound to rally
around and support Mr.. Fillmore, for no man has
done SO much to preserve the peace and harmony
of the country and TO preserve the union or these
States. In sustaining him they sustain great
principle
Now, understand that Mr.. Fillmore is not to be
n candidate for the Presidency. do not know how
that is. ! need not say that shall deeply regret
his Withdrawal and am sure speak the sen,i-
meuts of nineteen twenteths of the Wings Of the
southern States when say he, OF all men, IL the
man they desire to see elected to the next Prcsi-
dency. If Mr.. Fillmore is compelled to withdraw
because nc cannot receive the votes Of northern
Whigs, on account of his connexion with the Com
promise measures, cannot but regard il as an evi
dence That that portion Of my party has resolved
not to respect the constitutional rights of my sec
ton of the Union. In such case shall feel my
self all at sca-a regular outsider. No man who
will not put himself virtually upon the Presi-
dents platform-whO will not stand on the Com.
promisc "as final scfuunent'-can ever receive
have shown that, in the present position of af-
fairs, cooperation with the Democratic party lie out
Of the question. The Union party has abandoned
the principles which il was formed; and unless
the northern Whigs change the position they have
hitherto occupied, which ] have strong hope they
will do, J. "a southern Wing, never and never
will act with them 1t would be with great diff
Guilty that could ever bring myself TO support a
candidate for the Presidency who is cordially sup
ported 10y the disting uished Senator from New
York, (Mr. SswARD.)
| hear gentlemen soy that the Wing party will
probably do what have said would condemn in
the Democratic party, and that their convention
will nominate man occupying the position Of
General Butler; and have been asked what would
be my course In such casel General Scott occu-
pics Just the relation to the Wing party that Gene
raj Butler docs TO the Democratic party. lie lie said
10 be the choice of Seward and his section of the
Wing party, "a General Butler is known TO be the
choice OF Benton, Van Buren,, and other Freesoi.
ere, and both are said TO be friends Of the Compro
misc, though neither has sad SO TO the world.
Would support himl huswer, unhesii atingly,
No. will not support him, but will do all in my
power to defeat the election Of any who, in
such times as these, withholds his opinions from
the public.
of this distinguished man I will say, that | re-
gard him os the greatest captain of the age, and