Washington telegraph., 1852-08-25


1----------------
From tile Memphis Whig1
The Fugitive Slave Law Denounc.
ed by Gen. PIERCE!!
Two weeks before the Democratic Con-
vention assembled at Baltimore, Mr.. Robert
e. Scott, of Richmond addressed letter to
every prominent Democrat, whose name
had been mentioned in connection with the
Presidency.
The following is copy of his letter:
Letter from Robert G.. Scott, Esq,
RICHMOND, May II, 1852.
"Sir-A short fortnigh will barely elapse
before the convention of delegates of the
Democratic party, from every State of our
Union, will assemble at Baltimore, to nom-
inatc two of our most worthy and distinguish
ed statesmen, to be voted for as President
and Vice President of the nation. Your
name has been associated with the proposed
nomination, and will be most probably pre-
sented to the convention, as it already has
been to the country for its favor and support
Marked, as has been your past political life,
by fearless frankncss and devotion to the
great principles of the Democratic party. ]
take leave to inquire of you, should you be
nominated by the convention, and elected
to the Presidency by the people, in your ad-
mlnlstratlon OF the government, will you
sustain, and by any means within your pow
er, enforce and have executed, in all their
parts, the various acts of Congress, consti-
tuting what is known as the compromise,
and especially the enactment of that law
relating to the recapture, by their owners,
Of fugitive slaves? And, again, whether,
should you be elected President of the Uni
ted States, you would discountenance by cv-
cry proper means, all attempts to disturb or
change the provisions of that law whereby
those provisions might be made less efcctu-
al for securing to the people of the South
their constitutional rights in the possession
and enjoyment of their slave property
And should, unfortunately, bill be passed
by Congress, modifying or changing the law
referred to, SO as to impair its present val
liable enactments, would you, as President
of the republic, veto any such bill? 1t is
due to candor to inform you that reply to
meeting Of the Baltimore Convention, and,
when received, is intended for publication,
and that copy of this will be sent to every
other gentleman whose name has been men,
toned in connection with the nomination.
81 am, very respectfully, yours, &C.,
"ROBERT G.. SCOTT"
Among other persons addressed, was Gen.
Franklin Pierce. Each and every one of
the distinguished gentlemen (sAvE AND Ex-
cEpr GEN. PIERcE) responded to the inter
rogations propounded; and their answers
were published in every Democratic paper
in the United States, and the substance of
them held forward as the platform of the
party.
1t was thought little remarkable, at the
time, that Gen. Pierce should have received
the nomination of the Convention, when he
was the only one out of some thirteen per-
sons written to- who HAD FAILED to an
swer. The Democratic papers, however,
declared that his reply would be forthcom-
ing-and the Richmond Enquirer, (Father
Ritchie's paper) went so far as to assure the
South, that, it would be as direct and salts
factory as were the answers of Cass. Doug
las and other distinguished Democrats =
With becoming patience, the Whig party
have waited for this reply, until patience is
no longer a virtue, and efforts have been
made to ascertain if there was any good
reason why this answer, as promised, was
not forthcoming!
Upon an examination of the records-of
files of papers published in Concord, New
Hampshire, the residence of Gen. Pierce, the
true reason of his silence has been discover
ed to be this-that as recently as the I'd of
January, Gen. Pierce declared in speech
he delivered, that the Fugitive Slave Law
was opposed to humanity, inconsistent with
the common law, and opposed to moral
right!!!
We find the following in the New York
Sun Of the 18th ult., which copies from the
Concord IN H. Democrat
AT the meeting appointed at New Boston
Centre on Friday afternoon of January I'd,
Gen. Franklin Pierce addressed the citizens
OF that town in regard to the difficulties be-