Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-06-17
7GfNERAL PIERCTs POSITION.

General Perce's position on the Abolition qucs-
ton, oiyes the subioined extract delivered 10y
him in the Senate of the United States in 1898,
on a resolution presented by Mr.. Calhoun, to
prohibit the reception Of Abolition petitions in
favor of abolishing slavery in the District of
Columbia
aResolred, That the intcrmcddling Of any
State or States, or their citizens to abolish
slavery in this District or any Of the Territories.
on the ground, or under the pretcxt, that it is
immoral or sinful, or the passage OF any act or
measure of Congress with that view wonld be
direct and dangcrou. attack on the institutions
of all the slavehodng States"
aMr. Pierce, of New Hampshire, rose and
said the Senate had come at length to the ground
on which the contest was to Ire determined.
The District Of Columbia was now emphatically
the battlefield of the Abolionists, and the
resolution Immediately under consideration,
with, perhaps, some modification in phriseology,
would present the true issue here and to the
country--an ISSUE" which would raise, not
mere question of expcdicncy, but one of a
much higher character, in which the public faith
is directly involved.
@Ihat my position, said Mr. Pierce, may be
distinctly understood, some explanation il per-
haps due to the State Which have the honor,
in part, to represent, especially rs there is
vert our votes and misrepresent our motives.
IL have given to the resolutions all the con-
sidera'ion which I'm capable of bcstowing, and
have listened to the debate which they have
elected with interest and profound attention.
"lf the grave objections suggested on the
other side were sustained By an examination OF
the resolutions themselves or course Of sound
augmentation, they would ensure my opPosi-
ton. What arc they? The first that reached
my car was, that they contain latent nulfca-
ton. have waited to hear the particular reso-
lu ion, sentence or phrase pointed out in which
this hcresy is supposed 10 be concealed, and l
have waited in vain. Having then, assertion on
one side, and what appears to me to be the plain
reading of The resolutions and the frank and
unqualified declaration of the mover on the
other, must be excused if do not take the
alarm.
ave have next eloquent disqni>itions npon
the liberty of speech and the freedom OF the
press To every sentiment uttered upon these
subjects yield my cordial assent; bnt why in
truduccd on this particular OCCASION. have been
at Il loss to determine. Would any man here
abridge The liberty of speech, or assa the free.
dom of the press? take it not. Is there any
thing in the resolution to sanction the invasion
of either! Not syllable. That these are
privileges most dear 10 every American is freely
admitted by all. Why such variety Of changes
have been rung upon them in this debate, others
may determine. 1t is moi my province to judge
of motives, and would take occasion only to
remark, that no man shall make up an issue upon
subject for me, oppose the Abul,ionists. for
the very reason That entertain sacred regard
for these in common witllall other rights secured
by the Constitution.
But il is further urged against the rcsolu-
tions, (said Mr.. Picrce) that they are mere ab'
stractions. Sir, it is quite imnateri:l what
name you apply to them; sufficient Is it that
they meet the case, that they encounter the
Abnlilionist upon sound and tenable ground
and furnish conclusive answer TO his importu.
niles. TO say that the petitions refer only to
this District, and that the principles asserted in
the preceding resolutions are consequently with
out application is perfectly idle. 1t is impossi
bic to read y single number of the leading abo
lition periodicals, without pcrceiving that thci
object reaches far beyond this District, and stops
at no point short Of emancipation in the States
And yet, sir, suspect that you would find few
intelligent Abolilionists, who would assert that
Congress- has the constitutional powcrto inter
fere with slavery in the States but admitting
the want Of power here, they bold it their duty,
-ii,dis 10 PrrzryrJv irStitc cause. Re.
garding the Institutions Jof slavery as morally
wrong, or sinful, if you please. they consider
themselves, MS citizens Of the Union, RESPONSE
ble for it's continuance, wherever it may exist
within our. borders.
This feeling has its origin, to some extent.
in misapprehension of the. structure of our
government, and tlis error the preceding rcsoln.
tons are calculated to correct. They assert, in
effect, that the citizen Of New Hampshire is no
more responsible, morally or politically, for The
existence and continuance of this domestic in
stitulion in Virginia or Maryland, than he would
be for the existence of any similar institution
in France or Persia. Why! Because these
are matters over which the States, respectively,
when delcgating u portion of their powers, to
be exercised by the general government, reiain-
ed the whole and exclusive control, and fol
which they arc alone responsible.
"NOw let these doctrines be universally IN.
derstood and admitted, and you take one grca,
step towards satisfying the con.cicnccs Of hon
est but misguided people, in one section OF the
country, and quieting this irritation, for which
there has been too much cause in the other
This we have attempted to do. We are bound
to 60 further, and frankly declare to these petit
TONERS that 80 long rs slavery shall continne ir
Virginia and Maryland, it il in vain for them ia
expect its abolition here: that we are forbidden
to legislate upon this subject, under existing
circumstances, by obligations hardly inferior to
the Constitution itself; that Congress cannot
abolish slavery in this District, against the wish.
cs of the inhabitants, without y gross breach OF
public faith, and an outrageous infraciion oi
private rights"
We perceive also from the Washington Union
that General Pierce proposed the following sen.
timcnt at Democratic festival celebrated in
New Hampshire in March last in honor Of the
result of The elections in that State:
"Thc Compromise measures of 1850 and the
New Hampshire dcmocracy-upon the former
the latter have fixed the seal of their emphatic
appreciation. No North, no South, no East, no
West under the Constitution; but sacred
maintenance of the common bond and true dc.
votion to the common brotherhood
How GEN. PIERCE WAS INFORMED OF HIS
NoMINATToN.-A Boston paper referring TO the
nomination of Gen. Pierce for the Presidency,
says:
"When the news of the nomination reached
this city, Gen. Pierce was on a visit to Monnt
Auburn, with his wife. Isaac o. Barnes, en-
United States Marshal, an old and personal
friend of Gen. Pierce. Immediately started out
post haste to communicate the pleasing intel-
gence to him. Meeting the General near the
bronze statue of Bowdtch, he said, "Frank,
who do you suppose has got the nomination 2
Piercc-"Can't say-prcsumc it is Gen. Cass. !"
Barnes No sir. II is no other person than