Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1852-08-26
wIrxrSs IN MS OWN CASE.

ter, killed dead, dead Lay AasssA- n
calumny exposed 6c-but truth crushed =
earth wOula riss again -psopls stu eeiessss-
Tbs last desperate sxpedient isresofasa e, ~
Pierce Is dragged forth as witness iof hasassia'
Although he comes in the most suspicious sa'sS =
which witness can approaeh the stand 1Aas s
tesifying ii his own behalf, We viii 'Eeae nun @asa
all psoaer respect. We VITA weigh ms lssallnohl
as dssibera,ely and mpartally as though ne naa ho
iAfesssi whatever In the result
IN he irss place the Generals testimony = la1a'-
" detective. Il IS entirely negative. ne Pso-
noanees the report his speech made last
4 an entire misrepresentation. But he catfiutS
onafts 10 state wherein ii was Misrepresentation
Ii IS admitted By his friends that he spoke TWO
hours On slavery and he questions growing out q
ID he now, aEser eight moths, denonnees Sc. :.
tenpcraneons report Of what he said, as iaise-oos
cautiously fofbears 10 iai9Fni Us what ne qua say
Herein we see the wisdom Of thatruie q evidence
which regards the ats7aaiirf testimony Of one man
as worth more ihanthe negafies testimony O. aaa-
dred men. Every witness when brought 70 me
book is sworn to tell The uut tas 'raoss tfasf ana
nothing but the irn,h." Gen. Pier-e does not pre-
tend to tell tic sssgIs .tratA lie contents himself
with general denial ef report covering column
AMI half DC a newspaper. he does not even
make specific denials IL does not deny that he
said he loathEd lie FHgi,iFe Slave law-that i was
contrary 10 humaRiiy and moral Highland thar
his heart feyblted atthe sight Of human sging in
bondage. These. were sPefgfc charges-they are
no, met BY specific denials. Bat even il he had
ventured upon a specific contradi:tion the 'setole
rati would still have remained untold. IIEiat did
Ia say during his two hours speechl lIfhe were
the frank and candid man his supporters represent
him 10 be, why did lie suppress tina. most in pprians
part or The truth He knows The pubic.asg iety TO
know his views Of the Fugitive Slave Law. His
enthusiasts fiend in this city, Mr. r. G. Scott,
has wfiten hin letter enquiring whether Ne would
yeto bill repeating that law. No answer 70 that
letter has eFer been published. People arg in1he
dark as 10 his intentions. Mr.. B. F Batlcrlsup-
ports him, under the belief that he is hot committed
10 veto any bin on The subject and be declares his
belief that the act will be materially m6dfiad.-
That, no doubt, IS the Wow taken By Van Buren,
and the ress OF Inc Baflio concern, who are 50
jealous il his support lhatif life il spared, heS
shall have their votes! Gen. Peifee is aware Of
all this--ana yet tetting up 10 be a,frank and
did man, he suppresses TIE truth. But although
he refuses ID giye any affirmative testimony, we
have little Of that character from his owifsde Of
the house The Unioa Democrat Of Manches-
Ter, edited 81 Mr. Campbell, oneoc the certidess,
gave an Outline OF The New Boston speech in Jam
uaFy. Though a mere skeleton, it is strongly cor
roboratiye d the report made BY the other papers,
We give one passage from il;
He spoke Of The difficulties attending the formai
tioH OF the Constitution, With no model for
| guide, and with some discordant elements TO har-
nanze, the labor and anxiety Of The Convention
was intenset Sacefq hat been fAtyo1Aced isto per-
tt5as ~ tte SUITS Ill kRef coloaiak condition. Az
/ GAtNST THE M0RAI.> SENSE OF THE.
! WHOLE WORLD"
The sentiment here announced is quite as strong
y an,i.sayery as any ascribed TO him BY the Abo-
lilion papers.
| In another point Of view, his testimony will not
hold water lie says thabthe pretended report
of his speech is grossly ana adsardiy fasep-that
4 bis action and language in New Hampshire have
been always The same as ID Washington. Now, in
this, he may be confronted with himself By The
testimony Of his own organs, the New Hampshire
Patriot the Boston Post ana Washington Union.
the 20th November 1850, III New Hampshire in
| public speech, he said
1ke nlap, ,cfs ir3ald dissolrc he Uai9n al
not HATE 81 DEPLoRE aarcry ,a2re taga III
! dtd,o-esslz penn expfessiuy any Of hose con
taihed IN the ~ Boston speech II, in Washing
ton, be entertained TIE same notions-whch We
viii not conroyert-as bis vote against Edmund
Bsookes petition goes 10 prove III We think he will
make rasaer Indifferent champion for The
South"
Thus far, we have been considering him in the
light Of dsiatcresed witness Ii even, in this as
pect, we find him deficient suppressing part 81 the
truth, and being contfadicted by himself-how will
he appear, what weight will his testimony merit,
when he is regarded as swearing for his own safe.
ty? But in this capacity, let rs weigh him and
the Rev. Mr. Foss impartially. Nj. Foss' testi-
mony is a6Ermatire, il is sPcc5fe--t is sworn to-
Gen. Pierce's is asgatjge general, and it is not
sworn to-. Butwate this as immateria, and come
to that which is Of the highest consequence in
weighing testimony, to wit notircs Mr. Foss pub
lished his report last January, sis months Jsfale
General Pierce ,ras Asaehto of fortac Prssiaeacg--
1t represents General Pierce as concarring with
himself and other Free Sellers in sentiment. What
noitre could he have for this Misrepresentation =?
It's tendency was not 10 injnre, but to benefit Gen.
Pierce-for those views were popular among The
people, where the report was to circulate. Even
liars are not wont to lie without some motvestill
less contrary to their wishes and interests If
Mr.. Foss' object was 10 ihjure Gen Pierce, or to
strengthen the anti-Pierce party, in disregard OF
truth he would have represented him as Eeriag and
not battling, the Fugitive Slave law. That he re-
ported him correctly is strongly corroberated BY
circumstances. He could not at ftas timc have
dreamed that Gen. Pierce would be a candidate for
Southern votes. His report was not ceutradicted
BIZ Gen. EIeree o. bis friends although these last
confess that they saw Ii and talked ii over. Itisin
harmony with the outline Of the same speech given
by Mr. Caippbels paper. 1t is in accordance with
The anii.slaFery resoiutionspi the New Hampshire
Legislature and Of the si4isea Democratic Con-
veuiions, reported by the Concord Patriot Ii has
strong confirmation in Gen. Pierce's speech, tie
2oih November, 1850, reported BY The New Hamp-
shire Patriot, and endorsed By the Boston Post
Washington Union and Richmond Enouirer-in
which he said that he HATED slavery As much
as The Abaliiionists did, who would dissolve he
Union to gstrid ofitl
There is then every circumstances to rive credit
biIity 10 Mr. Fosss statement-not merely lie a
sence Of all motive to iiebut stron, ,emn,ation
to tell lie Of a directly oppos;ie character-and
the statement $1,000 unimpeached for SKI months
after its pnblicaiion-and would probably never
have been questioned, if its existence had not be-
come known in a region where ii was unpopular.
On the other hand, General Pierce has direct,
personal interest in SURPRISING unpopular truths