The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-31

and poor. From the time of his frat commission
in the army he has enjoyed the confidence and ap.
prova Of all the Presidens, from that day to this.
His sktli, bravery, and patriotism have often re-
ceivsd the official approval Of Congress and differ
ent Legislatures He has sha red the peris Of war,
upon the tented Held, with officers Of the highest
rank, as well as the common soldier,
But, sir what company has the favorte cand-
date OF my friend from Ohio kept2 What com
pany has General Pierce kept in New Hampshire
on the subject Of religious tJleration? l mean in
reference to that clause in the Constitution of New
| Hampshire which excludes Catholics from holding
office. Dare my friend go home to the free and
| Independent voters Of the State Of Ohio and say
that it Is right to exclude one class of community
from holding office because they worship at diff
| ferent altar than ourseves2 Will he GO home and
| say that General Pierce lie not of the same opinion
with that party who supported that prohibition in
the State OF New Hampshire3 Dare he say that
he 10 not man Of inf uence In that State Can he
| cay that he is hot man of influence in the town
| in which he resides? And will he say that that
| influence exerted to strike that odous re
striction from the constitution of the Slater No,
sir; no, sir. That is the only State in this Union
whose constitution contains vestige of religious
intolerancej and could not Mr.. Pierce, with hs
commanding influence, have procured change!
| Yes, sir.
| Mr.. oLps. do not like to interrupt my col
| league; but il he knows that the opinions of
| franklin Pierce are precisely opposite to those he
| represents and then makes that statement upon
this floor, leave him to the tender mercics of the
country.
| MIR. BELL. have got the gentleman where the
| shoe pinches The truth of the matter ia this: !
have heard such thing rulnored in the public pa
| Pers, and that is all the gentleman has heard.
| have heard it since his nomination. But hope,
| IN the name OF patriotism, that Franklin Pierce
condemns in his heart that spirit of intolerance.
do not say that he has not. But If he has, why
did not my colleague tell this committee go? Why
did he not state this matter before the committee?
Why did he not state the principles OF General
| Pierce, instead Of making those random charges
against General Scott9 Why did he not tell us his
principles? Does he think the people of this
try are prepared to vote for man without know
ing his principles? That would be fair inference
from his argument
| MIR. Polk. 1 do not desire that the charge of
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. BsLL) should go
out unanswered, or without being acco panied BY
| a proper explanation.
| No longer than two years ago the people of New
| Hampshire called a convention for the purpose of
amending the constitution of the State Mr.. Pierce
was member of that convention, ana voted
| TO abolish that feature of the constitution upon
| which the gentleman has commented. 1t was
stricken out by majority of the convention. But
| of the votes of the people. There are more thar
one-third of the people of New Hampshire Wings.
They voted against the ratification oil the consitu-
ton, and thereby prevented the alteration of that
| feature which the gentleman now complains Of.
| Mr.. Tuck. II the gentleman from Tennessee
says that the Wings of New Hampshire voted
against the new constitution, he asserts what lie
| not true.
| Mr.. Polk. / wish 10 understand the gentleman.
stated that more than one-t third of the people ct
the State voted against the constitution, and that,
il the Wings of the State voted against it, it was
| not Mr.. Pierce's fault. What does the gentleman
| mean! Does he mean any thing personal9 Does
he mean to allege that have stated any thing I'M
| true?
Mr. Tuck. Certainly, intended nothing per
sonel. mean to say that the gentleman has stated
as truth that which was not correct.
| Mr. BELL. wish TO PROFOUND single question
to my honorable friend from Tennessee, (Mr.
y he hR cd Nh ia ovt
Ii is THE Whether he is apprized of the reasons
| why General Pierce did not answer the letter of
Mr.. Scott, of Richmond; whether, if he did
swer 1t, can the gentleman tell us what the
| swer was?
MIR. POLE. Mr.. Pierce has, in his letter accept
ing the nomination Of the Baltimore Convention,
answered the questions contained in that letter.
| MIR. BELL. That does not answer my question.
| desire TO know whether he answered Mr.. SCOTS
letter directly?
MIR. Polk. He did not answer it directly, be-
cause General Pierce had previously announced
| that he was not a candidate for the nomination to
the Presidency, and, therefore, felt himself under
| no obligation to answer it.
| Mr.. MEADE. wish to give the gentleman all
the information upon that subject that possess,
and 1t is to this effect: that when the letter of Mr..
Scott arrived at Concord, New Hampshire, Gene.
| raj Pierce was absent, practising in some Of his
| courts, and in his absence his partner undertook
to reply; and in that reply, understand, he said
| that General Pierce was from home, and therefore
could not answer the letter personally, and that if
| ne were at nome, General PlerCc, not being can
didae for the Presidency, would hardly feel him
self under any obligation TO answer- questions Of
! that sort That was just before the convention
met. The convention, when it did meet, nom
mated General Pierce contrary to his expectation,
and in h letter of acceptance sufficiently com
mittcd himself to all the questions which had been
propounded to the other candidates for the Presi
| dency.
| Mr. BELL. l do not doubt. Mr.. Chairman that
| the gentleman has been informed, and probably
| believes all that he has stated [Laughter.l In
| deed, would not doubt it at all. l trust will
| not cay trust-i knOic there very few who
will accept the reasoning that ba sheen given
| for his not answering the letter. 1t is frequently
| the case that it is only by taking the testimony
| that is given on n cross-cxamination that you
get at the real facts. What does he tell usl He
| tells us that the letter came there during General
Perces absence, and it came into the hands of his
partner; and his partner. knowing that he was not
| a candidate, was authorized to say he was not at
home, and would not answer it if he was at home.
| That is the substance of it, Is that good reason
| for not answering? How came his partner to
senl that letter unless he knew the contents of il?
III he knew Its contents, was ii not o. enough i'm
portance to have been sent to franklin Pcrccs II
reveals this fact, sir; and what is it, Why sir, it
shows the eagernrss OF the Democratic candidates.
| OF whom there was a multiplicity, almost score
| and who have honored your country in her coun-
| cil5, to obtain nomination by any means.
Men who have thus been honored through the
excitemcnt-ay, sir, an excitement got up and
carried on by some honest and patriotic men and
| by great many more for political humbugs,
| about saving the Union, &C., until they got this
man Scott, of Virginia, an nstrum to PROFOUND
to these men questions which, if they answered in
| the atfirmative-that is, pedging themselves in
advance, il elected, to veto law of Congress with
out constitutional be acting con-
trary to the very principles of your Constitution.
This gentleman Mr.. Scott-Propounded questions
to those Democratic candidates, an affirmative an
swer to which said nothing less in adj
vance, notwithstanding what the people might do
in this Democratic country, notwithstanding what
they may determine through your Legislators and
Congress, the President Gays, al forbid veto"
He exercises an authority more than the King of
Great Britain, or than the king OF any limited
monarchy, the exercise Of which would bring to
the block any king that now site upon European
throne Through engerncss for office a part of
those candidates answered afirmatively. Young
America was too shrewd. He left creeping.out
place; he would not interfere with Congr at ali
General Pierce knew the character of that letter;
aud II is the greatest evidence have of the
talent Of that man. that he withheld his reply from
the public and professed TO be practising la,o
Uh1e at ua, particular time.
Now what is all this about? You well remcm
ber did uotc lhcEe 4 horpes 4 WI mt