Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-08-06

This, we think, is pointed and explicit enough to
satisfy the most skeptical The Post vouches for
the character and standing of the sgners follows
and the Washington Union says that it is in possess
ion of a letter from of the most respectable gen.
tlemen in New Hampshire, to a member of Congress-
giving precisely the same information in respect to
the character and standing of the signers the Post
does The Post says:
1.-THE evidence is both negative and positive It
pronounces the abolition reports of Gen Pierce's
speech tissue of fdisehood while it as distinctly
afirms what he did say as to this law. The Repub-
lie may like to know to the character of some of
these sgners. Now, Benjamin Fletcher was chair
man of the New Boston meeting; George G. Fox is
the town clerk of New Boston John Gregg is the
present representative of this town; Daniel Camp
bell, R. B. Cochrane and several others have here
tofore represented New Boston in the legislature:
Jesse Carr, of Goffstown, and William Parker, of
Francestown. are the judges of the court of common
pleas Perey Dodge, of Amherst, is clerk of the SUI
perior court: Elijah Monroe, of Amherst, is high
sheriff of the county in which he resides; Walter
French and Isaac c. Flanders of Manchester. are
two of the wealthiest and most respectable citizens
of that city and B. B. hittemore, of Nashua is
of The State Senator's Such of the sign
ers to this document. more specific and cOnclu-
sive piece of testimony it would he hard to find 1t
nails the abolition reports to the counter as the bas-
est sort of coin.
But the Republic likes contemporary testimony
as to the views Of Gen. Pierce Now, it happens
that he made, three weeks after his speech at New
Boston. another speech at Bradford. In his speech
he spoke of the fugtive-slave law enacted in ac-
cordance with the requirements of the constitution
An account of this spec was published in the Un-
ion Democrat of January %, 1852 The following
is the portion reatiDg to this law"
g This law had been pronounced constitutional by the
highest judicial authorities. and contained single prn-
cpe that did not exist either in the statue of 1893 the
common law. Under these circumstances it duty
to sustain and obey it, If other views should prevail
would be considered expression of determination on
the part of the North the plain provisions of
the consttion and every might the result The
Union could long exist and the of the
country would be involved in civil war, which,
for erceness and atrocity the history of the world has
furnished no PARALLEL
Now, the statements contained in this abstract in
all these letters and the above certificate, agree
with Gen. Pierce's letters and speeches on the COM
promise measures and the fugtive-save law and are
in harmony with his whole political course. We
challenge and all to produce clearer record as
to any northern man. We affirm: with entire con-
fdence, that here at the North. from first to last
openly and boldly, with power of argument and
persuasive eloquence that few can command, he has
stood up boldly the defender of the constitution
and the rights which it guarantees and the oppo-
nent of abolitionism and its monstrous higher-law
doctrines He unraveled its intrigues and tore the
mask from its selfish demagogues. In 1850, when
the question whether the compromise measures
SHOULD be sustained, he appeared at the great Union
meeting, November 90 $780, at Manchester-those
meetings which abolitionism in all its phases here
ridiculed or denounced-and there made most pow
erful speech. He stood on broad constitutional
ground eff CHS words were. while the abolition
lists were kissing around him) the constitution pro-
vded for the return of fugitive slaves it should be
done. That was what he wanted to do; that was
what our fathers agreed we should do and that
what the friends of the Union established by
them wanted to do" Kisses These (said Gen
eral p are the arguments of the 'higher-law,' |
suppose
The same year in private letter he writes =
What are the North and the South but component