Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-07-13
of the Seeding Congress
siOnal Wings.
WAsHINGToS. july 8. 1856:

To prevent all mistake and misapprehension,
we, the undersigned members of Congress, adopt
this method of making joint statement to our
constituents, respectively, and to all who may
take an interest in the subject that we cannot
and will not support Gen. Scott for the Presiden-
cy, as he now stands before the American Peo-
pie, for the following amongst other reasons:
He obstinately refused, up to the time of his
nomination, to give any public opinion in favor
of that series OF measures Of the last Congress
known as the compromise; the permanent main
tcnance Of which with US is question of para
mount Importance. Nor has he since his nomi-
nation made any declaration of his cppropal of
those measures as a final adjustment of the is.
sues in controversy.
1t is true that the resolutions of the Conven-
ton that nominated him are as clear and as ex-
plict upon this question as need be; but Gen
eral Scott in his letter Of acceptance, which con-
tains all that We have from him on that matter
does not give them the approval of his Judgment
This he seems studousl y to have avoided. He
accepts the nomination "with the resolutions
annexed"-that is he takes the nomination cum
onere, as an individual takes an estate with what
ever membranes it may be loaded with; and
the only pledge and guaranty he offers for his
adherence to the principles of the resolutions"
are ''the known incidents of a long public life"
&c.
Amongst these "knoacn incidents" of his life
there is not one, SO far as are aware Of in favor
of the principles Of the compromise. In one, at
least of his public letters he has expressed senti
ments inimical to the institutions of fifteen States
of the Union. Since the passage of the Com
promise he has suffered his name to be hell up
before the people of several of the States as
candidate for the Presidency by the open and
avowed enemies of those measures. And in the
Convention that conferred this nomination upon
him, he permitted himselfto be used by the free
soilers in that body to defeat Mr.. Fillmore and
Mr. Webster, because of their advocacy of these
measures, and their firm adherence to the policy
that sustained them.
To join such men, and aid them in completing
their triumph over, and sacrifice Of the true and
tried friends of the Constitution, and the faith
full discharge of all its Obligations is what we can
never do. The dictates of duty and patriotism
sternly forbid it,
We consider Gen. Scott as the .touorite can
didate of the FreesoI wing of the Wing party.
That his policy, if he should be elected, would
he warped and shaped to conform to their views,
and to elevate them to power in the administra-
ton OF the Government can but be considered
as legitimate and probable result. And, be-
lieving, as we do, that the views of that faction
of mischieyous men are dangerous not only to
the just and constitutional rights of the Southern
States, (which we represent IN part,) but to the
peace ami quiet Of the whole country, and to
the permanent union of the States, we regard it
as the highest duty of the we-wlshers of the
country everywhere, whatever else they may do,
to at least withhold from him their support. This
we intend to do.
ALEXANDER H. STEVENS, Of Ga.
CHARLES JAS. Faulkner, of Va.
W. BROOKE, Of Miss.
ALEX WHITE, OF Ala.
JAMES ADERCRoMBIE of Ala.
R. TooMBs, of Ga.
JAMES JOHNSON, of Ga.
For reasons to some extent indicated in speech
es and addresses heretofore made by the under
signed, they deem it to be their duty to with