The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-03
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Letter Of r. G. Scott, of Richmond, Virginia, to
the Democratic candidates for the Presidency,
nth their replies.
The letter of X. G. Scott of Richmond, Va,
with the replies of Messrs w. R. King, Stock
ton, Houston, Boyd, Dallas, Rush, Lane Doug
las Buchanan, Wool, Marcy, Dickinson, and
Cass, is published in the Richmond Enquirer of
last Friday Mr. Scott states that other
answers may yet be received and when they
reach him they will be made public His cate
chetical letter is dated at Richmond, Va, MAY
18th. The answers of Messrs King, Stockton,
Houston, and Boyd, are dated at Washington,
May Goth. MIR. Dickinson replies from Bing-
hamton, New York, and Mr.. Dallas from no
place designated on the same date. The let
tiers Of Rusk and Lane are dated the 2lst, that
of Douglas the 22d, those of Buchanan and
Wool the oath, at Lancaster, Pa, and Albany,
N. Y. those of Marcy and Cass the 25th
The celebrity and precision with which the
correspondence was conducted imply precon-
certed arrangement and the implication re-
ceives confirmation from the declarations of
Mr.. Gwin in the Senate and Mr. Polk in the
House, made month ago, pledging the DEM
ocratic candidates to the Fugitive Law, and
avowing that the pledge would be publicly
made.
The time chosen is worthy of remark It
was not desirable that such correspondence
CHI IN 10 L. L. - n
People for their calm and deliberate examina-
ton, before their delegates had started from
home. 1t might have aroused feeling unfa-
vorable to the arrangements of the managers
who have taken the Baltimore Convention I'M
der their care. That feeling might have been
communicated to the delegates so that body
of quite impracticable men might have been
found in the Convention. Opportunity would
have been given for concert and some plan OF
action on the part of those opposed to the adop-
ton of new tests To prevent this, the cores
pondence is put off till there remains just time
enough TO have the answers ready for the use
of the managers They appear in the R'ch-
mond Esquirsr while the delegates are on
their way to the Convention; they reach Wash
ington just three days before its assembling;
they will not reach the People generally till
the Convention shall have completed its action
and adjourned. The whole transaction is q
fraud upon the American Public.
Nearly Eve columns of the Union are filed
with the correspondence; but happily we are
spared the dsagreeablc necessity of republish-
ing the whole of it, as a large portion is mere
twattle, without any pertinence to the main
object Of the election II is somewhat import
ant to know wbere these gentlemen stand, but
why they stand there, is question ON which
we need no further light
SCOTS letter is repubished in full. Kings il
brief and directive omit only the ceremonial
part. Stockton's is short and complete-two
paragraphs, one referring to former speeches
the other disclaming candidateship, omitted.
Houstou's is full and unequivocal- ceremonious
words omitted. Boyd, assuming that he is not
candidate, answers rather for others than
himself; but as he thinks they ought to pledge
themselves explicitly, he of course would do the
same. Dickinson is sound in the faith: nobody
doubted him. He refers to his past course, and
quotes largely from his past speeches We had
enough OF them at the time, and there is nothing
in them worthy of being reproduced Dallas, as
usual, measures his full length upon the ground:
we omit his quotations from SCOTS letter.
Rusk entertains us with dissertation on fana-
ticism agitation, patriotism, the Importance of
the Union, and the still greater Importance of
the law for catching runaway slaves We could
not deny our Northern friends the benefit of
this agreeable lecture. Lane goes with him
who goes farthest he is profoundly impressed
with sense of the awful sacredness of the
great constitutional right of negro-catching,
"I'hc subject ofthe rendition of fugitive slaves"
he says was an obstacle at the perid of the
formation of the Constitution" Fudge Ifhe
will give US a single authentic proof Of this we
will give him twenty copies Of the Era for gra-
tuitoos circulation among his constituents.
buchanan gives the required pledge. while at
the same time, remembering that he was .
Missouri Compromise man when the Adult
ment measures were under consideration, 10
labors to screen himself from the charge OF m
consistency. His moral senSbilitea sxa'tsd ~
long and careful training are shooksd - tns
bare idea Of the repeal Of tbs slsve-casch'ng
law. Cass struggles for pre-smineuce IN dsvo-