Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-11-09
rhe .causes of Our Defeat.

The Causes of Our Defeat. fF
It will hardly profit ourselves OF our readers ~
detain them with vain speculatlons rs 70 Inc
causes of our late Waterloo defeat and indeed we
would at once decide, that the future would De a
better period for examining into these matters
when we have entirely recovered from our hafo
fall, and when the facts which produced It hao
been more fully discovered in the different sec
lions of the country, were it not that 1t Is alike
dine TO ourselves and our fellow citizens to express
our abiding confidence in the integrity OF the
principles of our platform, no matter what ihhu-
ence it may have had in producing our late disas-
ter We have long since endorsed that PLATFORM
not because we thoughtit popular, not because we
thought it would catch either the .abstractonlsts
of the South or the fanatics of the North, but be-
cause we believed il TO contain principles alike
harmony with the Constitution and the rights of
all parts of our Union. We hesitate not to say,
that without platform. and without one nearly
least, if not exactly similar 10 that adopted by
the Baltimore Wing Convention, we never would,
for one moment have supported the nominee OF
that Convention. We even go further, & assert that
had not that platform endorsed the fugitive slave
law, had it not declared for the fnality of the
Compromise measures of the session Of 1850, we
would not have touched it, or the nominee placed
uponit. We advocate principles first, men next,
and if there is in the broad pages of the Consti-
tuition provision sacred to the existence of our
Union, if there be found in it one principle upon
which, above all others, are prepared to stand
or fall that principle is contained in the section
of the Constitution which solemnly provides for
the rendition of fugtives from justice, and from
labor. That clause was the great Compromise
clause Of the Constitution. Without it, the Con-
stitution never could and never should have been
formed. Upon this clause rests the peace. the
security of the entire South and the very existence
of our Union; and we believe speak the senti-
ments of entire population of both parties,
when say that 80 long as our Constitution con-
tains that solemn guaranty to the South, long
as the flag of our country waves over Union un-
der that Constitution, long will the citizens of
Wheeling stand by this pledge, and fall ifneed be
in defence of this Compromise compact of our
fathers. @ s-''l'
We are Union men all, we are compromise men
all, and above all are we Virginians, and SO long
as we remain such. so long will we stand or fall
with Virginia in defence of her Constitutional
rights, so long will we advocate the fugitive slave
law, law passed in conformity with this corner
Stouc CIduSc VI tudt
from any cause should fall short of its proposed
end, namely, the recovering of all slaves who es-
cape from the South, we will then 20 with him
who gaes the farthest in favor of so amendingt as
that it will to the letter subserve the objects of the
Constitution and protect the rights and prosperity
of The South. We were born and bred in Virgin
ia. and We expect to die beneath the flag which
has inscribed upon it "sc semper tyrannis," and
long as we respect the memory of our revolutionary
fathers, SO long as we glory in the right and the
just fame of our Virginia. so long will stand by
her in the defence of her rights and in the protec-
ton of the property, soemnly guaranteed her by the
Constitution of our Union We speak for our
selves and we believe that the whole body of our
citizens will Stand fall with Virginia in the sup
port of the rights, so solemnly guaranteed by the
Constitution. TO- e.t' ..t's be.
We advocate platforms always when there is any
room for doubt as TO any party principle. and we
npprove of and did advocate the Wing Baltimore
platform as containing no one principle more i'm
potant and more Indispensable to the rights of the
south and the duties of the North, that the noble,
manly and final stand which it took upon the COM
promise measures in general, and the Fugitive
Sluvs law in particular.
We advocate openness aed boldness in every
thing, and we prefer seeing the Wing party defeat
ed, as it has been, upon its open and manly plat
fom of honest principles. rather than to have be-
held it successful, by GOWN and deception. s
BILLY BowLEcs IN PLoRIDA.-The Newark Mer-
curry of Saturday states that gentlems in that
city who has in Florida, has received letter
from him. lated Fort Meade, Florida, from which
we make the following extract. 1t W. uld seem
that Billy has very little disposition to leave Flor
ida ...-.. -......,L,y.
Billy Bowlegs, Grand Sachem of the Seminoles
in Florida, has returned tn Tampa, and taken pas
sage for Fort Myers. His joy on embarking for
Fort Myers knew no bounds. He leaped and yell
ed, cursed and swore like a crazy man; and during
MS caperngs he tore suit oil citlzens clothes
into thousand ribbons. About this time col
der at Tampa said, "Now. Billy, give us the war
whoop." Billy stood as if riveted to the spot. his
eyes seemed to send forth sparks of fire. and draw
ing himself up to his full height, he exclaimed in
a low, yet passionate voice, "By blood when you
hear the war whoop your blood will curdle IN your
reins!' In repyto question put to him by an
officer at Tampa. $50 you are going to leave Flo
Iida, are you % He answered, with very know
ing laugh. "Oh, yes, told them so in Washington;
but DID ifI do it, though" II he don't go, and
that very soon. too, Uncle Sam will find way to
make them leave, either by steamboat or tby blood!
They can take their choice. -1.aaa Dds
IRA shock Of an earthquake was felt in Rich
mona. and adjacent parts OF Virginia on Tuesday