Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-06-02
INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE.

INTERESTING CORRESPONDENTS.
At the time of our going to press, it is unknown
who, of the distinguished patriots and statesmen that
have been named in connection with the Presidency,
will receive the nomination at the hands of the Bal
timore Convention. But we are sincerely rejoiced
to see from the Richmond Enquirer of the 2ath ult.
confirmation of the opinions heretofore expressed
by u.s. that in either of the great statesmen referred
to- the South may expect to find firm and unfinch-
ing friend of the Compromise and Fugitive-Slave
Law. The Enquirer contains correspondence be-
tween r. G.. Scott, Esq., democratic Eector for the
Richmond distrct,) and the following gentlemen
r. F. Stockton, Sam. Houston, William L. Marcy,
William r. King, Daniel S. Dickinson, George M.
Dallas, Thomas ]. Rusk, John E. Wool, James Bu-
chanan, Lynn Boyd, Stephen A. Douglas, Joseph
Lane and Lewis Cass. The object of MIR. Scott was
to procure from these gentlemen direct and explicit
expression of their views in regard the Compro-
mise measures of 1850, and they respectively
asked whether, if nominated by the Convention and
elected by the people TO the Office of President
!. SIN your administration of the government will
you sustain and by every means in your power, en-.
force and have executed, in all their parts, the vari
acts of Congress constituting what is known as
the Compromise. and especially the enactments of
that law relating TO the recapure by their owners OF
fugitive slaves! And. again, whether, should you
be elected President of the United States, you would
discountenance, by every proper means, all attempts
to disturb or change the provisions of that law,
whereby those provisions might be made less effec-
ual tor securing to the people of the South their
sttutional rights in the possession and enjoyment of
their slave property and should, Hnfortu mattel bill
be passed by Congress-, modifying changing, the
law referred to, impair its present valuable
enactments, would you, President of the Republic
veto any such bill
And to these important inquiries, have from each
ception of Gen. Wool) direct and unequivocal
answer in the affirmative We regret that we have
not room to publish the correspondence entire. We
give the following extracts from the several letters
WILL. r. KING replies: Z" / should feel myself
bound, by every obligation of duty, to negative any
act for its repeal or so TO modify change ii would
destroy its efficiency :.- -.-.
SAM HousroN s.If l should be placed in posi-
tion by the will of the American people, where it
would be rendered necessary for me to act, in the
contingency presented would not hesitate to-
any bill'' mparing the law for the protection of " the
constitutional rights which guarantees TO the people
of the South the possession and enjoyment of their
slave property ........ %,
LYNN BoYD: "These are certainly very important
questions-to each and all of which, l hope every
candidate for Presidential honors will give EXPLICIT
affirmative answer. The public necessity, which in
duced the adoption of those measures, may be ap-
peaed TO with greater force in behalf of their
maintenance and faithful execution
d. S. DICKINSON II long since declared it TO
be my fixed intention and purpose, in whatsoever
station the vicssiudes of life might place me, to
susian by any and every just means within my
troll, the measures of adjustment of 1850 believing
their adoption whole have been wise and their
operation salutary. And | am prepared, under all
whenever and wheresoever my action
shall be required to resist any attempt, to disturb
change the provisions of the existing law to re-
duce il beneath the constitutional standard and thus
render ii less efecual for securing the people of
the South their conceded rights. 1t would clearly
be the duty of the Executive, under these circum-
stances, 10 resist any such attempt by lnterposng his
veto and should 1t be my fortune be clothed
with such authority and the occasion should arise, it
would most surely be exercised"
GEO. M. DALLAS: "'Fo each and all of these inter-
rogatories, give you the only which my
mind reconcies with of Executive duty the |
only answer which can assure the rights and peace i
Of the States, and the pernanency of the Union the
only answer which chief magistrate, were he about
10 swear that he will support the Constitution, could
give: mean, sincere positive, unequivoca " Yes!
tC0uld ~ give you this answer the decided
y, because it is not the birth fthe moment but con-
orms with sentiments which have long entertained
Ind openly avowed, which have desire 10 conceal
to qualify any occasion for any purpose and
which, in my humble but firm Judgment if our noble
md benefcent structure OF government is to be pre-.
served must animate the breasts and regulate the
conduct of all its functionares from the highest the
luHlblest.' .... ... ....l ....
JOSEPH LANE 81 would feel it my duty TO resist
III attempts to reopen that subject of legislation and
f, as President of the United States bill should,
Unfortunately, be passed by Congress, modifying or
hanging the law referred to, SO as TO impair its pre-.
ent valuable enactments,"I should promptly veto
L." --... . 80 !,
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS: my opinions upon these ,
uestous have undergone no change, and shall
eem it my duty, in whatever official position may
re placed, to exert all legal and constitutional author
ty 10 enforce the honest execution of those as well
all other acts passed in pursuance of the Consu-
ion. lnasmuch as the Constitution of the United
states provides that person held 10 service or
abor in State under the laws thereof, escaping
no another, shall, in consequence of any law reg
ation therein, be discharged from such service or
abor but shall be delivered up the claim of the
arty to whom such service labor may be due - it
ecame the Imperative duty of Congress to pass all
necessary to carry that provision into effect sand
act calculated to render that provision OF the Con-
tltutIon imperative, destroy diminish the force
the existing laws for its fulfIment, impair or
bstuct the rights of the citizens of any State under
!, can ever receive my approval.
JAMES BUCHANAN: g These three several ques- a
ons, answer, without the slightest hesitation, in
ne affirmative. -, !
In my opinion, the contingency to which you re-
sr. is remote and highly improbable that Congress
I'LL ever pass bill, 50 modifying changing the @
fugitive Slave Law, so to impair its present val =
able enactments.'' This law consummated the bond "
peace between the slavehoding and the non-slave-
odlng States, at the late very critical period of our
Istory. Had it not passed, the remaining measures
adjustment, however wise in themselves, would
OF have deserved the of Compromise between e