Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-07-19


blaze Of every battie!'
This information was precisely what was
needed. No official accounts having boon
rendered Of these deeds Of bravery. We might
remain in ignorance Of them, If Gen. Pierce
had NOT impaired the needed information
There certainly are two facts in the Generals
history that have not often occurred tn the
great captains, Of either ancient or modern
times.
lie fought and fell
| But lived to ,eu"
The speaker no,o tookup the subject Of Stare
ry. He said 1t aeas tie greatest trouble cfthe
country and it rasso regarded by Warrington.
As for himsclfAe "necer saw human being
in bondage, ,cithoxt feeling his heart reroh at
l IL. Narery is contrary to the Consultations IN
some respects-a moral blot upon the chardc-
ter of tie nation. Bat IL can't be helped."-
He referred to the great peril in which the
Union had been placed. Some. and among
them Rheit of South Carolina. openly avowej
disunion; and John p Hale had so far joined
| in the movement as to crack his jokes with
Rhett and other secessionists. For himself,
he " as in great distress when he heard that
the Compromise measures had failed. Hewas
at Meredith. and told the people he wanted 10
die If the, Union was to be dissolved-and dis
solve it must, If the Compromise measures did
not save it!
The General then introduced Mr.. Webster
to the attention Of his audience. He had been
charged with going for Webster. The fact
WAS he had always been opposed to that man.
and his father at one time liked to have lost
his Office Of sheriff by him. In company with
Others he received an invitation TO dine " it'll
Mr. Webster at Franklin. His father often
used to entertain Wings al dinner Much had
been written as to what he said that occa-
sion 81 will tell what did say said Gen
P-"I said to Mr.. Webster, we never have
agreed before, and we never may again
We agree upon the Compromise question, and
let us make the most of it' He declared that
there had been much silly lying about this
matter; but omitted TO state that the Boston
Post or its correspondent. who was present at
the dinner. WAS responsible for it. He de.
clared that Mr.. Webster and Mr.. Clay were
sincere in their efforts to save the Union. Mr.
Clay was dying, and if he had been sincere
in every act of his life as in the part he had Ia
ken in the Compromise measures, he would re-
ceive from the grca, Judge what we all So much
desire-the approval. well done. good and
faithful servant"
Alter few more EXPLANATIONS in regard to
saving the Union. and announcing the fac, that
in the late war my own command and the
Palmetto regiment stood together on the field
of battle" the General again took up the Com
promise measures. saying that the North got
the kernel and the South the shell, He re-
peated what Mr. Aver had stated hefnre, "that
the present Fugitive Slave law. about which
so much noise as made. wds in no particular
different from HE lao of'1793, under " hich
we had lived nearly sixty years.
Here Mr.. Foss said, that ithout nterru p
ting the speaker, he wished To make en-
quiry: "Ifin no particular different. Why was
it necessary to pas, the presen, Iaw?'
General p. replied that the old law could
not be executed because its execution Dope n
ded on he Statc Courts He also said some.
thing which as not fully understood about the
law Of 1893, as passed partly on the common
law.
He was then asked, "Was either the law Of
49, or the present law. founded in any degree
upon the common llw7"
Gen. Pirre.-"l can't 60 into disquisition
upon the common law"
The inquiry was then made, do You re.
gard the features Of the Fugitive Slave law as
consistent with common law!"
Gen. Pierce-"WELL, IF | MUST ANSWER.
No. DO NOT. | HAVE BEEN ASKED If LIKED
THIS FUGiTWE SLAVE LAW. ! ANSWERED,
No. | HAVE MOST REVOLVING FEELING AT
THE GIVING UP OF SLAVE; THE FuGITrvE
SLAVE LAW IS OPPOSED TO HUMANITY. HERE
SOME ONE INQUIRED, as IT NOT OPPOSED TO
RIGHT" YES, IT Is OPPOSED To MORAL
RIGHT. But our fathers made the compact,
and we mus, fulfil it. I say nothing of the hui
manity of ii, nothing of,hc right of it,
Gen. P. then gave vivid description of the
scenes that would occur if The law was disre-
garded. First. party Of Nv eniy armed men
would cross the Pennss lvania line to recover
fugitive sla, es; twenty would meet them To de-
fend the slaves. Then five hundred would
come, 10 he met Ly equal number and be-
fore three months would pass amy Of 50O.-
900 " ould be in the field; and the South would
he as likely to plant their banner at Philadel-
pha as the North theirs ut Charleston
AT length the Ge eral commenced upon his
relations to Mr. Atwood. He stated that he
had had little To do with poli,ics. and his
friends had often hlrmrd him at Concord be-
cause he took so little interest in them. He
omitted, how ever, to staie that he wrote to the
Rev. ID L Richardson on political matters
last winter-that he was In the habit Of APP
pcaring before the legislative committees as
the agent oflhe Concord and other railroad
corporations. and even went before the House
at the last session in behalf of the Northern
Railroad Company and that he is Giving
large fees from corporations, on account of the
political influence which he las as leader of
the Central Regency. He said that it was
strong friendship for Mr.. Atwood ~hich drew
lin into the affair Of last winter. He had been
active in getting Mr.. Atwo God appointed State
Treasurer, " signed his bonds and procured
Others TO do the same. He went at some
length into an explanation his relations to Mr..
Atwood, in which he represented himself 10
have been the most harmless and Christian like
msn in the worid-and Mr.. Atwood any
thing but an honest man. when Mr.. At
wood said he. '.taiks about my being engaged
in politics, and connected with the clique, aud
managing and planning for them. he says
WHAT he KNOWS TO DE FALSE" He alluded
to Mr. At~ ood's ungraelul course, and decar-
ed that he took very little interest in the mat
ter of Nh Atwood being sent for to come to
Concord, having, when consulted. merely adj
vised Perkins Gale to go after him. He said
that he wrote part and Mr. Atwood part OF
the second lettei-that he advised Mr. Atwood
TO write just what his judgment and consci-
ence approved of, let the consequences be
what they might. frank Pierce talking a.
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