The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-08
ACCEPTANCE OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONvEN-
TON BY GEN PIERCE

ACCEPTANCE OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONvEN-
TON BY GEN PIERCE
We find in the Washington Union, copies Of
the correspondence between Mr.. Pierce and
the Committee appointed to inform him Of his
nomination. Tho Committee say
You will be free to exert your tried abilities
within the path of duty in protecting that re-
pose we happily ENJOY, and in giving efficacy
and control to those cardinal principles that
have already illustrated the party which has
selected you rs its lcadcr-principes that re
gard the security and prosperity of the whole
country, and the paramount power Of its laws,
as indIssolubly associated with the perpetuity
Of our civil and religious liberties.
The Convention did not pretermit the duty
of reiterating those principles, and you will find
them prominently set forth in the resolutions
it adopted To these we respectfully invite
your attention
Mr.. Pierce in his reply, dated Concord
IN. H. June 18th, says
shall always cherish with pride and
gratitude the recollection of the fact that the
voice which first pronounced for me, and pro
nounced alone came from the mother Of
States pride and gratitude rising far above
any consequences that can betde me person
ally.
May not regard it as a fact pointing to
the overthrow of sectional iealousies and look
ing to the perennial life and Mgor of Union
cemented by the blood of those who have pass
ed to their reward-a Union wonderful in its
formation boundess in its hopes, amazing in
its destiny accept the nomination, relying
upon an abiding devotion to the interest. the
bnn,r and tbn ,,lnrv tf nur uLpln Int
beyond and above ALL upon power superior
to all human might--a power which, from the
first gun of the Revolution, in every crisis
through which we have passed in every hour
Of our acknowgcd peril when the dark clouds
have shut down around us, has interposed as
If to battle human wisdom, Outmarch human
forecast and bring out of darkness the rainbow
of promise. Weak myself faith and hope re-
pose there in security accept the nomination
upon the platform adopted by the Convention,
not because It is expected of me as Il candidate
but because the principles it embraces COM
mand the appreciation OF my Judgment and
with them believe ! can safely say there has
been no word or act of my life in conflict"
Mr. Pierce then, holds that all efforts of
the AbOltionstS. or others made to induce
Congress to Interfere with questions of Slavery"
are traught with the most alarming and dan
gerouS consequences; pledges himself to
abide by and adhere to faithful execution of
the Compromise, including the Fugitive Law
and unites with the Democratic Party in the
pledge to resist all attempts mt renewing, in
Congress or out of it, the agitation of the Sla-
very Question, under whatever shape or color
the attempt may be made" whether moral
religious, or poltlcal-whcther in opposition to
the aggrcssons of Slavery, or with "A view to the
promotion Of Emancipation. He concurs with
General Scott IN relation to the Compromise
measures, hut goes far beyond him when he
pledges himself against the agitation of the
question of Slavery, under whatever shape or
color
There is something extremely audacious in
this declaration Not long since, the question
Of Slavery was agitated in Kentucky with II
view to Emancipation, and the leading men OF
that State, including Henry Clay took part il
it Should the question hereafter he renewed
under similar circumstances, we have tn,
solemn pledge of Mr.. Pierce, and Of the Con
yeution that nominated him, that he will resiS
the agitation Resist the agitation Of thu
question of Slavery by Kentuckians in Ken
lucky The pledge is absolute, unqualified
covers all supposable cases of agitation of thu
Slavery Question anywhere
And then, this aspirant for Presidential hon
ors under Democratic auspices, IL at pains t.
let the world know that he does not simply ac
quesce IN the platlonm--he does not accept ii
principles Tor the sake of obliging his friends
or because the necessities of Party rcquir,
it" but because the principles it embraces
command the appreciation Of my judgment
and with them believe can safely say there
has been no record or act Of my life in con
hictr
That is true. His record is clean and un,
spotted in this respect; and the fact that he
boasts Of this, shows that in his Judgment tn,
Democracy of the North concurs with him Or
the strength Of his devotion 10 these principles
which he ought to know are dsavowed 10y
large portion of tho Democratic Party in thu
free States, he challenges the support of tn
whole Suppose he had taken the same tru'
and bold ground in favor Of relieving the Fed
eral Government from all responsibility iol
Slavery, which Martin Van Buren, and the
Radical Democracy Of New York took in s4S
and pledged themselves to maintain-how