The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-22

favor scOrnful Of desertOn, and inhe1ibe IN their
own resolve,
90 UnmOv "A,
mistaken, unseduc'd unterrifed.'
Then follows Mr. Orr Of South Carolina, m
a speech in the House. Immediately after the
nomination, in which he holds the following
language:
But other questions have arisen since his Con
gressOnal career opened Of the delicate texture
and gravest importance, which he has met as a pa
triot and a statesman. His voice among the hfs'
heard the floor Of Congress, in opposition 10 the
fanatical schemes Of the Abotionists, when that
questions full Of danger and dissension-was in
troduced here lie proved himself elninenty conser-
yatiyc upon that issue, and proclaimed boldly Tor
maintaining the constitutional rights Of the South
his action conormabc to the creed you adopted
last week at Baltimore. long before that creed
reduced 10 form and shape paper Your resolu
ton there is that Congress has power under the
Constitution 20 interfere with or control the domestic
institutions of the several States and that such States
are the sole and proper judges of everything apper
tanning to their affairs, not prohibited by the
Constitution: and that all efforts OF the Abolition
lists or Others, made to induce Congress 10 inter
icre with questions of slavery Ia take incipicnt
steps in relation thereto calculated 10 lead 10 the
most alarming and dangerous consequences, and that
all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to dI
mnish the happiness of the people, and endanger
the stability and permanency OF the mon, ana
ought not 10 be countenanced by any friend Of our
political institutions. II there should be one cruel
and ungenerous to question his fidelity TO the con
stitutiona rights of my section-and do not ask
more than that from any man-let him recur TO ms
spcech in reply 10 Mr. Slade, of Vermont on the
Abolition question To the constitutional rights of
the South he has been faithful among the taithess
when others have been swept of by the wild waves
of fanaticsm, and turned their hearts and hands
against the lust rights of their Southern brethren
he-through all the changes and ycisstudes Of for
tunC-has stood firm his native granite hills,
resolved that the Constitution alone should be the
polar star of his political hopes and prospects. And
although he was saddencd by seeing for a brief
SON that cloud of tanaticsm which lowered over the
entire North obscure the of the republican faith
even of New Hampshire, he never quailed in the
general gloom but trusted firmly that returning rca-
aud justice would dspel ITS murky folds and that
it would again shine forth in all its brightness Nor
was he disappointed for abolition and It's allies there
were swept of like autumn leaves before the wintry
blast
Let me- then conjurc Southern men of the Op
position to pause and consider long and well before
they enlist under doubtful eoors to wage war
against one so true faithful so bold, so fearless
a Franklin Pierce has proved himself to be IN up
holding the Constitution. How many others fell
when the tempter came When State after state
deserted and embraced Abotonism and Frce-Soil
ism and madness ruled the hour, he calmly surveyed
the impending ruin, sounded the alarm, and rallied
his native State the side of reason and justice
BE not ungraeful TO one who stood by you when the
issue was far more momentOus than party triumph
or defeat Ii would be sin not Of the smallest
grade IL your nominee has proved and still proves
his devotion to the Constitution, support hlm II your
principles demand il but never strike down n true
friend to a iaithless enemy.
In the face OF such record, OF such support,
and such testimony, what do we see} The
New York Eoeaing Post elecuoneerng Tor hum,
| ex Senator Dix, aud ex- Free Soiler John Van
| Buren,, and ex-Abolitionlst Henry b. Stanton,
with crowd of other Free Soil Democrats
n,,I oil nc
| loudly as they praised and advocated the nomi'
nation of Martin Van Buren, in 1913, made on
Principles and for Purposes directly opposed TO
those on which the nomination OF Mr. Pierce
is now made,
Once more we appeal to our Free Soil Dem
ocratic friends not committed oTthe nomna
ton. You now know the antecedents OF the
candidate and his present position. On the
paramount question he is and always has been
directly and vitality opposed to you. You know
the platlorm-no sophisry can explain away
the fact that it was as fairly adopted as any
platform ever was by political Convention.
| You know that Mr.. Pierce insisted upon the
adoption of the offensive features which char
acerize If; that he fully represents 1t; that his
success will be the ratification OF that platform
| by the Democracy of the United States. IL con
| tans no word in favor OF Land Reform, no
word in favor of placing the Government OF the
| United States, in It's foreign relations and nego-
tiations, on the side of the Democratic Principle
| in Europe--no word in favor of Just protection
| 10 the river and lake commerce of the West,
| commerce more valuable than all our foreign
| trade but, with single exception, II refers to
| old issues, which either have been settled, or
no longer constitute questions between the two
parties; and the excepton-the only new
article in the Platforms adverse TO all your
convictions, abhorrent to all your sympalhles
On what principle, in what way, by what
device Of reason or sophlstry, can you justify
TO yourselves or to others the support OF such
a platform, such nomination? Is man
bound to 90 with his party, right or wrong !
Can he not refuse, openly and maniully, TO sup
, port ii when il does wrong, when IT calls upon
| him TO vote on wrong issue, and go with 1t
when it does right? We care nothing about
third parties but in certain crises, movements
by party men, independently OF their party or
in opposition TO il, are demanded by conscience,
consistency, true manhood, the best interests Of
the country. And at such times personal
hazards must be braved. The man must make
up his mind to die, politically, rather than die,
morally.
Let him once conceive this high resolve, and
he is safe. In the long run, he will by this
noble daring best promote his own political
interests but. in any event, he saves his honor,
his self respect, his position in the judgment OF
all whose good opinion IS worth having. In
more senses than one is II true, that he who
would save his life shall lose il and he who is
willing 10 lose his life, shall save II. We have
| in our eye two striking illustrations OF this
truth, afforded by the case Of one public man
Il
destruction and another distinguished and
eloquent gentleman, who in the attempt 10
save his life, lost it-sha il be forever2