Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-08-05

stances that leave no room 10 suspect hlStukes
and. the avermen,s be untrue. the oath is
perjury. Notes of what Gen. Pierce said at
New Boston were taken at the time, and the
language used by him was written otft the
same day. There was no time for forge,fu-
ness. To disbclicve what Mr.. Foss says, we
have to conclude first: That man devoted
to the sacred calling orthe ministry, and whose
character, prior to the date Of the occurrence
is not impeaehcd would wilfully lie. This is
one improbability. Secondly: we must con
clude. that he would lie against lis o,cn inter
est, and to the defeat of the object he was seek
ing to accomplish, 10 wit keeping alive the
hostility of the Free-soiers TO Gen. Pierce
This is still greater improbsbiliIy Thirdly
we have 10 conclude that he not only disrc
garded the obligation of truth. and told false
hood calculated and obliged to produce an
effect adverse to that which he desired-but,
that he so little regarded his reputation as
man and a clergyman, as 10 lie about matter
Of the most public character. the truth or
falsehood of which was known t. hundreds
who-were present. This is the greatest i'm
probability. The three measured 10y the rules
ofmoral philosophy. or weighed in the scales
of common sense, amount to an impossibili,y.
This deduction is strengthened by consid-
Grafton ofthe circumstances surrounding Gen
Pierce. In the first place. he is a native and
has always been a citizen of free State He
is a prominent member of the Democratic
party in that State, and reputed to he its
leader. In 1s47 series of resolutions were
presented in The Legislature. declaring a
mong other things. that slavery was "a moral
social and political ecH and tina, in all territory
thereafter aided to the United States. where
slavery did not then exist. "neithcr sidcry
nor Involuntary serritude, except for the pun
ishment Of crime, whereof the party has been
/ duly convicted. ought erer to erist, but, tie
same AouI erer remain free; and aes are OPP
posed TO tie ertenslon Of slapery. orer any such
territory: and Mat IRE also approve HE rofe Of
our Senator's and Representatives. in Congress.
intaror efMe IVlmot Proriso." These reso-
lu,ions. as we are informed by one of General
Pierce's organs. the New Hampshire Patriot.
were voted for by erery Democrat in the Leg
islatur. Now. if Gen. Pierce be the leader of
the Den ocraiic party in that State, as is main
tanned by the democratic speakers and presses
in Virginia, it cannot be doubted. that this ac-
ton Of the party in the Legislature command
ed his sanction and approval-and expressed
his individual sentiments.
The same paper, the New Hampshire Pat
riot. declares that the attempt made to repre-
sent "the Democracy of this (that) State as
hostile to the WlLMoT PRovIso" is "domnyigAt
scoundreltsm," and gives the proceedings Of
sixteen conventions, including one State con-
vention--to prove the truth Of its statement
1t is apparent therefore that the universal sen
,iment Of the New Hampshire Democracy, of
which Gen. Pierce Is the leader is hostile to
upon a political atmosphere tainted with. the
deadly vapors Of abolition and free soilism. 1t
is therefore exceedingly probable that his
'teeiings REVOLT at tie sight ETA human be-
ing in bondage'' and that he "LoATHEs tie fa-
gitire Stare lac"
Let Us see whether it is not equally probable
that he would give uiterance to his sentiments
upon this subject. He knew this to be the
feeling of his party in New Hampshire. he
had political aspirations they did not extend
beyond such honors as his own State could be
stow-fpr he declined answering the letter of
Elector Scott, several months later. because he
could not conceive that his name would be
brought before the National Convention. He
had nothing to lose at home by avowing the
opinions ami feelings ascribed to him. In WIS.,
iting New Boston his object was conciliatory
one. He desired to make favor with the anti
compromise party who We're then in the ascer
dam. 1t is perfectly natural therefore. that, as
Mr. Goodale says,in order to regain their pow
err with the people, Gen. Pierce and his friends
should have represented that their feelings, in
regard to the inhumani,y and Wrong OF the Flu
girive slave law, did not differ in the least from
those who had supported Mr.. Atwood"
What could be so probable as that he should
have said 10 them, gentlemen hate slavery
as much as you; my feelings revolt at the
thought ofgvng up fugitive slave. l oa,he
the law. But our fathers entered into this
compact-and unless we abide it the Union
will be dissolved and to make the worst Of it,
the North has got the kernel and the South
the she'll" This is the course Of remark he is
represented to have pursued, and to our minds
the probabilities that he did pursue it are so
strong; as to amount TO moral conviction.
This conclusion is not weakened by the fran
tic efforts ofthe opposite party to relieve their
candidate from the fatal attitude in which he
has been caught. We know rather too niue h
Of their facility at making up proof We re-
collect too distinctly how positively they proved
the Southern feelings" Of MARTIN VAN Blu
rem, and the fidelity to the South Of LEWIS
CAss, and the "clean record" OF w. J. Brown,
and the fre-eatng propensilies of the immortal
JOSEPH" Give them a candidate for office
and let the distribution of the loaves and fishes
depend on his success, and II it were ne ccssa-
ry to prove that he was stray angel from
heaven they would give you proof ",hick as
blackberrcs." Long practice has given thu m
incredible skill. They have genius for in
ven'ion equal to any exigency, and fund Of
supply perfectly inexhaustibIe. But we in
cline to think that human gulibili'y has lin
Il