The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-23

No. 60.
J.. TIL E EP U B LIC.
From tie Charlesto,on (Ha.) Free Pyess.
Hon. G. y. Faulkner.
The following is the reply Of an intelligent me-
chanic to Mr.. Faulkner, for the facor of copy of
Mr.. Toombs's speech: .,.....
| .a.. BoLIvAR, near Harper's Ferry, Va.
.... =. ia. ....... IA. July rs, 1852.
SIa: am one of those who, before the present
constitution Of Virginia went into operation. were
subjects Of the Cover nment without being citizens.
Consequently had no vote to give you last Mo-
yembers but my gratitude for your efficient labors
the soundness of your opinions upon all the great
questions which divide the two great political par
ties, and my admiration of your character and
your support; and, on my part, nothing within the
small compass of my abilities left undone that
could contribute to your election. therefore ask
Of your courtesy (what perhaps d constituent
might claim from his Representative as . rightly
permission to address you few words In relation
TO the extraordinary political course you have
thought proper to pursue, and in answer to the
the shape Of : speech delivered by Mr.. Toombs. Of
Georgia, atouching the approaching Presidential
elections" to which To- appended. the ''pronuncia-
mento" which has made you and your associate
seceders famous The legitimate inference from
the fact Of your having circulated this speech ia,
| that you endorse the sentiments and opinions II
contains, as well those contained in the address
to which you have affixed your signature, re-,
ment) now before me. It purports to give the
reasons, or some of them, why you refuse to sup
port General Scott for the Presidency, and advise
/ have read them carefully, and cannot discover
single one that will bear investigation. I'LL are
based upon false premises
Says Mr.. Toombs: 81 d. not know of single
sentiment ever uttered by General Scott, in rela-
ton TO the principles settled by the Compromise,
or in relation to the subject of slavery in general
that ia in unison with my own, or the convictions
"pronunciamento'' says: Gle obstinatsiy refused,
up to tho time of bis nomination, to give any pub.
lie opinion in favor of the Compromise" Mr.
Toombs says of General Pierce: 'From my small
knowledge of his history, take him to be early,
consistent. and energetic opponent of anti slavery
fanaticism in all its forms; and firm and decided
friend of the Compromise"
Now Mr.. Toombs's knowledge of the history of
IScott, 40 well a. Pierce, must be very small in
deed, if he does not know that General Scott most
unqualifedly declared himself in favor of those
measures, in the presence of thousands of his
fellow citizens at Castle Garden, in the city of New
York Was not that giving ..pubc opinion in
favor of those acts" cannot imagine what con-
stitutes a public expression Of opinion. If that
speech was not one. You cannot be ignorant of
this fact, nor Of the other conclusive fact, that
General Scott, in Washington, while those mea-
sures were pending, supported Clay with all his
ability and influence in his efforts to procure their
passage; Thus the objection falls to the ground.
May ask you, in this connexion, If General
Pierce did not refuse to "give any public expires.
sion of opinion in favor of the Compromse, ,
when p Scot Of RiShmOnd :,
this date? Moreover, sir, does your knowledge Of
General Perce's history comprise any cognizance
of the fact that, in a speech at New Boston, in
~ h. Ar lxk.~
Fugitive Slave law" that che had horror of CIV
ing up slave;'' that sthe features of the F1gi-
tive Slave law were opposed to the common law,
to moral right, and to humanityl" Permit me "a
facts staring hun in the face assert that Pierce
stood farer upon the Compromise before his nomi.
nation than General Scott. l do not think any one
You also atlege that General Scott has not sine.
bis nomination made any declaration of his ap
proval Of those measures az final adjustment o
I like myself, unskied in the captious. clubbing
arts Of factious politicians, cannot be made to un
derstand how such language Us that contained In
his letter Of acceptanoe-"l accept the nomination
ciples laid down in those resolutions are so broad
that but little is left for me to add''-"I should
neither countenance nor tolerate any sedition, dis
!, order, faction, or resistance to the law or The
d Union on any pretext, in any part of the land"-
can be construed into any other meaning than I'm
included. Nor can / see how the last paragraph
:: but ono of bis letter can be made to mean an,
d thing but that he gives "the known incidents Q
II his long public fe," his character and his fame
security for his "strict adherence to the princi
pies of the Wing party, as e1pressed in the reso
lutions of the convention"
. You allege, as another reason why Southern
Wings should prefer Pierce to Scott, the fact tina
% the latter is supported by "the open and avowe.
and is therefore unsound upon that question. Tn
absurdity of this allegation is only equalled by tn
erontery of presenting such argument to an intel
}; ligent people If General Scott is Freesoer be
70 cause Seward supports him, and s therefore not en-
titled to the support of the South, pray what con
h stitutes Pierce's claim to that support, who mum
n bers among his partsans tho two Van Burens
It John p Hale Robert Rantoui, b. F. Hallett, &C.
In answer to the position, which is rather implie
,. than asserted by Mr.. Toombs, (and consequent
o by you,) that the Democratic platform is equal
explicit with that of the Wings the subject Of tn
: Compromise, i 10 only necessary to point to tn
facts-that while the latter considers those acts
d 'fnal adjustment. in principle and substance,
the subjects to which they relate, the former
l. fully avoids the word s'hnal," and, by q muc
fairer rule Of construction than the one you appI
to General SCOTS letter, will mean that the Demc
cratic party are only pledged to execute them Will
they arelaws, reserving the right to repeal them
te support and maintain them, and insist on the
" strict enforcement, until further legislation sha
be legislation, while it will guar
against evasion Of the laws on the one hand, an
their present efficiency TO carry out the require
ments of the Constitution-the Democratic part
"adopted the principles Of the Virginia and Ker
lucky resolutions Of '95 az constituting one of tn
main foundations of their political creed, and
ae resolved to carry them out In their obvious mean
q ing aud import;'' the second Of which resolution
!. lays down principles of construction which, if ad
e mtted to be true and applied TO the Fugitive Slav
n law, render that law "void and Of no force"
c. defines and provides means to unish crimes whc
cannot be reckoned amoag those enumerated
The resolutions Of 9S, and all such laws are d.
clarcd by those resolutions Of 1898, and the Demo
cratic resolutions Of 1854, to be "altogether vol
Of and of no force" Think you that the southor
0 Union Wings will prefer this platform TO thci
er own?
These reasons, sir, thus act forth in the documer
you, have sent me, not sufficient TO shake Ii
allegiance to the Wing party, to impair my conf
j. dence in its great principles, or in the great ma
who has been selected to bear its standard in TIL
campaign. And am confident that express tn
sentiment Of the entire Wing portion Of your con
stituency in this district, when say that you hav
" failed In ustifv deser(on the