Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-08-21


He is no trimmer whatever. The word he has to ut
ter, he utters aloud that all of men may know
t-he is no ambiguity, he speaks not in parallels nor
is there forked tongue in his mouth He writes he
thinks and he thinks the right sort of thoughtshe is
a National Man, or there are none ofthat stock now
extant.
The Abolition Candidate for the Presidency.
We have again and again exhibited the means by
which Gen. Scott secured the nomination for the Pre-
sidency. We have shown that he was a Sectional,
and not National, candidate. We have shown that
he is the nominee, not of the wing party South but the
wing party, North. We have shown that he was the
choice of Northern faction, and not of the whole
Northern wing party. We have shown that the fac
ton headed by Seward Greeley, Gov. Johnson and
Raymond were his most ardent friends, and that they
are the who most fercey and pertinaciously de-
nounce the Fugitive Slave Law, and the compromise
acts generally and that they declare they will agi-
tate the question of slavery, spit upon the National
Wing Platform and keep up sectional controversy,
not alone for political purposes, but with view of
deprving slavery of the protection of government both
in the territories and the District of Columbia We
have shown that these the men who opposed Mr..
Fillmore because he announced his determination to
enforce the fugitive slave law and stand by the
proms acts final settlement of the subjects they
embraced. We have shown that Mr.. Webster-the
man who, more than any in this Union, had lent his
great name and splendid talent to the building up of
Sectional Partys-was crush down by these men, and
for what. Because, forsoothe, he had declared his
determination to stand by the Compromise acts as
final settlement of the subjects they embraced We
have shown all this from the record-we have challen-
ged controversy these points, and the very silence
of the opposition may be legitmatey construed into
admitting the truth of the statements.
But we have said that Webster has done more to
wards arousing Sectional feeling than any man in
the Union. He has brought to the subject a cool and
dspassionate mind, an enlarged and comprehensive
intellect, and sagacity clear twas penetrating
Webster under the exterior of selfish patriotism has
countenanced the aggressions of the North and where
was necessary to throw the weight of his character
backed by his splendid reasoning powers into the scales
against the South, he forward with his voice.
Some of his speeches furnished material for all the
fanatics and the sober and rejecting people, who re-
garded Webster as the embodiment of constitutional
TRUTH the inspired god of constitutional construction
followed his lead without question. While then he
was not the continued prominent figure in this sec
/
and, like an able general, he shaped the movement.
and gave to it vitality and an enduring life Web.
sers patriotism is questionable at best It is sell
fish, and chiefly sectional, patriotism He was aim
ing at the Presidency He was shaping his course for
the Executive chair and hence, may be found in all
his speeches bastard species of National leaven lust
sufficient to render him very acceptable to the North
and not so obnoxious to the South to prevent him
| from heir +od
the elements of discomfort with cool and calculating
spirit. When the late question came up, Webster
saw at glance, that the hour for him to strike had
arrived He believed that he could throw his stawart
form ahwart the current of fanatcism and check its
progress. He believed that he could concentrate the
force and power of the abolition sentiment around him
SELF and by announcing his everything and never-dv-
ing hatred of slavery, fix it. He believed that by an
nouncing his determination to adhere to the compro-
mise acts settlement of the subjects they embrac-
ed, until time and experience should demonstrat. the
necessity further Legislation, would put him in an
attitude where party machenry would cover him, and
under the operation of National Convention, he was
on the highway to National BAPTISM his whigery and
abolitionsm being by the baptsmal process solved in
to one indivsibe element. This was his idea and we
know that his great 18th ofach speech was his first
got that revolutions never ''take 10 step backward
and that they 'never stand stl' He had forgot the
remark of the old French republican, who wisely con-
cuded, that revolutions made of rose water
and that the man with the stiletto in his hand was
more likely to make his way through crowd than the
man with the argument in his mouth He had neg
lected this and while he reasoning the point Sc
ward with his stietto in hand was cutting his wav to
the Presidential chair through National convention
for his salient friend, Gen. Scott. The bold crafty
but ever working man-the man who showed his de-
iant blade everywhere the man who did not stop to
reason the point in the midst of a struggle but kent
striking-striking always, became as all men knew
he would sooner or LATER the trusted leader of the Sec
tonal Party-the party of progress the revolutionary
incarnation. Fanaticsm had reached that point at
which reason ceased to CONTROL and demanded for its
leader man who would stop to calculate the cost
1t has no use for old foges and though Webster had
been its guide up to the crisis, he faltered there and
was lost. This is the history of all fanatical move
ments. Sooner or later it upon its leaders and
devours them. 1t is impatient of restraint and if is
necessary to be at work, and work it will have even at
the price OF destroying its own children Had Web-
ter drawn aside, or been silent; had he adopted the
Scott policy he would have been the nominee in his
stead, beyond all doubt 1t was the fear that he a
about to betray Freedom, the abolitionsts term it
that caused his defeat He wavered. and fell Ike Tn
offer, never to rise again. Good by, Daniel
Seward now rides trumDhant He no. ,1oI 1.