Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-18
GEN. Scott and the Compromise.


pecially opposed to the Fugitive Slave Law
There are some few mon in the Wing party sim
pie enough to believe it, and many in the Demo
cratic ranks who if their INSCRIPTIONS orators and
newspaper writers would only tell them that Gen.
ScorT aided in the rescue of reclaimed Fugitive,
would place implicit confidence in the statement
Such slaves OF party we may never hope to reach
There are sensible men in that party, however,
who may not be unwilling to investigate the charge
that Gen. SCOTT is not sound on the Compromise
question, and to such we address ourselves in this
article.
The only shadow of foundation for the charge
consists in thefact that Gen. ScoTr did not, prior
to his nomination. crle an official letter, endorsing
the Compromise Measures. 1t cannot be denied
thathe did endorse them his Castle Garden Speech
that he did endorse them while acting as tempo
rary Secretary of War, and labored zealously with
CLAY, CAss, and other prominent men of both par
ties to secure their passage; and that he declared
himself, time and again to every man who ap-
preached him on the subject, their firm and unwa-
vering friend, after their passage. 1t will not be
denied that every man in the City of Washing
ington knew precisely where he stood, and that
even Mr.. CABELI, whose detection is now paraded
as proof that Gen. SCOTT is not sound, declared in
the House of Representatives that he kneao him to
be as sound as a,,y man Ia The Union. These are
facts, and nothing remains upon which to base the
supposition that he is not sound but the fact that
he declined making a bid for the nomination by
,criting letters upon the Compromise, when his
views were known to every public man in the
country Now, we ask if this is sufficient evil
dence to convict him2 Democratic Editors and
Democratic orators say ''yesi" We have been
amused to hear men avow from the stump with
,one breath that the Compromise Measures opera
ted unjustIy upon the South, and with the next at
tempt to demonstrate that Gen. SCoTT cannot be
trusted by the South, because he did not write a
letter approving them.
Let us apply this letter guage to the Democrat
ic party and take the dimensions of their consis-
tency Did General PIERCE ever endorse the
Compromise Measures by letIerbsfore his nomina-
ton? A letter was written 10 him for the purpose
of eliciting his views, but no answer was evei
written By him. or if written it has been carefully
suppressed His letter to Maj. LALLY will not
do. That did not make its appearance until after
the nomination and is Of course unworthy OF conf
dence. We contend then, that he stands convict
ed of hostility to the Compromise, upon precisely
the same evidence brought TO bear against General
| AL E,,J
orators and airdealing gentlemen of the press, de-
claiming indignantly against Gen. SCOTT as trail
tor to the South and tool of the Freesoilers be-
cause he ''didnt ac,ite q etiSr," and cannonzing
Gen PIERCE, we presume because he ''ddn't
write" one either.
But, is Gen. PIERCE the only Democratic can
ddate who declined to define his position on the
Compromise question, by letter. flour memory
does not fail u.s. he is not. 1t strikes us that there
was candidate before the people of this State, not
very long ago. for whom all the Democrats voted,
who in the face of the charge that he was not
sound, and in defiance Of calls made upon him by
the Wing press all over Virginia, steadily and per-
tinaciously refused to make known his VIEWS
ty for the highest office in the gift Of the State,
and in his letter of acceptance, like the Conven-
ton that nominated him, was silent in regard to
the great question of the day. Neither before nor
after his nomination did he develop his SEN
timents. TheiWhig press urged it against him,
but to no purpose. His friends protested their will
lingness to support him, without any written en-
!, dorsation of the Compromise, and the party voted
for him, to man, without knowing from him
whether he was for or against it. Since the nau-
guration of that worthy, however, the higher-aw
: doctrines advanced in one of his messages has
given US some insightinto his viewsu upon the "dan
gerous questions involved" in the Compromise.
How honest and straight forward the course of the
now jealous Compromise Democracy of Virginia.!
Eight months ago they sustained Gov. JOHNSON,
who wrote no letter either before or after his NOM
nation, and now turn up their noses at WINFIELD
ScorT, because he did not write before his noml-
nation, although he abored zealously in behalf Of
, the Compromise, and has endorsed it formally in
his letter of acceptance
But this is not the only glaring inconsistency in
which the Democratic party and its leaders are in
volved. They sustained Lieutenant Gov. LEAKE,
who pronounced the Compromise a spill prescrib-
ed by Federal Doctor" and reelected members Of
Congress- who had voted against and used all their
influence to defeat the measures. How funny that
party now looks seated bolt upright on the Com
promise platform to the exclusion, ifpossibe, ofev-
cry body else How strange to hear their leaders
} denouncing WINFIELD ScoTT as untrue to the
South because Of his alleged opposition to series
of measures, which they have themselves declared
unjust in their operation upon the South! If Gen.
SCOTT, were indeed opposed to the Compromise
Measures, it ought to be recommendation to the
Democracy Of Virginia, at least, who in two Con
ventons refused to endorse them.
The fact is the party is hard up for capital, and
in their hot haste to manufacture it, the leaders
are only developing to sensible men their own
bare-faced demagogueism. They don't doubt Gen.
Scorr's soundness on the Compromise, and ifthey
did, would like him all the better for it.
We have asserted before, and assert again, that
no argument can be brought to bear against Gen.
SCOTT, upon this pointer any other connected with
the subject of slavery, which cannot be urged with
equal force against his opponent; while much may
be told to show thahe is far more worthy of South
ern confidence and support To him the South
may confde her rights and interests with as much
safety to any other within the limits of the
Union. He has endorsed the Wing platform,
o,l al