Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-07-14
Maaifesto OF seuthern MhiEs.


To prevent all mistake and rnisappre-
hension, we, the undersigned, Members
of Congress, adopt this method of making
q joint statement, to our constituents, re-
spectiyely, and to all who take an interest
in the subject, that we cannot and will not
support Gen. Scott for the Presidency, as
he now stands before the American ,Peo-
pie, for the following amongst other rea-
sons i s1, Ttaslji{ Ti
He obstinately refused, up to the time
OF his nomination, to give any public opin-
ion in favor of that series of measures of
the last Congress known as the ComPro-.
mise the permanent maintenance OF
which with us is question OF paramount
Importance. Nor has he since. ms noml-
nation made any declaration OF his 0p-
pyova1 of those measures as final ADJUST
ment of the issues in controversy.
1t is true the resolutions of the Conven-
ton that nominated him are as clear and
as explicit upon this question as need be !;
but Gen. Scott, in his letter of acceptance,
which contains all that we have from him
on that matter, does not give them the
approval of his Judgment, This he seems
studiously to have avoided He accepts
the nomination, "with the resolutions an
nexed." That is, he takes the nomina-
ton CAN Oneye, as an individual takes an
estate, with whatever circumference it may
be loaded with, And the only pledge and
guaranty he offers for his adherence to
the principles Of the resolutions" arc the
known incidents of a long public life" &c.
Amongst these "knoWn incidents" of
his life there is not one, so far as we are
aware of, in favor of the principles of the
compromise one, at least, OF his pub
lie letters he has expressed sentiments
inimical to the Institutions of fifteen
States of the Union. Since the passage
of the compromise he has suffered his
name to be held up before the people of
the States rs candidate for the Presi-
dency by the open and avowcd enemies
of those measures. And in the Cunvcn-
ton that conferred this nomination upon
him he permitted himself to be used by
the Free SoiierS in that body to defeat Mr..
FrLLMoRE and Mr.. WEBSTER, because of
their advocacy of these measures and
their firm adherence TO the policy that
sustained them.
TO Join such men, and aid them in COM
pletin" their triumph over, and sacrifice
Of, the true and trjed friends of the con-
Stitution, and the faithful discharge of all
it's obligations, is what we can never do.
The dictates of duty and patriotism stcrnly
forbid it,
We consider Gen. Scott as the ,Jitporie
candidate of the Frce-soR wing of the
Wing party. That his policy, ii he
should be elected, would be warped and
shaped to conform to their views, and to
elevate them to power in the adminlstra,
,;,,, ,F, L, ENvnuuOlnOt hut bu pOO-
sidcrcd as legitimate and probable re-
suit And believing as we do, that the
views of that faction Of miscellaneous men
are dangerous not only to the Just and
constitutional rights OF the Southern
States, (Which we represent in part, but
to the peace and quiet Of the " hole coun-
try, and to the permanent union of the
States, we regard it rs the highest duty
of the wcl-wishcrs of the country every
where, whatever else they may do, to at
least wi hhold from him their support.
This we intend TO do.
ALEXANDER III. STEPHENS, of Ga.
CHARLES JAS. FAuLNNER, of Va.
w, BHooKE, of Miss.
ALEX. WHITE, of Aln
JAMES ADEnCRoMHE, of Ala.
II. TooMGs, OF Ga.
JAMES Johnson, OF Ga.
For reasons to some extent indicated in
speeches and addresses, heretofore made
by the undersigned, they deem it to be
their duty to withhold their support from
Gen. Scorr as II candidate for the Presi-
dencv. If it should seem to be necessary,
we will hereafter, in some form, exhibit
more fully to our constituents the facts
and reasons which have brought us to
this determination.
NJ. p. GENrRy, Tenn.
G. II. WILLIAMS, Tenn.