Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1852-09-08
10 IA Gafat.
TIT ut tFa3f1Ft'
Our REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS.

political friends and take refuge 10 the Dem
ocratic camp, few remarks in reference to
bis past history and present position will not,
perhaps, be out Of place.
Now every man mas an undonbted right to
entertain such opinions upon political and
other matters us he thinks is in accordance
with truth; ard il. after full and impartial
investigation be sincerely believes himself 10
tie wrong. he has an indubitable right to
change his opinions without being blamed for
so doing, On the contrary. as it requires so
much more moral courage than usually falls
to the lot Of most persons to enable a man to
acknowledge himself to be ii error, be should
rather be respected for his candor and homes
ty than condemned for his weakness or YER
satility; and if be is in a private station, he
should be allowed to change his opinions
without being questioned or censured by any
one for bis conduct. The condition Of a man
in public life, is however, somewhat different
hc has then been elected to certain Office BY
persons entertaining certain views of State
policy. and ia favor IF certain measures, and
while he holds that cihce, and the opinions Of
his constituents remain unchanged, lie is un-
der the most solemn and stringent obligations
to carry out those views. and support those
measures. Ii IL a contract as fair and bind
ing as any that can be made and cannot he
set aside by the mere will aud caprice of the
representative. Now let us examine the po-
sition Of Mr.. Faulkner. lie had been known
as Iihig, zealous. decided and thorough
Wig, tearlesslv and ably sustaining all the
leading measures Of that party 1t is true
he differed from majority Of the party in
regard to the Mexican War. but as this was
a question rather Of sectional than . party
ture. and as many other good Wings en-
tcrtained the same views this was not regar
ded IS serious Indications Of political apos
taey
When he became a candidate for Congress
about II year ago, he styled himself a Union
man hit ms the country was still greatly ag
iiated upon the slavery question aud as the
daetrue Of secession was strsHgly agi:atcdi il
many parts If the South AID his competitor
somewhat tinetufed with it, his political
friends understood lin tn mean nothing more
or less than that he considered the peserva
ton Of the onion as paramount to every
other consideration. and that the Old points
OF issue between the two great parties being
Of minor importance compared with this great
question, they would be comparatively lost
sight Of in bis desire to preserve the iutegri-
Is Of the Union but they never dreamed that
he contemplatcla completes ard entire change
in is political views and sentiments Soon
after the election il was rumored in certain
quarters that he would in future act with the
Democratic party, and inme aiatcly after the
meeting of Congress- he gave uunistakeahle
evidence of the truth of this report Since
that time no man has been mnrc faithful in
his allegiance to the Democratic party than
Mr. Faulkner has been In Card publish
ed short time since by himself aud others.
he declared bis determination not 20 support
Gen Scott, and more recently. in speech
delivered in the House Of Representatives. he
expressed his intention Of voting for General
Pierce. AS those documents contain the
reasons for bis political somerset they deserve
the particular attention of his constituents,
especially of the Whig party. He has at
Inst, it appears. become zealons and deter
mined advocate Of slavery and having comc
to tic conclusion that the Wing party is idcn-
teal with the Abolition party, he must Of
course dissolve his connection with it.
One objection to Gen Scott is, that he
"obstinateiy refused up to the time Of his
nomination, to give any public opiuion in ia
vor of the Compromise Measures, therefore
he cannot be trusted Well did not Gen,
Pierce fail to give public opinion in regard
to those measures. when interrogated by Mr
r G. Scott. of Richmond2 Then why pre-
fer him to Gen Scott?
If it should be said be had given them his
assent on other occasions, VIC would reply that
Gen. Scott did the same: he gave them his
most cordial assent at all suitable times, and
strongly urged their passage upon members
OF Congress- both Wings and Democrats, with
all the Influence he possessed This is GER
tilted by members from North and South. -
Mr.. Bolts, of Va says: lie has never hes
itated to say that be is in favor Of the Com
promise Measures in all their parts, and
opposed 10 asy disturbance, agitation or al
terdtion Of the Fugitiue Stare Lac; and
enjoins confidence and secrecy on no man to
whom he has made this communication. -
Dir. Stanly Of N G., says: "He had all along
been urging every body to go for the Com
promise Measures, sometimes as thought to
an indecorons exte,.t AS his opinions were
universally known, be concluded that there
was DO necessity for bin to write public
letter ard that to do it would be nothing
less than an electioueeriug Did for the nomi
nation. aud regarded the opportunities of
those who were so camoreus for him to write.
as a palpable attempt to bully him into sub
mission. But, says Mr. / in his Card, lie
has not since bis domination made any deela
ra'ion Of bis approval Of those measures as a
FINAL adjustment Of the issues "a eontroper.
sy." Ii Mr. II had read the 9Th section o;
the Wing Platform. he would have learned
that these measures ARE received and aequi-
eseed in BY the hies of the United >tates
as FINAL ADJUSTMENT II PRINCIPLE AND
SUBSTANCE OF the SUBJECTS To WHICH THEY
RELATE which is endorsed by Gen. Scott in
his letter OF acceptance in terms as broad aud
explicit as he could use. What more would
Mr. f. ask Farther on be says: in one
Of his puoic letters he expressed sentiments
iaiinical to the institutions OF fifteen states
of ihe Union " If Mr.. +. had informed
us when and where this letter was writ