The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-15
From the National Intelligencer of July
A CARD.

A CARD.
WASHINGTON, July 3, 1852.
To prevent all mistake and misapprehension,
we, the undersigned Members of Congress,
adopt this method of making joint statement
to our constituents, respectively, and to all who
may take an interest in the subject that we
cannot and will not support Gen. ScoTT for the
Presidency, as he now stands before the Amer
lean People, for the following amongst other
reasons
He obstinately refused up to the time of his
nomination, to give any public opinion in favor
of that series of measures of the last Congress
known as the Compromise; the permanent
maintenance of which with us is question of
paramount Importance. Nor has he since his
nomination made any declaration of his ap-
provdl of those measures as a final adjustment
of the issues in controversy
1t is true that the resolutions of the Conven-
ton that nominated him are rs clear and as
explicit upon this question as need be; but
General Scott, in his letter of acceptance, does
not give them the approval of his judgment
This he seems studiously to have avoided. He
accepts the nomination with the resolutions
annexed" That is, he takes the nomination
cum onere, As an individual takes an estate,
with whatever eneumbrdnceS it may be loaded
with And the only pledge and guaranty he
offers for his adherence to the principles of
the resolutions are the known incidents of
long public life" &C.
Amongst these "kno,cn incidents of his life
there is not one, so far as we are aware Of in
favor of the principles of the Compromise, ln
one, at least, of his public letters he has ex-
| pressed sentiments inimical to the institutions
| of fifteen States of the Union. Since the pas
| sage of the Compromise he has suffered his
name to be held up before the people of several
| of the States as a candidate for the Presidency
| by the open and avowed enemies of those
| measures And in the Convention that con-
| ferred this nomination upon him he permitted
himself to be used by the Free Soiiers in that
| body to defeat Mr. Fillmore and Mr.. Webster,
| because of their advocacy of these measures
and their firm adherence to the policy that sus-
tanned them.
To Join such men, and aid them in compile
| ting their triumph over, and sacrifice Of the
true and tried friends of the Constitution, and
the faithful discharge of all its obligations, is
| what we can never do The dictates of duty
and patriotism sternly forbid it,
We consider General Scott as the fduorite
| candidate of the Free-SoH wing of the Wing
party That his policy, if he should be elect
| ed would be warped and shaped to conform to
! their views, and to elevate them to power in
| the administration of the Government can but
| be considered as legitimate and probable re-
suit And believing as we do that the views
| of that faction of mischievous men are dan
| gerous not only to the just and constitutional
| rights of the Southern States, (which we rep
resent in part but to the peace and quiet of
the whole country and to the permanent union
| of the States, we regard it as the highest duty
of the well-wishers of the country everywhere,
whatever else they may do, to at least with
hold from him their support. This we intend
to do.
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS, of Ga.
CHARLES JAS Faulkner, of Ia.
w. Brooke, Of Mss.
ALEX. WHITE, Of Ala.
JAMES AHERCROMBIE, of Ala.
Il. TooMBs of Ga.
JAMES JOHNSON, Of Ca
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
a candidate for the Presidency IL it should
seem to be necessary, we will hereafter, in
some form, exhibit more fully to our constitu-
ents the facts and reasons which have brought
us to this determination
CHI. WILLIAMS, Tenn
NJ p. GENTRY, Tenn.
With the exception of Tennessee, the Wings
could in no case have any hope of carrying
any of the States represented by these gentle
men, a majority Of whom, by the way, sustain
merely nominal relations to, the Wing Party
having been identified of late with the Consti.
tutional Union Party.
1t can hardly be expected that they will
maintain neutral position. 1t would be I'M
safe. They must act positively, or make up
their minds to become obsolete. They will
probably cast their votes for Pierce, as they
regard him on the Slave Question emiuently
sound and trustworthy, and an Independent
Union nomination might impair his strength in
the South.
The question is, What has become of Cabell,
Clingman, and Marshall Are their consttu-
encies so doubtful that they dare not speak!
After all, who knows but these nine South
ern men may be willing to do General Scott
service? Perhaps, convinced that he can carry
but three or four States in their section, they
may be anxious for demonstration against
hiw, to help him at the North Their card is
a capital electionecriug DOCUMENT for that re-
0ion