Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-10-12
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENTS.

There can no longer be any doubt Gays the
1 Nashville Union) that Gen. ScOttfs to be run as
4 an anti.slayery candidate. His advocates in the
/ North urge his election exclusively upon this
1 ground. The prediction of Col. Gentry Is already
realized, and he has fallen perfectly in the hands
1 Of the enemies OF the Constitution. We find in
the Kentucky Statesman letter from James A.
| Briggs, Esq leading Wing politician IN Ohio.
! We extract portion Of it:
| Letter from james A. Briggs, Of Ohio.
'.Gen. Pierce is legitimately the candidate Of
the slave propa gandists of the South and their
! natural allies Of the North. While be was Re
preventative aud Senator in Congress accord
| ing as the record was made up by DR.. Baily, Of
the National Era, (and his testimony Is 10 be "a.
ken without any doubts, as the Doctor has no al.
fuities for the Whigs,) Gen. Pierce showed him-
selftO be the friend and hacker olthe Rhetts, and
Calhonns, on every question where slavery was.
concerned. Mt, AIheHon, 81 New Hampshire,
lswas not more serviie than Gens efce. Qn all
occasions, t6e Dedoefa - @ llllI Ifl Els FOR
THE PRESIDENCY VOTED. FOR SLAVE.
RY AND AGAINST FREEDQM. Here he
has shown his hand. Forthe interest of slavery
he has mado his mark, AND HE iSTHE CAN.
DIDATE OF THE SI.AVE;.PERPETJJAIs-l
ISTS OF THE SOUTH. This party opposes
Gen. Scott they fear him; they have read his
letter Of 1913, and they know that neither as q
man or as a President, is he, or would he be, in
favor ofthe diffusion of slavery. In his b0yhoOd,
when in the college Of Virginia, he was an eman.
cipationist. And nine years ago, he declared tif
he had had the honor of q seat in the Legislature
of Virginia, in the winter Of 1872, he would
have given the bill in favor of gradual emapcpa.
ti0n hearty support" Gen. Scott also saws, II
am persuaded that it is a high moral obligation
of masters and sIayeholding States. TO employ all
means, not incompatible with the safety of both
colors, 10 meliorate Slavery even to extermina-
ton"
These are the early, the deliberate, and the
now opinions of the Wing candidate for the Pre-.
sdency. With the full knowledge that these
are his sentiments, on that great question, which
above all others has agitRted the public mind of
this country for the last ten years. Gen. Scott
was nominated at Baltimore. In that Conven-
tion HE WAS BY THE PRO-SLA-
VERY PORTION of the Wing party from the
first until the last.
Al baltimore the friends of Mr.. Fillmore and
Mr.. Webster were clamorOus for Platform; un-
doubtedly for the purpose Of killing off" Gen. |
Scott. The Northern anti. i.slaVeFy Wings were |
opposed to a Platform; and when they found af- |
ter contest of several days, that they must loose
Scott, a portion accepted a modified platform, |
which declares ''thatt they will maintain and in.
sist on tho enforcement of the fugitive law un- |
til time and experience shall demonstrate the me-
cessity of further legislation, ,'-'' and that they
deprecate all further agitation of the questions
thus settled"
In the Wing party there is a large element of |
free.soil, or OF anti-slavery. The great mass |
THE NINETY. NINE OUT OF EVERY HUN |
DRED OF THE WING PARTY IN THE |
STATES ARE OPPOSED TO THE |
EXTENSION OF SLAVERY-are for emo |
slave territorY-no more slave SIates."
Gen. Pierce and his party annexed Texas, |
(when the vote of a single Democrat Senator |
from free State would have prevented ip-in. |
volVed us in a war with Mexico, and PLACED |
UPON THE STATUTE BOOKS OF THE |
THE FUGITIVE Law. To all these
measures the Wings OF the TrCG States were OPP
posed.
AS to the Fugitive Law, does any man believe |
thatif Congress should amend, modify, or change |
it, that Gen. Scott would not give any such bill
his sanction? don believe in the Veto Pow
er. II should have no place in our Constitution;
it only belongs 10 governments where IS Kings
rule by Divine Right." Icare not what bin Con-
gress may pass the President should sign it,
Ii it is wrong, the people will see TO it that it does
not long remain upon the statute book.
Too often has the will of the people been set
at naught by Democratic Presidents who have
assumed to themselves kingly Prerogatives, and
exercised the veto power.
That man who says Freedom has no more to
hope from Gen. Scott than from Gen. Pierce, 10
either ignorant of the facts, which are spreadout
for all to read, or else he utters deliberate false
hood. II Scott is elected, slavery is held where
u 4b4 tS+GAeCtcuS Slavery IuIIS IIOIs III
voting for Scott vote for positive political good.
10 voting for Pierce,.I should vote for positive
political evil. take the candidates as they stand
with their parties upon the Record, and 1 must
vote for Scott and Graham.
JAMES A. BRIGGS.
We ask the people of Virginia calmly to pom
der the above extracts They are indeed, fear
fully significant of coming events. That there
should, here and there, be an abolitionist sup
porting both of the candidates, is natural enough,
but the indication becomes pregnant when ALL
Of Scott's original friends in Convention were
anti slavery, and when he is supported as the re-
preventative of the anti-sIaveFy idea. Many
shrewd politicians at Washington entertain the
idea that Gen. Scott was never nominated with
hope or wish ofhis election-that the controlling
motive which dictated his nomination was TO sec
tionalize the Wing party. 1t must be confessed
there is much reason TO entertain an opinion of
this character. Certain it is, that many OF his
friends place his election upon grounds which |
every sensible man must know ensures his de-
feat. Why do this unless the abolitiOniziug Of
the party is stronger motive than Scott's sue
cess7 But read the extracts above. Ponder |
upon them.
r.