Washington telegraph., 1852-09-01
From the Memphis Eagle d Enquirer
Gen. Pierce and the Fugitive Slave
Law.
THE CLovEN FOOT REVEALED !!

The nomination of Gen. PIERCE was
considered masterpiece of party strategy.
He was certified to Capt. SCoTT the old
.togy-klIler. and the managers who pulled
the wires along with that renowned individ-
ual, as being achite sheet Of paper, on
which they might write any creed they
choose. He had been a General in the
Mexican war-had been some time out of
politics-had merer done anytAiug of such
salient character as to commit him against
the prejudlces or the opinions of any large
class or section of the country-had never
filled any large space in the public eye
and was one OF those nc9atlge kind OF men,
against whom nothing in particular could be
said. These schemers and managers fore
saw, from the widespread popularity of the
Hero Of Lundy's Lane and the conqueror of
Mexico, that Gen. SCoTT was next to GER
tain of being the Wing nominee. They
foresaw that he would not electionecr for it,
by writing letters, and making new profes
fession Of faith to obtain it. They foresaw
Or rather thought they foresaw in all this,
the chance to make party capital by assail.
ing Cen SCoTT on the sctional issues, and
questioning his soundness on the subject of
slavery. They knew Gen. Scorr would
not stoop to repel their vile SANDERS and
Misrepresentation, but would leave that to
the intelligence Of his countrymen, guided
by his previous public declarations OF prn-
ciples and the well known part he had taken
In public affairs. Forthwith the whole pack
of unscrupulous party presses opened on
this cry of Gen. ScoTT's identity of sympa-
thy with the North. and the charges were
rung in every southern State upon his
".SeWardls1t,' y months before the Conyen-
ton met.
At length the scheme which these lug
glers had hatched was brought to light, in
the overslaughlng of every man of real dis
tlnctlon in IN the democratic party, and the
nomination of Gen. PIERCE Relying up
on the assurance of his friends that he was
sort of a political carte blanche his advo-
Gates IN tie South sounded aloud his prais-
es on the score of his orthodox devotion to
the Compromise, the Fugitive Slave law
and all representing him as even better
southern man than the authors and fnishers
of the Adjustment. Fearing no develop
ments contradictory Of the pretensions they
set up for him, they "spread themselves to
render the contrast between his ultra pro-
slavery views and the moderate sentiments
of Gen. ScoTr, as striking as possible
Gen. SCoTT was on the record as having
imbibed in early life, and as still entertain
ing the abstract sentiments of the Fathers
of the Republic. He was on the record,
too, as having given the strongest pledge
that man can give to the maintenance of
the Adjustment Compromise of 1885,
But, said these partizans, in, effect, our man
Gen. PIERCE is more southern than that =
he goes bowshot beyond these ancient
slaveholders-he gives the "approvM Of
his Judgment to the fugitive slave law
he is not merely pledged to execute and
maintain it, but he is actually IN love acith
at-it's special favorite with him.
Now all this was very irrational and abb
surd No man, in his senses, not blinded
by party prejudice, could believe that
Frank Pierce, born and raised in bigot-
ed NeW Hampshire, was more favorable
or more tolerant to the institution of slavery,
than WINFIELD ScorT, born, raised" and
educated to manhood among shareholders in
Virginia. But it suited partizan purpo-
ses to so represent the matter. and the as
surance that Gen. PIERcE's past public life
was such blank that his friends might at
tribute to him almost any opinions fearless