The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-06
General Quitman's Position,

otherwise; but it will be useless with such evil
dence."
General Quitman's Position.
The Wings have been charged with mis-
representing the position of General QuIrMAN
in the Presidential contest, by attributing to
him sentiments highly favorable to the princi
Piles and character Of General SCOTT. The ex-
leader of the Democratic Secessionists is not
the man to whom we should ordinarily appeal
for certificate Of the soundness of Wing
candidate; but we are not therefore to reject
the testimony he voluntarily offers against the
views and assertions of the party of which he
is member.
The subjoined letter, communicating Gene.
eral QUIrMAN's version Of the conversation
which has been relied upon for an exposition of
his views, deserves circulation coextensive
with that Of Democratic ISLANDERS of General
ScoTr. 1t is the spontaneous expression of the
opinions Of an able and we believe honest
thong h Observation-Disclosures, and should silence
the pop gun batteries of Democrats that are
withou, tithc Of his distinction or integrity.
| 1t will be seen that General QuIrMAN's state
ment agrees substantially with that Of the
Memphis Eagle; and that he declares une-
quivocally his conviction that General ScorT
has not been appreciated by Southern Wings,
that he is trustworthy on the slavery question,
that he was an early and has been constant
friend Of the Compromise measures, and that
his whole character repels. the supposition that
he will be unduly swayed by others in the
event Of his elevation to the Presidency. We
shall see whether the Democratic presses that
have been in the habit Of printing and applaud
ing General 4UiTMAN's letters and speeches
Will make room for the following:
ga CARD
"MoNmouTH. July %, 1852
"Io Major El,oard Editor Of the Free Trader:
"DEARSln Some friends who appear to attribute
more consequence to newspaper reports of my
opinions than do, have specially called my at.
!ention 40 the following article from tho Memphis
Eagle AID Enquirer of the 4th Instant:
6" TESTIMONY OF DEMOCRAT AND SOUTH
ERNER.
awe presume that among our Democr tic fellow;
citizcns at least. the opinion of OK Governor John
A. Quiinun, OF Mississippi is entitled to come
weight. The genu'neness of his 'Dclnocracy'
and his honest but somewhat instructed devotion
10 the South have, we believe, never been oues.
toned even by the biterest of his political opoo.
nents. A gentleman OF New Orleans, who was a
fellow pas ienger ol Governor Quit,Dan a few dsys
since q steamer bound up the river ast Cd l.; ,
opinion of General Scott?
'"Sr,' said the Governor, in re ply, the Amer.
lean people have never done General Scott Justice,
The more that mans character and claims Ut die
tncton are canva ssed the higher will be the nd
he will take in the admiration and gratitude of his
countrymcn.'
'"lhave been SUI ptsed and astonished continued
Governor Qutina') that among the Wing party
| there should be found single man unwilling to
| give him cordial and hearty support AZ to his
being controlled by Seward that is all stuff, |
know the man, aud he will be- controlled Nv no
one, contrary to his own convictions of what il
| right. And, az 10 his being true to the South I
| consider him the most uue ep iona bic man ON
that score. among all tho Wings who hav. been
named in connexlon with the Presidency. / am a
| do from General Scott on every political o,,.s
ton, can never give him my support; bu, IL there
is a Whig in the Union for whom, under any cir.
| cumstancea, could cast my vote for Pre.ident
| that Wing ia Winfield Scott.
| '"Such, in substance, we understand WA the
reply OF a brave and saiant.old so!dier, when Lis
opinion oi noble and much abused com pa Mon in
| arms was asked. We have before heard thai these
were the sentiments of Governor Quitman. IF VIC
mistake not there Ia a gentleman in this city, 10
Democrat,) and another at Holly Springs, Mis-
eissippi, who served with Governor Quitman in the
Mexican war, to whom, some months since he
made declarations almost identical with the fore
| going. This testimony, from one of the highc"
| Democratic sources, taken in come xion with Gen
| eral Scott's hearty, unqualified, and enthusiast site
approval Of the Wing platforn-( (Which it il now
| PLAIN AND PALPABLE TO WORLD rs souNpeR
| sTRoNGER, and MORE JUST THE Souri, on sec.
| tiona questions, than the Democratic platform) -
these facts, we say, OUGHT to be, and doubt not
WILL be- satisfactory not only to all Wings but to
| every man in the country
"The Jealous friend Of General Scott who re-
ported to the editors of the Eagle and Enquirer the
conversation above alluded to, has no doubt unin.
tentionaly placed in my mouth language stronger
| than used and thus attributed to me sentiments
which do not entertain, and could not utter
1.-THE conversation alluded to occurred ON the
deck Of steamer, in the presence of several gen.
tlemen of both parties. In reply to various opin
ions expressed by others, said in substance thai
the Southern Whigs, in their opposition 10 General
Scott had done him injustice; that his opinions on
the siauery question less obnoxious Than fhos,
heretofore publicly expressed by Fillmore and WEB
ster, and you'd sooner trust him on that s,b;,e,
than either Of those gentlemen; that if there ,ra,
| any mtrH ~ the Compromise which ! did not nd
init. Scott should be preferred by them, bfcauss h.
openly declared for il before FHmore's opinion ,,a,
kno,cn. For these reasons il appeared to me
strange that men who were willing to suppor,
Fillmore or Webster should make objections "a
Scott: That my objections to Scott applied equally
to the other gentlemen; they were founded on ra
dical differences Of opinion in regard to the struc.
turc and character Of our political system; tina,
General Scott was an advocate Of a strony ma