The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-07-18

Northwest There we hold hat comparatively hon
orabe who ullers calumny openly and boldly meets
the responsibility, when contTased with the slanderer
who will sneaklngy insDuae that which he daTes not
openly avow [Great cheering
Now, fellow-ctzens, have bat one answer to make
TO all these insinuaons in reference TO General Plesces
military character and that answer is simply this
General Winfield Scott in his official reports under the
sanction OF an oath, has given the lie direct TO every
base sandeTer who dares intimate lnsnuaie such an
impuation. lApplause.l wish every wing 10 remem
Der that il he uters repeats this charge his can
ddae Tor The presidency has pronounced and proven him
oalumnlaor, and that by making the charge he also
General Scott OF ialsehood in his official reports
to the government Do our wing friends expect to com
mend their candidate 10 the favorable consideration OF
the American people by branding him with Official false
hood whilst al the head OF that gallant army ~ which
he gained all OF his aures Either General Scott is IN
worthy of public confidence, or franklin Pierce was
brave, gallant. and skiu general lGreat applause
have charges 10 make against the military conduct
the galantry, and heroism OF the iluslrious general
whom the wings have presented to the people OF the
United States as their candidate for the presidency
will depeeate his merits as soldier, because truth
and honor forbid it, Applause will refrain because.
cast the slightest shade OF dshonor upon those glorious
deeds which form part OF American history. The
aurels OF Scott, achieved while fighting the battles OF
his country upon the Canadian frontier or in the various
Indian wars, in the more recent Mexican campaigns,
property, and am as proud OF them as any
OF wing friends who, after having opposed each OF
these wars, striving 10 elevate military chief
tain to the presidency solely upon the ground that he was
gallant hero in what they believed to be unjust
cause. (Great applause
But fellow citizens, are TO deal with General Scott,
during this campaign not the generain chief OF the
American army-no in the performance OF his pofes-
sona dues bat in new character, which he has lately
assumed-ihat of PARTISAN candidate seeking poliii-
cal bonors II is Of the politician that | am now 10
speak, and not of the general propose to submit TO
YOU and to the American people the question, whether,
when General Scott departs from the line of his profession
and from that course of duty in which he has acquired all
his honors and his glory, is wise and patriotic TO con-
vert A GOOD GENERAL INTO BAD PRESIDENT [Cheers.]
Gen Scott presented TO the American people by Inc
Wing National Convention candidate Tor the presl-
dency That convention before proceeding to this NOM
nation, formed and proclaimed TO the world platform
OF that platform have but little to say; for in all things
except upon the slavery question, II is genuine wing
concern to which every democrat is presumed to be ut
tery and reconcilably opposed So far as it relates
to the slavery question. il is plank stolen from
the democratic platform for which they now attempt
10 claim credit before the American people. Zap,
pause After the convention had thus proclaimed
the platform, it proceeded 10 nominate candidate tor
the presidency who had perinaciously refused, on
any public occasion, ever 10 endorse The PLATFORM or
to give any OF his approval OF its principles
True he wrote letter 10 member OF the convention, IN
which he said substantially that 'f you will nominate
me, will write letter in which will express sentl-
mens strong in favor OF the Compromise as | did TO
you in private" al will not write letter for publca-
ion now, because that would look like bidding for tbe
presidency [faughter.1 "But you at liberty to
show this TO Jones. and Bots, and other friends"
[Grea laughter Now gentlemen, what do yoa think
of the frankness of the old soder He writes no letters
for publication lest he might be suspected OF election
eering but SENDS private notes members OF the
vention, pedging himself TO make publication IN favor
of certain principles in the event OF his nomination. Is
this manpnvre sanctioned by 'SCoPS Infantry lGccS"
as adopted in the army has the old soldier been taking
lessons in political tactics from General Seward' IRE
newed laughterl
Well General Scott received the nomination " unani-
mouslyn according to the official proceedings OF the con-
yenton [Laugh'er1 Fellow citizens did you ever hear
of unanimous nomination which was made IN defiance
of the y-tmes repeated protest and emonstrance OF
the delegations from halt OF the States oil the Union
represented the convention Every southern deega-
lion voted against him more than fifty times, day alter
day. and night after night and YET The nomination was
!" unanimous" tGreat laughter] The nomination OF
General Scott, therefore, presents TO toe American people
this extraordinary anomaly: For the first time IN the
history OF party contests has sectional nomination
been forced upon either OF the two great parties
You may talk of the dangers TO the American Union
growing out of partisan strife and political contests you
may emble the through which we have all re-
Gently passed, connected with the slavery agitation but
yet there nothing in all that 50 perous TO the safety
" the Union as a sectional nomination for the presi-
dency where the North demanded the nomination Of
particular upon sectional issue, and toe delegations
from every southern Stale without exceptions resisted the
nomination dangerous 10 their rights and institutions
nomination forced upon the South By the free soil wing
of the wing party North snow presented to the Ameri-
can people as unanimous nomination. IL matters
not whether the North forced the nomination upon The
South, or The South upon the North-the danger
consists in the fact that territorial line divided mems
opnons that northern men were one way and southern
men the other But after the nomination is made we are
told that il fair compromise because the South
ceved the PLATFORM and the North obtained the candl
date, under the direction oil who "deV' and 'spU
upon" the platform. Thus we have Winfield Scott be-
fore candidate for the presidency. After mature
debeaon he proceeds TO accept the nomination, and 10
write the letter which he had promised Mr. Archer IN
the private note that was found in Botss pocket
[Laughier Let whether that letter IL as strong
the which he promised 10 write He says; Not
having written word TO procure this distinction, laugh.
teri lost not moment after II had been conferred IN
addressing letter TO one OF your members TO SIGNIFY
what would be, at the proper ilme the substance OF my
reply 10 the convention; and now have the honor 10
repeat in a formal manner the occasion justly
demands, that | ACCEPT THE EoMIsATIoN, WITH THE
RESOLUTIONS ANNEXED"
Now, gentlemen, desire 10 know what is the meaning
Of the words with the resolutions annexed" Does
he that he approves the resoluonss II so,
why did he not say so, as the candidate for the vice
presidency Mr. Graham, did in his letter Of accept.
honest Frank Pierce did and say, 81 accept
toe nomination upon the platform adopted by the con-
venoD not because this is expected OF me as candi-
date, but because the principles il embraces command the
appreciation OF my judgment There you have hon
est speaking from honest heart, without any
equivocation Discrimination, mental reservation. Here
you find that Cen Scott accepts the nomination "with
the resolutions annexed-that is 10 say, using language
susceptible OF two constructionsone al the North, and
another at the South. In the North il will be said
that he accepts the nomination notwithstanding the
platform that he accepts it although he dehes" the
platform that he accepts Il, although he "sps upon"
the platform. the South il will be said he accepts il
with an approval OF the platform. submit the question
to you whether that language was not framed sudousy
for the purpose OF enabling men, North and South, 10
read one way or the other, the public pulse should
beat in their particular localities. Again | submit 10
you was il the genera-n. chief Of the army who fought