The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-17
VOL. vi.
praise awarded by him to Mr.. Webster for b;s
18th Of March speech.

praise awarded by him to Mr.. Webster for b;s
18th of March speech
In letter TO Major Lally, dated Nav o.
few days before the late Convention. which mo-.
doubtless designed to be used in that bod.
he insisted that, for the sake of giving pro,a,
ton and strength to the men who in New
Hampshire had fought the battle for the Pu.;
tive Law and Compromise, the Democracy Of
the nation ought to endorse these measures
This letter was read at the Ratification Meet.
ing in this place, by Mr.. Richie, as follows
fremont HOUSE,, BosToN, May 81 1852.
intended TO speak to you more fully upon
the subject of the Compromise Measures than
| had an opportunity to do. The importance
of the action of the Convention upon this cues.
ton cannot be over-estimated. believe there
will be no disposition ON the part of the South
to press resolutions unnecessarily offensive to
the sentiments of the North But can we say
as much on our side Will the North come
cheerfully up to the mark of constitutional
right! lf not, breach in our party is neyi
table. The matter should be met at the thresh
old, because it rises above party, and looks to
the very existence of the Confederacy The
sentiment of no one State is to be regarded
upon this subject but having fought the battle
in New Hampshire upon the Fugitive Slave Law
and upon what we believed to be the ground of
constitutional right, we should of course desire
the approval of the Democracy of the country.
What ! wish to say to you is this III the
Compromise measures are not to be substan.
TALLY and firmly maintained the plain rights Sc
cured by the Constitution will be trampled in
the dust. What difference can it make to You
or me whether the outrage shall seem to FAN
on South Carolina, or Maine, or New Hamp.
shire? Are not the rights of each equally
dear to us all? ! will never yield to a craven
spirit that from considerations of policy, would
endanger the Union. Entertaining these views
the action of the Convention must, in my judg
ment be vital If we of the North who have
stood by the constitutional rights of the South
are to be abandoned to any time-serving policy,
the hopes of Democracy and of the Union must
sink together. As told you, my name will
not be before the Convention but | cannot
help feeling that what is there to be done will
be important beyond men and partes-traus-
cendently important to the hopes of Democratic
progress and civil liberty.
X 4
Your friend, FRANK PIERCE.
We should like to see what was omitted!
The action of the Convention was regarded
by him as vital-a very different opinion from
that entertained by the Erening Post The
course which he so anxiously desired and pro
nounced vital, was adopted by the Conven-
tion and yet the Post strives to separate him
from this policy, to exempt him from all re-
sponsibility for it, and then it gives him support
while repudiating the platform-that is, adyo-
Gates his election, and repudiates his Principles
Finally, the most ultra of the Slavery papers
cordially sanction his nomination, as above all
sectional suspicion. The Charleston Mercury
pledges him the vote of South Carolina, ten to
one. The Richmond Va.) Examiner, leading
Democratic Journal, which goes for slavery in
the abstract, says of him:
I" No fact is better known about Mr. Pierce
than that he has ever held correct views of the
sectional questions that he is a steady OppO-
nent of Northern fanaticism and that both in
and out of the Senate he has always occupied
n position satisfactory to Southern men, He
is one of those Northern Democrats who have
always stood by the Constitution in dealing
with slavery, true to the right in storm and
sunshine in evil and good repute careless of
popular favor scOrnful Of desertion, and infex-
ible in their own resolve,