Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-02-05

their rights and liberty, he is to be executed
traitor, because he resists the !" law of the Union
upon such sc prete9t." This declaration Of Gen.
SCOTS is but repetition of the old doctrine of
submission to the divinity of rulers and govern
ments. 1t is doctrine which persisted on the
American continent the fourth day of July, 1776
1t is not recognized in the limited monarchies
of Europe though it still maintains its sway under
the despotisms of Asia. Why was Gen. Scott in
duced to incorporate such sentiments in his letter.
at as they with all the principles of the
Republican party, and in fact with all just Ame'i-
can notions Those who advised him to it must
have had a motive. There are, it is true, many
persons scattered up and down the country, who,
of extreme Federal opinions, are at all times strug-
Cling to have the present Constitution of the Uni
ted States converted, practically into absolute
government. More than their efforts, however,
must have been at work. Is it not to be traced to
the influence of the antislavery party of the North
These higher-law men are struggling to obliterate
all the limitations of the Constitution and to alb
serb within the vortex of the Federal Government
all the rights of the States and the people. In this
mode they hope to Cypress the minority in the
South and carry out their purposes. Expecting
themselves to have the control of the Government,
they inculcate the doctrine of unconditional sub
mission to whatever the majority of Congress may
do. They have, with these objects, therefore, art
fully contryed to have such sentiment incorpor-
elected they might have declared that the Ameri-
can people had sanctioned it, and thus greatly con-
tributed to give it currency and strength.
If, then, fellow-ctizens, Gen. Scott had been
elected, what would have been the actual condition
of things? In the first place, Messrs. Fillmore and
Webster had been superseded in the convention,
because of their support of the Compro Mise and
Fugitive Slave Law, and Gen. SCOTS election would
have been regarded as evidence that the people
l+bo off boN
also have been a condemnation of Gen. Pierce,
who had planted himself firmly on the same ground.
The friends of the Compromise, Of the Constitu-
ton, and of the South, would have been defeated,
trodden under foot, and politically buried. The
anti-slavery party, headed by Mr.. Seward, would
have been triumphant. They would then have
been the men of the day, and in "high feather"
flushed with conquest, they would have taken pos
session of the Government They would too,
have claimed that the people had endorsed their
consolidation doctrines, and thereby agreed to sub
NIT to whatever the Government might choose to
do. If any supposes that, under these crcum-
stances, they would not soon have been able to do
mischief then he is ignorant of the occurrences of
the last few years. With the experience which
have had here, if 1 had aided them, should have
been faithess to your interests.
1t is my settled opinion, that if all the facts
within my knowledge had been known to you
generally that Gen. Scott would not have obtained
five hundred votes in our district But attach no
blame whatever to those who supported him. On
the contrary, have said that if had been at home
with no other means of information than the news
papers afforded, l might have been deceived pos
slbly and induced to sustain Gen. Scott. So des-
titute of fairness and truth great many of
the newspapers of the day, that it is impossible
frequently for men, however honest intelligent
to ascertain the real condition of things For cx-
ample, suppose that during the last contest for
Congress in district, individual living at
distance had had no other of arriving at the
facts than such the reading IF the Messenger,
the organ of my opponents, afforded him, he would
very naturally have supposed that was not only
the worst and most dangerous man in the whole
country, but also that was the most unpopular,
and would be the worst beaten man ever seen.
Such a person would have been utterly amazed to
learn, after the election that had carried major
ity of every county and of almost every voting
precinct.
Similar misrepresentation have been made with
reference to the late Presidential contest and 1t IS
no wonder that honest and intelligent men were
everywhere misled. l took no part in misleading
you, but on the contrary gave you all frankly my
views not only in relation to the principles in
volved, but also as to the result. In my CONVEX
satons and public speeches up to the very time of
the election, [ expressed the opinion that General
Scott would not only be beaten by a larger vote
than Van Buren, was in 1910, but that he would
only get three or four States. Some of his sup
porters, however, to break the overwhelming blow
that has fallen them, assert that General Pierce
got all tho aboltionsts of the North and was thus
successful. The facts, however, do not bear out
such an allee alton. On the contrary, in those
tons where the abolition feeling is strongest, Gen.
Scott made the hest run. 1t was on the contrary
where there is most conservative and liberal feel
ing, that Pierce made the greatest gains. He
had majority in the city of Boston, where the
whig candidates have usually carried the day by
several thousands. This city was the residence of
one of the three Northern Wings who voted for
the Fugitive Slave Law, and it was here that Mr.
Webster's influence was greatest. In like manner
in the conservative cities of New York and Phila-
delphia there were gains of some ten or fifteen
thousand votes to the Democratic candidate and
as general fact, it may be stated that in those
sections of the country where there was least anti
slavery feeling, General Scott ran farthest behind
the usual Wing strength. Why even in our Con
gressional district, where there were twelve thou
sand votes cast in August last, he received only
four thousand six hundred or but little over one
third. In the preceding Presidential contest the
Wing candidate obtained more than four thousand
majority, nearly as much General SCOTS whole
vote. And you will bear me witness that those
Who voted for him, with but few exceptions, did
il reluctantly, and from disposition to support
their party nominee, against one of whom they
krew little. That the great body of Gen. SCOTS |
supporters were actuated by the best and most |