Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-09-06
Letter from w. w. Cope.
JACKSON, Sept. 9. 1856.

Ems LEDGER:-My determination, public
ly and privately expressed, to support the
candidates of the Democratic party for the
Presidency and Vice Presidency of the Uni
ted States, has given rise to so much comment
in different parts of the county, that am
constrained to ask the privilege Of stating
through the columns of your valuable paper
some of the reasons that have influenced me
in coming to this decision. Next to a strong
desire to be right, / wish the motives that
control my own conduct to be understood
and appreciated by others.
In certain quarters it has been more than
insinuated that am acting with the Demo-
cratic party for the sake Of office. Than this,
more false, silly, or contemplate charge
was never preferred against any man. am,
as is well known, connected with that party
only so far as my support of Buchanan and
Breckenridge is concerned And why do |
support them? Certainly not because / am
less a wing or more a Democrat than have
ever been. Am ] as Wing under any obi
CATION to support Millard Fillmore? If so
what is the extent of my obligation to sup
port Andrew jackson Donelson? If | can
not consistently refuse to vote for Fillmore
because he was once Wing, how can with
any degree of consistency support Donelson,
who was once Democrat? What obliga-
is there on the score of Democracy to Bu-
chanan and Breckenridge which does not ap-
ply with equal force to Donelson? If they
have opposed the Wing party, he has abused
it. He had done more. He has denou1c-
ed and villifed Fillmore and his admnstra-
ton. What then are the claims that entitle
him to the support of any Wing? The facil-
ty with which he changes his political opin-
ions may be urged by his friends as an eyi-
dence that he will yet become a sterling ad-
vocate of Wing principles When that hap
py occasion arrives / may perhaps be prepar-
ed to regard him with more kindness than /
do at present Until then he is much too
bitter pill for me to swallow.
repeat that / do not support Buchanan
and Breckenridge merely because they are
the candidates of the Democratic party, nor
in supporting them do intend to abandon
my position as Wing. When the Wing
party shall again take its place in the poti-
cal arena, / will be among the first to rally
to its support At present shall use my in
huence for those men and those measures
from the success of which | confidently an
ticipate the restoration of peace and harmo-
ny to every part of our common country.
For the first time in the history of this
nation we see party, strong in numbers and
held together by the cohesive power of
common fanatacism organized in one section
of the Union upon the basis of opposition to
the people and peculiar institutions of anoth-
er section. 1t is unnecessary to institute any
inquiry as to the probable result of the election
of the candidates of that party. Mr.. Fill
more considers that no greater calamity could
befall the country, and regards the disruption
Of our glorious Union as one of its inevitable
consequences. For my present purpose !
adept this opinion and come to the conclusion,
that in view of such contingency it becomes
the duty of every friend of the Union to
throw aside old political preferences and pre-
judces, and unite with that party which can
most successfully resist this wild furor of sec
tionalism have no fears that this senti-
ment will be disagreed to by any Union man.
But the great point of difficulty is in deter
mining between the Democratic and Ameri-
can parties, the relative strength of each and
the consequent justice of their respective
claims to the support of those who are ready
and anxious to unite with any party in oppo-
sition to these northern fanatics OF this
difficulty can offer no other solution than a
statement of the reasons that have Influenced
my own opinions. will state proposition
which l think must command the approba-
ton of every sensible man. The Republi-
can party represents the free-soi sentiment
of the north upon the question of slavery
Its principles as avowed and published are
but the reflex of that sentiment. From its
principles are derived all its strength and
power, and opposition to il involves the ne
/ fN nf