Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-11-07
The STANDARD.
From the New York Titres. (black Republican,
THE ERR0R CONFESSED.

From the New York Tuses (black Republican,
THE ERROR CONFESSED.
NEXT in excellence 10 the virtue and wisdom which
resist temptation aud avoid error is the ingenious
ness of free and fraak confession of SIM The last is
the merit of Ex-senator Badger, Of North Carolina
Carried away BY Tie storm Of slavery fanaticsm
which swept over the country IN lS54 he forgot his
old conservative instincts the large and liberal max
ins Of Government whichihe had learned from Web
ster and Clay, as we'll the plghted faith of the
South and in an evil hour voted for the repeal of the
Missoasi Compromise. His best friends were deep
" shorsified at the fatal mistake ne made, and they
have never doubted that he himself deplored it as
the weakest and worst act OF his public life. We
are gratied to perceive that Mr. Badger has had the
manIiness at length to come forward voluntarily,
and make a clean breast by open confession of
his grevous fault In a speech at Raleigh, the seat
of Government of North Carolina he took occasion,
few days ago to say that his vote for the Nehras-
ka bill was the worst vote he ever gave in his life,
while he applauded the opposite course pursued by
Mr.. Bell. of Tennessee This frank confession, by a
very proud as well as very able man, was received
by his audience we are told, with wild enthus assn
clear proof that North Carolina, like Mr.. Badger,
has been dragged into proslavery ultraismS against
her better Judgment by the evil example and the
arrogant leadership of her pretentious neigh
bors Virginia and South Carolina.
It was apparent to those who watched the pro-
XT6SS OS''~~S 49,
the detection of Mr.. Badger from the ranks OF con-
servatism was the turning point, not merely with
that measure, but with the Wing party: HIS match
less powers as debater, his ardent and lmpetuous
adyocacy of whatever cause he espouses, WIN inc
moral force of an elevated private character oeins
taken from the weaker side and transferred 10 I'le
strong left no hope of resisting the siaverypropa
randst influences which held sway at Washington.
It was said and generally believed at the time, that
Mr. Badger had prepared speech against the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise-that he had denounced
the repeal Indignantly, and at length yielded to what
he regarded as the imperative voice OF the people OF
his State We have reason to believe that this IS
sbstantaI]v correct account of the NATTER and the
fact proyes that the rarest and most excellent virtue
among public men is not intellect or eloquence, or
even private character-for Mr.. b. possesses all
these in an eminent degree-but moral courage the
frmness of soul which dares to act on high prInci
pies of duty, though millions should condemn and
execrate. -
souri, Compromise offered splendid opportunity to
the Wings of the South, and especially to Mr.. Bad
ger. which he and they failed to improve. Had ne
Stood firm, the State of North Carona would have
sustained him, and the Wing party instead OF dis
solving into its original elements would have taken
a new lease of life. The whole North would have
rallied to its support, and the Repuollcan party
would have never been formed.
We are quite ready to concede that Mr.. Bell de-
serves great credit for having resisted the prosave-
nv influences by which he was surrounded. But
his fault is that he has since acquiesced IN the IN
iouitous policy which he then opposed. He at that
time by his vote if not in his speeches, vlndcatec
the right of Congress to exclude slavery from the
Territories and voted to continue the exclusion of
slavery. But the perfdy being contaminated, he
now declares that he will submit to it as fnality,
as we'll as to the impudent assumption OF modern
Democratic Federalism, that Congress has been
r --1Io,,o f-0,, fha
Territories by the bred Scott decision He surren-
ders the citadel of Henry Clay Whiggery at discre-
ton to the slavery propagandsts; and with the
maxims of Calhoun and fancy inscribed on his BAN
ners his friends appeal to the North to support him,
for what he did years ago, while fighting bravely
for the ri ht-
1t was creditabe to Mr. Bell to resist the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise. but his weakness in
yielding the principle because it was voted down,
depriyes him of all claim to support from the oppo
nents of slavery extension. But it is well-known
fact that Mr. Bell could never have received the
nomination of his party except on the condition OF
his acquiescence in the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise, as we'll as in the bred Scott decision.
Whether the repentance of Mr.. Badger goes to the
extent of recantng the Constitutional errors which
he accepted with the Nebraska BILL and whether he
will in future reassert his old theories which were
identical with those Of Clay, Webster and the Re-
publican party, remains to be seen. But as 1t re-
CARDS Ar. Bell we are lett IN no douoC ne accepIS
the perfdious acts and the Calhoun theories of the
slavery-propagand Democracy as "a finaty"-
The difference between the positions at present &C.
cupied by Mr.. Badger-supposing him to have re-
canted the principles well as the policy of the
Democratic party-and that of his Presidential can
didate, is simple this, that he makes a frank and
honorable confession of in voting to repeal the
Missouri compromise, while Mr.. Bell publicly re-
and repudiates the constitutional right to
retain that compromise on the statute book.