He would force nothing on
them which they don't want, and he would allow them to have improvements
which their own candidate, if elected, will not.
Mr. Speaker, I have said General Taylor's position is as well defined as
is that of General Cass. In saying this, I admit I do not certainly know
what he would do on the Wilmot Proviso. I am a Northern man or rather a
Western Free-State man, with a constituency I believe to be, and with
personal feelings I know to be, against the extension of slavery. As
such, and with what information I have, I hope and believe General
Taylor, if elected, would not veto the proviso. But I do not know it. Yet
if I knew he would, I still would vote for him. I should do so because,
in my judgment, his election alone can defeat General Cass; and because,
should slavery thereby go to the territory we now have, just so much will
certainly happen by the election of Cass, and in addition a course of
policy leading to new wars, new acquisitions of territory and still
further extensions of slavery. One of the two is to be President. Which
is preferable?
But there is as much doubt of Cass on improvements as there is of Taylor
on the proviso.
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