Hall County [ga.], 1st July, 1848.
My Dear Sir: I
received yours addressed to me at Savannah last night. I have been so much at
home since my arrival here — more than a month — that I could give you but
little information of the way in which the nominations have been received, but
for the arrival last night of my friend Dr. Bailey from Savannah. He has been
traveling leisurely up, and taking a deep interest in the cause of Democracy,
has made inquiry everywhere on his way. Moving in a private conveyance out of
the great thoroughfares, he tells us of what may be deemed, to a considerable
extent at least, the spontaneous movement of the people.
He authorizes me to say to you that having travelled over
the same country just four years ago, he can say with much confidence that up
to this time there is more unanimity and enthusiasm among the Democracy now
than there was then, whilst the Whigs are lukewarm. Where there are malcontent
Democrats they vote for Taylor. The malcontent Whigs are near two to one of the
Democrats, and they will not vote at all. The only malcontent Democrats he
heard of were in Hancock.
He thinks that King's1 Whig opponent will take
off some 300 to 400 votes, which with the Democratic vote, should the Democrats
run no candidate, which he deems the best policy, may elect Seward.2
But at present no one can see the issue that may be made in
the coming presidential campaign. What is Van Buren doing? Do give me what
light you can on his and Dodge's recent nominations at Utica. Is he no longer a
“Northern man with Southern principles?”
If Taylor should, as I have supposed, repudiate the pledges
of the Louisiana delegation in the Whig convention, what will the Whigs do? If
the movement of the Barnburners should come to the head indicated by Van
Buren's letter — of which I have only heard, but which assures me that he will
accept a nomination of promise and that he deemed such a nomination (of
promise) very probable when he wrote—where can we find the men to elect Cass or
any other Democrat? If the hostility to Slavery has become so extended as to
tempt Martin Van Buren to bow low and worship at its shrine for the highest
office in the gift of the people, how long will it be before our own security
will require that we withdraw from those who deem themselves contaminated by
our touch? And how long before we shall deem those our best friends who would
tell us that our only dependence is upon ourselves?
SOURCE: Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Editor, The Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911, Volume 2: The
Correspondence of Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens, and Howell Cobb, p.
113-4
