Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-06-30
RICH MOND, VA
Thursday Morning, June %. ls4s.
MR.. FILLMORE

Mr.. FILLMORE.
Alter publishing the Anterior resolutions "
the vote upon them, We were willing 10 leav
to The country, with but few comments OF I
own, 10 form its estimate OF the character of th
resolutions, and Of the opinions OF MIR. Film
who voled against most OF them. But in all arli
in the Wing, few days since, under the cap'
"The Epquirer-,he Anterior Resolutiuns-N
Fillmore" of a columns length in which
votes of Mr. F. are excused il otjustihed, tn
are some statements which il may be proper
us 10 notice. After publishing The resolution
which we have already presented 10 our reade
the Wing says:
1.-THE very presentation of those resolutions,
a Northern man, implying tina, the South n
no, The ability 10 take care OF Itself, was an
suit to all that section OF country"
Again
"By the very act OF passing these resolution
it was virtually admitted, that Congress had j
risdiction in The matter; fact which has alwa
hc-- -.'~.-.".,r aenrru al tne oouin, auu The "a
SHY OF which, !! is not incumbent on us 10 d
monstac. The Southern Van Buren, men we
loudly denounced as guilty Of ueachery, in III,
throwing The rights OF their constituents into 1.
bands Of majority Of Congress, and admillin
the right OF Congress to egsIate in the premises
And then, after quoting Mr.. Wises appeal /
The House not 10 sustain The call for the previou
question, which would deprive him OF the oppol
tuniIy OF offering his amendment and Of speakin,
in defence Of it, and his exclamation when tn
House refused 10 indulge him, that "ir was plo
sprung upon The Soulh," The Wing adds:
II, will thus be seen that The Southern Demo
cracy, by a combination with their Northern AL
lies, NOT only admitted the right of Congress &c
discuss this matter, which had always been de-
MED before but put The Gao upon all who felt ny
disposition 10 rebel against the mandate. Well
did MIR. Wise describe these resolutions as "a
plot sprung upon The Souh.'"
We will not stop 10 point out the inconsisten.
cy OF charging the Democracy al the same time
with having admitted the right OF Congress to dis.
cuss the matter and with enforcing the "gae;" Blu,
10 enable our readers TO judge of the justice OF
hese structures in other respects, We must recall
10 their recollection The condition Of things at the
lime the resolutions of Mr.. Anterior we're present.
ed ana passed. AT that lime, Congress, was flooded
with petitions from The Northern portion of the
the States as we'll as in the District OF Colum.
bia and the Territories; and also Tor the prohibi.
lion ofwha was called the "internal slave trade"
Mos, Of the Southern Representatives denied the
power OF Congress 10 do either of those things;
hey insisted that il was an outrage upon the
lights of their constituents 10 receive and con.
'ider these petitions, while the Wings at the
North insisted Iha, these petitions should be de-
,ated, printed and referred. The excitement was
'ery great and obstrucied the transaction OF pub.
ic business. In this condition OF things The De.
nocEa,ic party considered il appropriate, with
be view Of '!iscouraging the presentation of
hese petitions and Of allayiDg the excite
nent, to take the sense of the Congress in The
PREMISES. And, as most of these petitions came
rom the North, it was considered also appropri.
lie and more likely TO produce effect, If the pre-.
enaion of the resolutions, denouncing The eff.
'rts in which these petitions originated, came
om representative from the same section of
ountry. Hence It was devoved nnnn M Al
s;6ces under which the resolutions were pre-
,n,ed, Now, what is the character OF the reso'
,,ions ,hemselves2 They tenounce the move
,en,s OF The abolilionisls in all their phases and
onclude by ordering that every petition, memo
ial, resolution, proposition or paper touch'ng OF
Glazing, TO any extent whatever, TO slavery, SHALL
n the presentation thereof, without any TURNER
c,ion thereon, be laid upon The liable, without
eing debated, printed or referred.
Now, how the presentation OF such resolutions
" Northern man can be construed as imply
pe that the South had mol lie ability TO take care
+ i,,efn and considered as ian insult to all mat
ec,ion Of the counuy"-or how the passage 81
hem can justify the structures OF the Wing, We
.anno, conjecture. But wha! will be considered
IS more satisfactory reply 10 the Wing on
hese points, than any comments OF ours, will
70 The fact, tina, The resolutions were voted for by
;psry Southern member who voted at all and II IS
believed that Mr.. Wise is the only one who re-
,nsed 10 vote /, is hardly necessary Tor us, The
Wing 10 the contrary Notwithstanding, to UNDER
AXE 10 show that the whole OF the Southern re-
DreseD,a,iyes, as well Wings as Democrats, did
moi submit 10 an insult 10 their whole section OF
country nor, sill less. belray the interests OF their
constituents, especially as many OF those repre-.
have since received new and distin-
eushed marks of public confidence.
The Wing not only complains of the charac'
Ter OF the resolution, themselves, but that they
were passed under what it terms The Gag" bu
!. ,akes good care not 10 inform lis readers thai
snch Wings as Mr. Dawson, whom il eulog'zes
Mr. Legaro, &c.; and such Democrats as Messrs
Elmore, Rheu aand Pickens, who were pecu
liarly sensitive upon all questions concerning the
jurisdiction of Congress over the subject O
slavery, vo.ed for this gag. Bob classes OF these
gentlemen were prepared 10 vote for the resolu
tons ashley we're, aud, in all probability, The.
did not think that any good would result from al
abolition discussion upon them.
The Wing proceeds:
nTbe reader will be pleased 10 mark The lhir
resolution, especially the LATER part Of H. Allie
the rrrism, tina, Congress has no right 10 do Ina
Indirectly. which il cannot do directly, II say!
the agitation of the subject oil slavery IN IN
District oil Columbia, as A MEANS AND WITH TIL
VIEW OF DISTURBING OR oyERTHRoWlNa THAT !.
srlrurIoN,' &c. Ills mere distinctly laid down
what cases The agitation OF the question OF Save
nv in the District is violalve Of the spirit OF IN
CONSTITUTION, viz: when il is used as "a means an
with the view 10 overthrow slavery, &C"
Blu, 1, wholly omits TO inform its readers Ina
its candidate for the Vice Presidency voted again
the ".ruism" that Congress has no right TO DO int
"indireclly which it cannot do dIrec'ly;" and hi
he did no, vote agains, ii because it was sIulsn
as we shall hereafter see, but because he did n
approve ii. And it also omi'' to state why u W.
necessary to retain The words in the resolution
which il objects. Il will be recolecled that u
Wing party at the North, 10 a man. admit |.
power TO Congress 10 abolish slavery In The Dis'rl
OF Columbia and the Territories; that porto
Of the Wings at the South. with MIR. Clay
their head, although they deprecate the exerci
OF The power, also admit its existence and til