The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-27
scotch Views of President Fillmore and the
NepubIicanism OF America.
lfIom the glasgow Nail, Aug.7

From the glasgow Nail, Aug.
The new President OF the United States, instead
Of being young lawyer, as we were hrst told,
turns out to be person fifty years OF age on the
9Th of last January, who has been member OF
the Legislature, either OF the State of New York,
or Of the general Union, with those occasional
exceptions Ia which political men ale liable, since
lS29. Mr.. MlllsId Fillmore is a farmers son, in
the State of New York. The elder Fillmore, al
present, cultvaies his own farm, and il is small
one, in Erie county. He Is now In his eighiieth
year, and, as an incidental circumstance, his age
certltes the general salubrity Of farming in New
York State. Even in this old country, few farmers
cultivate with their own hands" their possessions
at That age. Agriculture has done htte for Ma
fhaniel Fillmore in New ork State; for during
his fourscore years experience, he never was
even moderately rch. AS the science is prose-
cuted in the United States, we doubt II Il ever en-
riches its followers. Twelve to twenty bushels OF
wheat by the are deemed a fair return, and
one not calculated 10 lover scorch" the land,
while il certainly will not enrich the lands owner
Willard Fillmore has done better in his varied walk
than Nathaniel Fillmore, although the latter adj
heIed literally TO the good old American decla-
raiion-
"He that by the plough would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive"
Science has slept before pIoverbial philosophy, and
intmaied to those who want to thrive by the plough
the supereroRatory character Of the man employed
TO drive. The American papers say Significantly
that at fifteen hliard Fillmore knew little OF books
Al that ege he was moved farther back in the coun
Try, and engaged TO learn the trade Of clothier.
existing bioRrs phes, he did not improve his know
ledge of books He was then nineteen, when he
returned TO his native village, and on the shelves VI
a recently established village library, TO civilization.
Collections Of books in village libraries, in this
country at that PERIOD, are described by those who
rem, mber them, as not remarkably select. Mrs.
Rsdelifi 3 dark tales Of creeping tenors, and the
standard old novels, which were very coarse, form
ed The light reading. Generally, set of the old
Spectator redeemed the library from utter deslitu-
iion, end the name from the carpng, misan thropic
character winch IL has in later times. His
tory dc morris had M'Qneen's narrative, and Ansons
voyages or Bruce's travels furnished good reading
in their class. The vii ye Libraries were not III sup
Piled because the world wanted good books, for
they were Plentiful, but from the art Of making up
public Libraries not being generally practced-
Willard Fillmore read hard, and he began TO at
tact the notice Of Judge Wood, a lawyer OF con-
siderable practice, and mon Of talent aud wealth,
who advised the future President TO abandon the
counter for the bar, and furnished him with the
means OF prosecuting legal studies in his own office.
Mr.. Fillmore's early experience had not been so
much AT the counter as at the vat and the loom lie
was rather cloth worker than coihier. He had
praciised that art like London apprentice in oden
times He was engaged in dying and weaving;
and the breadth Of his mechanical practice, SO in
consistent with our ideas Of the division OF labor,
helped to whet natural desire for books and
knowledge. The secret of his success at the bar
and in the ofiice-forhe legal profession admits VIC
believe, in the United States a junction OF both de-
departments-was indomitable industry more
himself thoroughly conyersant with his cases,
wes remarkably punctual, and had the art Of
never saying too much; but he appears to have had
coniparativey little inisence, and settled IN Butia-
To- then new town, where legal services, like other
professional eng sgemenis were probably not highly
remunt rated; and u does not appear that Mr. Fill
more everwas enfichc by the products OF his office.
Legal avocations do not produce large incomes in
the United States, and as he entered the State
Legislature in early life, accepting the limited pay
ms nj given to members, his professional duties had
not been productive, although he was the leading
LAWYER Of Buffalo. His election as a member Of
the state Legislature may have induced him to
change HE scene Of action TO Albany, the capital
al New York state. A. subsequent date he was
chosen 10 represent the state IN Congress; but
these political honors were not productive Of for
tune. Ills father still ploughed and reaped his
FIELDS in the country; and the American papers
cay that President Fillmore has an /" Interesting
iamily." His con follows his fathers profession,
we be heve, and his daughter was called from her
s,boct AT Buffalo, where she had been most
creditably employed teaching the young, TO the
White House at Washington.
This incident llustrates, say the American jour
pshsts. the simplicity Of our republican manners.
The sts cement s true, but the propriety Of " this
simul;citv'' is Doubtful. Miss Fillmore could not
have been better occupied than in teaching the
Young people of Buffalo. No other avosstion
rbateyer IN more honorable than that OF teacher;
hut II her fathers talents qualified him for the pre-
sidential ofiice-the chief niagistrscy over twenty
millions of pcople his position IN life should have
given other duties than those Of teaching, as a
profession, to his only daughter
Mr. F,llmore's history illustrates the ap,ial posi-
ton OF parties In the United States Professional
men, OF even considerable celebrity, have small
incomes, unless they trade in politics Merchants
and manufacturers very rarely interfere IN political
affairs, because politics and legislation for paris
OF separate busDces, not Sufficiently productive TO
allure ihem, and not comforting high social posi-
sAn TLia psoullarity may sxplaia the ffsqasAi