The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-22
The Republic. and that Letter.

The Republic, ana that hCSscA'
.Heayen sure sent LETTERS to some wretch g aid,
Some banished lover, or some captive maid.
The Rep,.Llic, as in duty bound, attempts to
shield President FILLMORE from the structures
of the press, Courteous though decidedly on the
obvious improperly of the production OF the
Collins letter. As is usual with over-zealous
witnesses, the Republic makes the case Infinitely
worse for the President than it stood before
o;v;no its semi official sanction to the direct in
reference of the Executive in State elecuons.
We felt it our duty to refer to this NATTER
and did so as gently as possible-pitylng the
embarrassment of Mr., FILLMORE, and the awk-
ward blunder into which his anxiety had betrayed
hi,n-one of those gross political blunders which
the French statesman declared worse than a
crime
The reception of that letter by the Southern
prints generally, Gin Georgia and elsewhere) sat
isficd US that the stratagcm had deceived no.
body while the letter itself was so utterly point
less, vague, and unmeaning, as to merit no spe-
eial notice. Consequently, instead of feeling
indignant at the trick, it struck us as so ludlc-
rous that we referred to it only in laughing
manner But listen how soemnly the organ
peals forth a response:
THE LETTER TO DR.. COLLINS, AND THE Up
POSITION. The letter Of the acting Secretary
of State to Dr. Collins calls forth every variety
of comment from the press, according TO the
temper or position of the respective Journals
The disunion papers Of course are not satisned J;
Z 10 b,a rIa
THING that may proceed from President Fillmore
The Southern Press of this city, the metropoli-
tan organ Of the disunionists and secessionists
is especialy dissatisfied, and chiefly, we appre-
bend. because it can find nothing in the letter
to censure. This we infer from the fact, that
while it groans and grumbles over the incidents
of the letter it permits the letter itself to pass
without comment:
aTbe rumored proclamation Of President Fill
more touching the Crafts case, il seems was adj
dressed not to the people of Massachusetts, but
to those OF Georgia. -.
"The humble expostulations and complaints
of Dr. Collins have, it seems, been laid at the
foot Of the throne, and assurances of the most
distinguished consideration tor the laws OF the
United States have been gracisusly vouchsafed
in reply. If DR.. Collins has not received his
negro. he has received letter from the Presi-
dent. and of course should be content.
"We append this letter, which, appearing in
the Georgia papers Just on the eve OF the cleo
ton, might iook to some persons ike an attemP'
Mt inference on the part of the Executive IN De-
half of its submission allies
awe suppose it will be asserted, however,
that the coincidence was one Of those fortunate
accidents that will occur The Savannah News
thus copies THE LETTER from the Calzen, OF
Macon the sheet which was put down by public
indignation for its abolitionism some time since
but which has again revived since submission
reared its head in Georgia"
Here are three or four points of complaint
the inevitable deduction from which is, that the
Press is quite apprehensive that the letter is SO
lust, and moderate, and satisfactory, that it will
operate to the disadvantage of the dlsnnionlsts
in Georgia We are of the same opinion, and
we think it was very proper and well-consldered
in DIR. Collins to publish the letter Immediately
on receiving it !: and particularly in view OF the
election impending. And, inasmuch as the
negro in question was the property Of Dr. Col
Inns. and Of nobody else, we apprehend that, if
he is satisfied with the Presidents part in this
matter, it cannot be very far wrong. He is the
lenst likely, being the sufferer, to be easily satis-
fed 1t Is surprising to what extent The exist
ing excitement is famed by gentlemen who
own no negroes themselves, but who are ex-
inflicted upon the shareholders. The fling OF
the Press at Dr. Collins is in the spirit in which
the friend of humanity rails at the knife grinder,
in the Anti-Jacobin-- b. bye. H. Ill
..wreteh whom no sense of wrongs can rouse to
E..'t vengeance; .rm
stSordid, unfeeling. reprobate, degraded, -.
"Spiritess outcast!'
The points" made by the Republic here, are
leaden points-they don't stick into anything
Firstly, the Press was not quite apprehensiVe"
that the letter would operate to the disadvantage
of the resistance party of Georgia, because it
has A higher opinion of the intelligence OF the
people of Georgia, than to believe they would
be caught in such an open gull-trap. The pro-
prieties of time and place connected with the
writing and publication of the letter, "partcu-
larly in view of the election impending" the
Republic will find few to endorse--it was both
improper and impolitic in our humble Judge
ment.r $3.50, ''
GA. The other point that if DIR. COLLINS, the owner
of the negro, is satisfied, every body else ought
to be, is indeed whiting down the great ques-
ton of constitutional right "to the little end OF
nothing" The bubble is too small to be APP
piled to so grave matter-we will let II pass
for what il is worth. The covert insinuation as
to the writer of the comments on the letter, also
misses the mark as. ,signaly as the rest Of this
rindicatiou, for they were penn.d by one who
does own slaves and has himself suffered in this
respect from the punic faith Of the North.
-. So much for three of the pointless points made
by the Republic, But the fourth point does