Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-07-11
SENATOR FISH OF NEW YORK.

inent Wing journals of New York City, emboydng
extracts from arecent speech ofthe Hon. Hamll-
ton Fish, Senator elect of the State of New York,
presents matter of no little interest of the pot-
cal reader. The election of MIR. Fish was attend
ed by circumstances which attach more than
usual importance to his position. The Democrat
ic papers, of the South especially, have generally
represented that he would undoubtedly be the
aly of Hale, Sumner and Chase in the Senate,
and have endeavoured to throw no little odium up
on the Wings because of his promotion. They
chose, however, to pay no regard to the fact that
Mr. Fishs opponent, the Democratic candidate
was the most astute of all the leading men Of the
Free Soil party, Ex-senator Dix. For our part
we frankly confess, that we did not like the non-
commttal manner in which Mr.. Fish allowed
his claims to be pushed, the sort of people who
seemed to be his warmest supporters. Still we
knew that he was of the better school of New
York Wings, and thought it probable that his
leaning to Sewardism was temporzing and tenn
porary policy, which was not meant to govern
his Senatorial course. Accordingly we are moi
surprised at the sentiments he now avows. The
men, who were most active in electing him, were
of the agitation party, and exacted as condition
oftheir support disapproval of the fugitive law.
Mr.. Fish seems to hold well enough to this un-
Outstanding, but he has the good sense to per-
ceiye that he might do infinite mischief by making
any practical opposition to the law. He, there
fore, declines any effort to repeal it, or being
party to an agitation for its modification, until it
can be changed without objections from the South
for this we take to be his meaning, though it
is expressed in different words. If Mr. Fish will
stand by this intention, we may expect his Sena-
torial career to be much more credable to him
selfand his State than it has hitherto promised
to be. Certainly he appears to have set gulf
between himself and his odious colleague, the
Rodin of American politics.
From the NJ Y. Commercial Advertiser.
Our SENATOR ELEcT.-At the annual dinner fhe
State Society of Cincinnati, held the 4h inst,
toast was presented complimentary to the Hon. Ham
on Fish United States Senator elect for the Slate OF
New York which elected from that gentleman an ell
oquent AID frank exposition OF the views held by him
on the compromise measures and the principles that
will guide him in the Senate of his country. He de-
clared what indeed all who acquainted with him
knew aforetime,-though some who knew him unwor-
thiIy sought to create contrary impression-tha sin
devotion the principles OF universal fTeedom OF the
laws of the and,- in warm, devoted ardent attach
ment the Union OF the States is and as it has been
he Welded to no man living" We copy from the Cou
rier and Enquirer his remarks the compromise
sures
"He had been for several years in various public
POSITIONS and had ne ever attempted TO concea
his opinions upon any public question upon which it
became his duty to express them lie challenged the
closest examination of his whole life, both public and
private for any evidence of desire to evade the express
sion ofhis sentiments upon any question public inter-
49, xt+ c.ofo onti1
men to Justify suspicion ofthe want OF respect and
Difference the laws of the land, or OF devotion and
loyalty to the Union and the Government under which
we live. And at the time he wished the scrutiny
into his past life be extended to detect il pos
sble any instance in which ne had manifested dspo-
ston to agtate any sectional or exciting question
whereby any parts of the country any classes OF the
community, might be arrayed against Others, or which
might tend in any degree to disturb the mutual conf
dence and attachment between all sections and all
classes which is essential the preservation OF the
government which has been transmitted to U.S.
"He had always endeavored to avoid and dscounte-
nance the unnecessary discussion OF all sectional
TONS In the high office which he had lately held, he
had felt it his duty TO refer to questions then dis
tur, ed the public mind those questions were
then presenfheir decision was to be made, and was
necessary that the voice of the great stae at the head
of whose government he had the honor to be placed
should be heard 1t was due to her-il was due to her
sister states-it due TO the general government
that the views, the feelings and the determination OF
New York with regard to those most embarrassing
questions should be declared In two annual messages
to the Legislature, he had endeavored calmly but Truth.
fully and faithfully, to present what he believed 10 be
the sincere and abiding conviction, upon the then pend
ing issues of the large OF the people OF this state
without reference TO their party predictions And in
so doing he gave to his own honestly enter
tanned views Those views are before the public and
upon record and from the almost unanimous expression
of the press the time, and from other indications OF
public sentiment, he had reason to believe that they met
general an almost universal response from the people
who had placed him in the position from which he
had felt bound to give utterance 10 those opinions
s'He thanked God that he was American citizen
"a citizen the Union of thirtyone states Heprayed
that the Union may never lose any OF its members
He was too, Northern man, with all the love OF N ORTIZ
ern men for universal freedom-he found in that, how
ever nothing inconsistent with his duty member of
a coniederacy consisting OF Southern as well as North
ern men, Strong and ardent were his attachments
to all The cherished principles of the Moth, much as
he might deplore the existence OF human slavery he
felt that it an institution wholly within the iurs
dction of those states which see fit TO allow Here's
peced their rights to regulate their internal policy ac
cording TO their convictions, and no act of his
would interfere with their rights He respected too,
and would abide by all the compromises OF the con-
stitutien in the spirit in which they were framed
He considered thar their adoption had been essential
the formation OF ihe constitution under which we had
become free, great and happy nation; and he
sdered also that their faithful observance was necessary
to the perpetuy of that constitution, and the preserva
lion of the Union which it has blessed.
"Such had ever been hs sentiments. When the COM
promise OF the last Congress were under con-
sderation they did not meet his approval 10 several
particulars he thought them liable to objection. One,
particularly he thought open 10 exceptions well on
The ground of omission OF enactment He recognized
the rights which the constitution had guaranteed to the
South and he believed the South be entitled TO the
enactment OF laws which should be efficient the en-
loyment Of those rights He thought that those laws
ithe compromise might have been made equal
ly effective as OF relief and protection 10
the South, while they might have been deprived OF
some features which tend 10 iuitate and excite the
North and al the same time, by possibility, unneces-
sanly to leopard the rights of the free citizen He
thought that without impairlng any principle they
might have been improved TO afford the country
Substantial repose and to silence camor and opposi
non from any section.
But these measures passed into laws in the spirit Of
compromise and OF mutual concession. 1t was not to
be expected that they should embody, exclusively,
such enseimens as any secton would have prefer
red The enacted, as be believed constitution
ally and in conformity with all the requirements and