The republic., 1851-02-17
President FiiImere.


| With every passing day We receive new evidences
| OF the increasing popularity OF tho wtse and pa
triotc head OF this Administration. We know OF
no stronger tribute to his Judgment and prudence
than the reply Of one Of the most distinguished
leaders Of the Democracy to the question, ," Why
don't You fsd more fault witt, Mr.. Fiiimoreib
The answer was, "We have been trying 10 do %,
but have found very little to lay hold Off man
who can 90 conduct tho afairs Of rrest nation, in
the most excited period Of its history 10 give NO
preext of complaint even to the most irreconcila-
BILE Of his political enemies, IL assurediy no con
mon man, and is destined to occupy no common
place in tue history Of his country. se
MIR. Fillmore Possesses that description Of char
acter which bears examination and grows upon
your esteem as your knowledge of il increases.
lie may not be gifted with those mental or moral
attributes which, amidet great emergencies. flash
forth like the lightning from the black cloud, and
at the FIRST glance take captive your admiration
and fancy. Hs resembles rather, especially in his
Executive during the recent troubles of the
country, the sunlight, gradually breaking out as
the cloud disappears, and shedding calm, steady
and peaceful radiance over the whole face of M
the swelling harmony Of rounded periods; but
there is cloquence In bis action, and his charac
ter has beautiful syrnmetry whichproduce greater
effects than the finest efforts Of 1Demosthenes or
Chatham. He is no soldier, profoundly vorscd in
military science, and astounding the common eye
by "the pomp and circumstaoGDfs Of war, but he
possesses moral courage wI16ch = ~ superior to
physical the immortal SnHn IL higher than the
ables human beings TO throttle each other in
battle-feds, dues, or strect-fghts, IL thing pos
sessed by nine out OF every ten animals in the
world, whether they walk on two legs or four. But
the courage which dares 10 do right in the face Of
popular passions and prejudices, Is q quality be-
longing only to the spiritual and angelic part Of
man, and, evsn among men, there are few who
possess it, Mr. Fillmore, if he be not great gene
tai. is evidently, according to the judgment Of D-
vine inspiration, superior to a succcssful warrior
for che who conqoers his own spirit is greater than
he who taketh city" And, II must be conceded
that few men have exhibited more remarkable pow
of control than has the President during the
| severe ordeal through which tho country has re-
Gently passed. Never betrayed into even momen-
menace Of the public enemies, and maintaining
with calm dignity the high authority of his Office,
whether assaiIed by insult from abroad or at
home, Mr.. Fillmore has exhibited, from first
to last, cquanimity and self possession rarely
equallcd by any of the public men Of our coun-
try Nor can we but admire the clear sighted
sagacity with which, while uniformly courteous
to all. he never fails 70 understand the true
of political compiexion with whom he is brought
in contact. The country cannot but feel con-
idence in man who not only will not deceive
others, but cannot himself be easily deceived.
The American people will not the less appreciate
such character this, because il is not set of
with the glare and tinsel Of military achievements
Those who suppose that our countrymen can be
moved in any direction by the mere sound of
drum and fife, do great injustice to American in
teligence. II is not the epualette, the sword the
military strut and the tall plume which our coun-
trymen so much admire. It is the qualities OF
which these are but the outward signs; the firm
ness, the patriotism, the magnanimity, and the high
intellectual and moral attributes which they are
supposed to represent and which alike command
their admiration, whether displayed on the platform
Of Buena Vista or of the American Constitution.
The American people admire the true hero whcr-
ever he is to be found and most of all the great
| moral hero, who stands by the right, no matter
| what the consequences. And such q hero ia Mil
lard Fillmore. We do not believe il is possible to
| overratc the moral courage of the man who, com
wind of northern fanaticism and faction. fcarles,
of its results. The pilot upon Lake Erie, who
after his vessel had taken fire, continued to stand
the wheel with the flames all around him. and neve
took his hands from the spokes till he burned I,
death at his post, has always appeared to more
heroic spirit than any general Of whom we evel
! read. Yet, amid flames ferccr and more painful
to manly and sensitive spirit; amid the furious
assaults OF his own countrynen and the bitter up
braidngs Of old friends; amid blaze of sectional
feeling, which threatened to destroy both his coun
| try and himself Miilard Fillmore has stood calmly
at the helm Of our ship of State steering her reso
lutely on in the only course which could ensure he
salvation, and determined to die at the wheel rathe
than permit the noble vessel to perish from his wan
of firmness.
| Friends of the Constitution and the Union, s!ant
by that man! The times have developed in him
grand and genuine character. The flames Of th.
furnace have proved him pure gold. Would tina
all southern men had been as true to the Constitu
ton as this brave and patriotic son Of the North
this American who knows no section, and whose
chief ambition is-not military renown, not per
sonal elevation, not territorial aggrandizement-
but the peace, the prosperity, and the union of the
| American people, Richmond Republican.