The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-22

of the message it does not expect to stand at ALL
[DANIRL WEBsTER's Letter to the Union Meeting
at Wesfchester.
A Chapter from the History OF Admin
istxation.
1t is now but little more than eight months
since, by the demise of his lamented predeces-
sor, Mr.. FILLMORE became the PRESIDENT of
the United States. No one whs is familiar
with the circumstances of his accession can
doubt that the day which witnessed it was the
most trying and painful of his life. The firm
est heart might have quailed under the re-
sponsibilities that were thus suddenly thrown
upon him. Party feuds, personal jealousies,
sectional animosities, popular discontents, sedi-
tious combinations, prevailed to degree which
might well have embarrassed the most expert
enced statesman, and alarmed the boldest To
bring order from the political chaos which then
eXisted-to restore alienated reations--to har-
monte conflicting interests-to tranquilize the
public agitation-was task which required
forecast, decision, and energy Of no ordinary
stamp. To accomplish this difficult, this almost
impossible work, it was necessary for the PRES
IDENr at once to determine upon his policy and
organize his Cabinet with a single view to its
successful prosecution. A mistake would be
fatal to his Administration, and might be fatal
to the peace of the country
On the 10th of July President FILLMORE
took the oath of office; ten days afterwards he
sent to the Senate the nominations Of the mem
bers of the new Cabinet. On the announce
ment Of his consti tutonal advisers it was at
once understood that the countenance and in
fuence of the Administration were no longer
to be withheld from the measures which had
been matured in Congress for the pacifcation
of the country. To say that this understand
ing brought relief to the public mind would be
very inadequate expression of the feeling
which it everywhere excited. 1t carried to all
quarters hope-assurance-cOnf dence-rejoc-
ing. The people saw, or thought they saw,
the beginning of the end. Within two months
after the appointment of his Cabinet, President
FILLMORE signed an act to establish the boun-
daries of Texas and territorial government
for New Mexico an act for the admission of
the State of California into the Union; an act
to establish territorial government for Utah;
an act to carry out the constitutional provision
for the extradition of fugitives from labor; and
an act to suppress the slave trade in the Dis
trict of Columbia. A great work had thus
been accomplished; and if President FILLMORE
had at that moment terminated his public ca
resr, he would have established just title to
the undying gratitude Of his country.
1t was not, however, to be expected that the
men who had been instrumental in exciting the
agitatiOns which these measures were designed
to soothe, would at once abandon their voca-
ton. One Of the measures, the Texas Bound
airy act, was assailed by the extremists of both
sections with unmeasured violence, for contra
dictory reasons. Mr.. JULIAN, of Indiana, de-
scribed it as that act of "the last session, by
which one hundred thousand square miles of
territory had been given up to slavery, with
100000 to keep Texas from making war
on the General Government" Mr. j. A..
CAMPBELL, an eminent lawyer of Alabama, on
the other hand, averred in published speech
that " Congress had offered Sl0,000,000 for
100000 square miles of Texas to convert into
4 free States like California The Abolition
newspapers in the North proclaim ed that free
dom's banner trailed in the dust, and that I'M
counted millions of acres of free soil had been
basely sold to slavery. Governor QUITMAN
raved over the enormity Of raising ten millions
OF dollars by taxation from the industry Of the
country "to purchase from Texas portion of her
territory, for no other apparent object than to
convert 1t to Free-soil purposes" and Mr..
lit de- ~x1I Al &
Texas was worse than the affair Of California
These antagonist allegations neutralized each
other. II was clear enough that both could not
be true; and though at the start the Boundary
bill was rather the favorite topic of excitement,
the ultras of both sections were compelled to
abandon it from the difficulty Of settling to the
satisfaction of the people whether it was case
Of free soil sold to slavery OF of slave soil sold
to freedom.
AT the South the act establishing California as
State was the substantive topic Of agitation
but perhaps the most fruitful was the rather
vague and indefinite cutlery against I" northern
aggressions." 1t was for these that one orator
announced that the men of the South were
ready to march up to 800 80 with their cof-
fins on their backs" Ii was in the event of
not getting 800 80 that Governor QvrrmAN
recommended peaceable secession--and that Mr..
WOODWARD preached disunion and treason in
the Presbyterian churches Of South Carolina.
violating at the very altar the oath by which he
had bound himself TO support the Constitution
Of the United States. |, was for this aggressive