Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-07-01
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT
FILLMORE.


printed certain portions of this letter in italics
in order to draw to those portions the partlcu
lar attention of our readers. The letterls as
follows:
WASHINGTON, June 6, 1851.
Hon. Francis Brinley, President Of the Com
mon Council of ,he City of Boston.
SIR: When | had the pleasure Of meeting
you and your associates of the committee from
Boston in New York, and you did me the honor
of inviting me to visit your city, and kindly ten
dered me, on behalf of the Common Councils,
its hospitalities, fondly hoped that | should be
able, during the present month, to accept your
invitation. But | regret to say that find it In
consistant with what deem my public duty to
indulge in this qualifications; and therefore,
while am profoundly grateful for the dlstIn,
guished honor implied BY the invitation, feel
reluctantly compelled to decline it.
NV personal acquaintance in your city is but
slight-but slight as it has been, it has left ma
nv pleasant recollections, and should have
been extremely happy to have renewed and
extended it at this time. have long enter
tanned a high respect for the intelligence and
patriotism of the great mass OF your citizens,
and recent events have not impaired that re-
spect. You hare been, and Ihopc r'H bc Il
lau.abidine people. know that your devo-
ton this great principle has had a severe test
in your recent efforts to execute the law for
the return of fugitive slaves. Slarery IN any
form is repugnant TO your feelings and ciuca-
tion, and the fugitive naturally and incrifabiy
ercites vour deepest sympathicS. Nothing but
a stern sense Of duty, founded upon rational,
solemn conviction, that a constitutional and
legal obligation must be obeyed, at any and
every sacrifice, conld have insured the eXecu-
ton of law in a case like this But for myself,
I never doubted that the law would ultimately
triumph. Good faith is the foundation of all
morality and all social security,
The free States had pledged themselves by
the Constitution to the performance of this du-
ty.5 The slave States had right to insist. up.
on its performance. There was then no alter.
native but to break our faith, forfeit our word
Of honor, and thereby tramplc the Constitution
of our country in the dust, and run the hazard
of civil war: or else to admit the obligation
like honest, true hearted men, and do all in our
power to comply with it, still hoping and trns.
ting that in due lime some mode wOH'd be dcrts-
ed bv those who have the constitutional! pow
er to abolish slavery and who are most deeply
interested in its final extinction. TO get rid Of
the erI, without destroying the farest fabric OF
freedom mortal hands have eyer raised, and in
its ruins extnguishing the last hope OF human
ity for selfgovernment. Permit Inc to say,
that this Government has cost Boston too much
to be given up or hazarded for slight and trivial
causes. Some of the patriots OF tie revolu-
ton still linger among you, and the monumen-
tai pillar of your grateful recollection Of the
heroes who fell at Bunker Hill, would seem to
be q m m1ckerv, if their sons could so soon for.
get that this Constitution cost the hearts blood
of their sons ;,
That YOUR citizens have acted wisely and
patriotically in sustaining the law, cannot
doubt. Their conduct has been governed by
the highest sense Of moral and political obll-
cation; and for this noble example feel con-
strained, as the Chief Magistrate, whose espe-
cia duty it is to see that the laws are faithfully
executed, to return the citizens Of Boston my
warmest acknowlcdgements-and l should
have been most happy to have done this III per-
son, were it consistent with my official engage
ments to leave this city.
With many thanks to You, and through you
to the citizens of Boston, for this kind invitation,
have the honor to be your friend and fellow
citizen. MlLLAkD fiLLMohE'
Here we have the President of the United
States excusing the sympathies of the peo.
ple of Boston in favor of escaped slaves, and
speaking of Slavery itself as all ''crH" OF which
it is the duty Of the Southern People to rid
themselves in due time! Nay more, he thanks
the people of Boston because they did not tram
ple the Constitution and the laws under foot,
and withhold from Southern man his proper
ty by force!! =,
Does citizen Of this country deserve credit
and consideration because he rciraIns iro..i
committing the crime of treason! Mr.. Fill
more seems to think so. The President ct Mc
United States declares SiaUcry 10 be an "crH
and stems beyond the limits of his duty by ex-
pressing the "hopc" and the crust that the
people of the South will in due time, abolish
his "erir We regard this letter as most sig.
nifcant and extraordinary. This cant about
ti-- "~..:I-" of Slnvory lns ~ 'H"Cth rr"ehca
the Executive Chair of the United States, and
this letter of compliments to notorious Abo
liton CITY has been made the medium for con
veying it to the whole country, We say cant
ave, hypcrisy PhariSuism-tl'at spirit
which is so pure itself that it can perceive all
kinds of sins and moral blemishcs in others,
and which thanks God that it is ''not as other
men are"-that spirit now speaks from the seat
of Washington!
Mr.. Fillmore is the choice Of the Raleigh
Register for next Presidency of the United
States, Will that paper tell its readers and