Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-20
FROM TIE REPUBLIC.
Mr.. FILLMORE'S ERIE LETTER.

MK. FlLLmOhES EXILE LEI 1Eh.
The Union continues to missate the object with which
the Republic recently reproduced Mr.. Filmore's letter
of 1898. garbled copy OF that letter had been pub
lished by the Union and other Democratic journals
omttng that PORTION OF IT WHICH DECLINED ALL PLEDG-
rs OF ANY DEE CRIPTIoN IN REGARD TO THE SLAVERY
QUESTION. The suppression oil the truth is equivalent
to the suggestion OF a fasehood; and to show that
Mr.. Fillmore was entirely untrammeled by pledges or
committals on the subject of slavery we republish'
ed the letter in question The letter was written thir-
teen years ago Since il was write n MIR. Fillmore has
been called to act upon questions which were then sub
med to him mere y 90 distractions and his action has
been sustained by the country. In every instance IN
which party has placed itself out and out on the doc.
trines OF President Filmores message has been
tanned.
The Unon alleges that we tried to Justify The doc
trines OF Mr.. Flmores letter by Getting the example
OF Mr.. Jeiiersous opinions" This is perverted state.
ment. The Unioa had alluded to Mr. Jefferson in this
| connection. It appeals daily to the principles Of MIR.
Jefferson We affirm that while President Fillmore
acs, and the decided language ofhis message, show
that he is entirely sound and national on this subject
sound and national that the Tn ion cen fad no plat.
form or the Democratic party exec Tin the very terms
OF that me ssage-h ne has at no ii OF his lie held
| angus ge 10 regard to slavery that i'll not compare
| favoraby with that of Mr.. Jetfe son. He reserved
the right, in his Erie letter, to review any opinion tn
he might have formed and 10 as in his best iud o.
! meat circumstances might require As Chief Maqjs
trse, he has acted, as in our judgment he ought to
have acted, with entire freedom from oca or section
al preudices and hs acts well his doc riaes are
| approved by the American people.
| Now, our contemporary of the Union does Injustice
to the cause he preerds to sustain, by denouncng Mir
| Fillmore ADoIitionist. ltds perhaps, however
no more than we might expect from a member OF the
Nashville Convention, one OF these who as MIR. Rhet
boosted in Charleston, wheeled Tennessee INTO LINE
| in five days." What line9 The line of secession and
dsunion. Now that he is explatng his nascent trea
| son by a hypocrtcal devotion to the Union OF the
States, he must not deny to Mr. Fillmore the right OF
remembering opinions TO which he caves very hurried
and qualified in 1885, Our contemporary claims
that he out OF the hotbed OF secession full
blown Unionis on the instant 1t was presochange,
and stra ght he purged OF all the consequences of
MS secession connexions 1t would not be much toe
considerate too tolerant in him to believe, ate
such wonder has been SO simultaneously wrough
IN MS own person, that the experience oil some thir-
teen years on the national theatre might have
more gradual change in the opinion of Mr.. Fillmore.
We know that, if there was a in the Both Con
gress who took strong ground the slavery question
1T was John Gayle, OF Alabama. He was the onI,
Wing that we remember who voted for the famou:
Southern Address, which our consistent contemporary
denounces in his impression OF Wednesday az the
source OF fthe Nashville Convention" What did join
Gayle say of this charge of aboIitionsm, which was
recklessiy made at the South against Willard Fillmore
BEFORE he signed the Fugitive Slave BILL and BEFORE
he recommended an ADHERENCE to thu measures OF Ad
ustment! lie said that 'no respectable man OF either
party at the North would endorse" the charge-and
that the subject of slavery no man sounder than
Mr.. Fillmore" As the Union speaks somew ha
elightngly OF the sgners of the Southern Address, il
may repudlats the testimony OF Governor Gayle be-
cause that address "was lin the language of the
Un!on) one which EMAATED FROM Mr.. Calhoun, AM
OUT OF WHICH MAY SAID To HAVE COME THE NASH
WILLIE CoNyENTIoN.'
This charge of aboitionism" against Mr.. Fillmore
has been cree passed upon by the American people.
has been dRproved by all his acts s1ce he entered The
Presidency as by his dsavowas and positive ayermen
during the canvass. 1t sometime in lS48 we be-
lieve that Governor Gayle of Alabama, published, il
the Mobile Advertiser letter in VIII ich he said tina
Though this charge made boldly at the South, he
would venture 10 affirm that no respectable man o
either party.n the North, would endorse it, Upon ths
subject norman is sounder than Mr.. Fmore and a.
between him and General Cass, an advantageous com
parson could be made'' If it could be made in 1848
with how much greater advantage to Mr. Fillmore
could such comparison be made in 1851?