The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-17
Mr.. Ft,lmore,s Eric Letter.


with which the Republic recently reproduced
Mr.. FILLMoRE's letter Of 1888. A garbied
copy of that letter had been published by the
Union and other DEMOCRATIC journals, omit
ting that portion Of IL which declined all pledges
of anu description u. regard TO the slaUery q,ies
tien. The suppression of the truth is equlva-
lent to the suggestion of talsehood; and to
show that Mr.. FILLMORE was entirely UNI
trammelled by pledges or commlttals on the sub
jectof slavery, we republshed the letterln ques'
ton. The letter was written thirteen years ago
Since it was written Mr.. FILLMORE has been
called to act upon questions which were then
submitted to him merely as distractions, and
his action has been sustained by the country.
In every instance in which party has placed
itself out and out on the doctrines Of President
FILLMoRE's message it has been sustained.
The Union alleges that we tried to justify
the doctrines of Mr.. FLLhoRE's letter by
Getting the example Of Mr.. JEFFERsoN's opin-
ions.n This is a perverted statement. The
Union had alluded to Mr.. JEFFERSON in this
connection 1t appeals daily to the principles
of Mr.. JEFFERSON We affirm that while
President FILLMoRE's acts, and the decided
language Of his message, show that he is entire
" sound and national on this subject-so sound
and national that the Union can find no plat
form for the DEMocRATIc party except In the
very terms of that message-he has at no time
of his life held language in regard to slavery
that will not compare favorably with that OF
10 no
Erie letter, to review any opinions that ne
might have formed and to act in his best judg-
ment circumstances might require. AS Chlef
Magistrate, he has acted, as IN our judgment
he ought to have acted, with entire freedom
from local or sectional prejudices, and his acts,
as well as his doctrines, are approved by the
American people.
Now, our contemporary of the Union does
injustice to the cause he pretends to sustain,
by denouncing Mr.. FILLMORE as an Abolition
list. 1t is perhaps, however, no more than we
might expect from member of the Nashville
Convention, one of those who, as Mr.. RHETT
boosted in Charleston, wheeled Tennessee
into line in five days" What line? The
line of secession and disunion. Now that he
is expiating his nascent treason by hypocrltl-
cal devotion to the UNIoN of the States, he
must not deny to Mr. FILLMORE the right Of re-
considering opinions to which he gave very
hurried and qualified assent in 1888. OuI
contemporary claims that he came out OF the
hotbed of secession ull-blown Unionist on
the instant. 1t was "presto-change," and
straight he was purged of all the consequences
of his. secession connexions 1t would not be
much too considerate or too tolerant in him to
believe. after such wonder has been SO in
simultaneously wrought in his own person, that
the experience Of some thirteen years on the ma
tional theatre might have caused more gra
dual change in the opinions of Mrs FILLMORE
We know that, ifthere was man in the 3Oll
Congress who took strong ground on the slave
nv question, it was JOHN GAYLE, Of Alaba
ma. He was the only WING that we remem
Der who voted for the famous Southern Ad
dress, which our consistent contemporary de
nounces in his impression of "Wednesday as the
source of ''the Nashville Convention" VIVA
did JOHN GAYLE say of this charge of aboi
tionism, which was recklessly made at thu
South against MILLARD FILLMORE, before HI
sigoed the Fugitive Slave bill, and before h,
recommended an adherence to the measures 0
Adjustment? He said that ''no respectable
man of either party at the North would en-
dorse" the charge-and that on the subject q
slavery emo man is sounder than Mr.. FILL
MORE" As the Union speaks somewhat slight
ingly Of the signers of the Southern Address,
may repudiate the testimony of Governor GAYLE
because that address twas Gin the language 0
the Union) one which emdnated from Nh
CALHOUN, and out of which may be said I
haze come the Nashville Convention"