The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-16
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PARDoN1NG POWER


The pardon extended to Drayton and Sayre'
by President Fillmore, is made the subject
bitter comment by the Richmond VA Era"
iner. 1t says:
MIR Fillmore came into the Presidential
mansion undeniably an AbOlitiOnist. Since M
has been there. his friends claim that he ha'
been friendly TO the South. But it is evident
that he has made up his mind to 60 out as ne
came in an Abolitonist of the worst KIND
The explanation is easy. BY curblng hl'
propensities be hoped at one time TO get &
new nomination by means of Southern votes
But the Baltimore Convention has put an END
to his hopes. He has no longer motive Tor
concealment no longer an incentive tor hypoc-
risy and so the cloak falls at once. The au-
thor of the Buffalo Letter stands revealed IN
his own attire The wolf has cast on ms
sheepskin. This DraytOn and Sayres petition
was the first opportunity he had to show his
real nature since the Baltimore adjournment-
and obiit erasit erupit-that is to say, ne rs
off like a shot - &c
This is all in bad taste and temper, and we
are clad to see that the Examiner has failed
to get up any excitement about the case. The
slaves whom Drayton and Sayres attempted
10 carry off to a state of Freedom, were all
recovered at very little cost to their owners.
Whatever opinion may be held of the expe-
dicncv OF the act, or Of the general duty OF
respect for the laws it will be conceded on all
hands that they did not intend to appropriate
the slaves 10 their own use were instigated by
] i .uIs hon ANkFn-
ers, but acted from benevolent motives.
They were poor men, with wives and chill
dren looking to them for bread From them
they were separated and immured in Jail,
where they remained four years. Was not
this enough to satisfy the demands Of the
shareholders for protection to their peculiar in
teresti Did they wish to ncarcerate these
men for life No sentiment of the kind pre-
vailed in the District.
Through the agency of a benevolent gentle
man in Philadelphia means were taken to Sc
cure the assent of IL majority of the owners
Of the slaves attempted to be removed, to a re
lease of their claims. The paper embodyine
their views was presented to the President be
fore the Wing Nominating Convention, and HI
made no secret of his desire to release thu
prisoners. provided the pardoning power ex
tended to their case.
MIR sumner who became deeply interested
in the matter, and properly withheld petitions
on the subject which he had been requested
to present to the Senate now devoted himself
to the case and prepared an5 admirable argu
ment on the pardoning power which he sub
mittcd to the President, and which came I'M
der the eye of the Attorney General, Mr..
Crittendeu. 10 whom the whole subject was
referred Not for moment did Mr.. Sumner
lose sight of the affair; while some of his
constituents were abusing him for neglecting
his duty he was attending to it, noiselessly,
but eifectually. The opinion of MIR. Critten-
den was rendered, fully asserting the pardon
ing power of the Executive over the case and
Mr.. Fillmore then, with the facts before him
that majority of the owners of the slaves
had released their claims and that none of the
owners had lost his so-called property" par
doned these men, permitting them, after an
imprisonment Of four years, to embrace once
more their wives and children.
We may remark, in addition, that it is well
understood in Washington, that although the
Attorney General is from Kentucky and three
other members of the Administration are from
| saveholdng States-North Carolina Virginia
and Louisiana-not single member diSscnted
from this act of Executive clemency
Mr.. Fillmore has done no more than was
done by Mr. Crittcnden, when Governor OF
Kentucky, and by Democratic Governor OF
the State of Missouri, who two or three years
since released from the petitentiary Thompson
aud his companions.
The facts are before us. They show fair
case for the intcrposition of the President and
we see no sense or propriety in going behind
the record in search of ignoble motives for an
act of ordinary humanity.
One lesson should be learned from this affair
by some of Mr.. Summers conStituents--and
that is that philanthropy may be effective
without buster, and sometimes best accom-
plsh its end by making haste slowly
In this connection, we must do Justice to n
gentleman, whose inccssant appeals in behalf
of the prisoners laid the foundation for their
pardon We allnde to Professor c. ID. Clcve-
land, Of Philadelphia. 1t was he who raised
four hundred dollars to employ IN efficient at
torncy in this place to secure the assent of the
owners of the slaves to n release of their claim
who sept Mrs Drayton here to aid in this pur-
pose, paying her expenses of travel and her
board for two months and who, during the
whole period of the imprisonment of her hus-
band. four years and a half, raised or contrib
utcd the money to pay her rent and her fuel
for the winter besides enabling her to set up a
little shop for herself Than c. d. Cleveland
we know of no man more humane and liberal
albeit his aims are done in secret.