Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-03

nearly all remained Enacted upon at his decease The
nominations therefore wholly subject to the control
his successor and might have been Withdrawn from
the Senate and other nominees substituted in their places
and that too, without affecting the commissions which
had been granted by President Taylor
1t is known all that the Wing party especially in the
Northern States unfortunately divided the great
questions which adjusted by the compromise
sures 1t is equally well known that an influence had
prevailed with President Taylors administration that led
him appoint large majority Of the officers from the
Northern States from that division of the party which
sumed position Of decided hostility to the compromise
None knew this better than Mr. Fillmore or
had to regret the honest but blind faulty of
such appointments, could keeny feel the ndg
mites to himself and friends with which they were ac-
companied And know that many of his most devoted
and udicous political and personal friends felt and ex
pressed strong desire that he should himself Of the
opportunity thus presented to equa.e the appointments
between the sections of the party, by withdrawing
the nominations of some of the most Objectionable and
substituting in their places men known to be favorable to
the policy Of the Administration But Mr.. Fillmore with
degree of forbearance and magnanmity refused and
after Withdrawing but Names appointed every other
person whom President Taylor had nominated whose APP
pointment approved by the Senate Did this look
ike infcting penalty for not promptly facing to the
right aboat?o Let the judgment of intelligent and
impartial people decide
Thus matters stood at the close Of the long session Of
Congress n 1850 But it must be borne in mind that it
during that session that the fugitive slave law
passed. and that the President bound by his constu
tiona oath stake that The la,cs should be fauy
executed" Every effort made to prevent the execu-
ton Of this law by the abotionists and those who SYM
pathzed with them in the Northern States And mobs
were arrayed against officers whose duty it was to exc
cute the law and bloodshed and murder the legii
mate consequences. Many of the officers who had been
thus appointed the nomination of Gen. Taylor in this
State were known to countenance this hostility to the
law deputy marshal alleged to have said that he
would be robbing henroost aiding in ex-
ecutng it. Under the influence and advice of the clique
who had the control of the appointing power of the State
nearly every supporter of the National Administration
who held State Office was removed in the course of the
winter Of 1851.
The moral and political effect Of such prescription by
the State authorities Of those who willing to sustain
the National Administration was manifest How could
President Fillmore expect to be sustained execute
the laws he suffered his friends to be stricken down by
hostile hand without resentng it, Retaliation some
times necessary to further the ends of justice Thus
when the British General took some American prisoners
during the revolution and threatened to hang them as re-
bels Gen. Washington him word that he would re-
taate by hanging equal number of British prisoners
then IN his custody And he would have certainly done
It had the British General executed his threanot on
account Of any w towards the unfortunate prisoners
but as means of protecting his in the power of
the enemy, and Of encouraging those who favored the
American cause TO stand by him. President Fillmore
acted upon this principle He suffered oil this oppos
ion to his Administration by persons holding commissions
1t his pleasure andh friends endured all these insults and
ndgntes until the spring of 1851, when further for
'earance would have almost amounted to crime He |
hen selected four five Of those officers who had sig
nazed their hostility to the law and the least de-
serving in other respects and compelled them give way
to equally good Wings and better This was the ex
tent Of his prescription aud these the which led
IT, Could President Fillmore have done less and done
his duty We submit this question to the decision Of the
American people.