Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-04-06
m. RrLL,IonE,s sPnEcH ArLours-

=
We gire fron The louisville joaranl, sum-
nary Of Mr.. FlLLmonkss great Peeeh a. Louis
vile. in which he gives brief kis,ory q his ad-
This speech Of Mr.. nj pre- will,
Be- read with deep interest At Is plhicnar TING
BY men Of all parties The lDbriaI says Z, las |
a faH report q the speech, bal IN conformity
with VIA, was understood 10 Be Mr.. FllIpOre's
wish. i, confines itself 40 he publication Of amers
sketch Of whathe said
Mt. Fillmore said on rising. that he felt ex-
ceedinsly embarrassed in being eaIled on, for the
frst time in his life 10 address an audience like
sAe ione before him, and Than he sincerely hoped
there was no = chief preseht tskinf noa3 but
that what he should qtIer mgh be forgotten la
The occasion. He vas Al loss TO understand
what motive could have prompted such r great
aud unexpected expression q regard on part
Of the citizens Ct Kentucky. Ifhe were in thelae-
his fortune TO WELD, or even again seeking that
position, be might see an object for such mani
hesitation; bat here ana, said he, neither holding
nor Sc ekirg Office, with nothing as private q.
Gblic man, which 10 my own estimation, she old
call forth such testimonial Rs ihisNr'o nsthing.
taIity which seeks an obi 80 or
. /, and lavishes upon hi ON er-
osity. Mr.. Fillmore said - for
tune TO be, without his so Ia inly
against his wishes, called d y. ddmInI % Of
the government.
he had not even soughtlhe nomin bn for The
Vice Presidency, and note could Be more sur
pIised than he when he leaned thst he was noni-
naied Twas only ten hobs before General Tay-
lcls dealh that he had any thought that his illus
Oas GsAa if IN r Ss sSss, rss6 sss
bilities aboutto deyolve upon him Tk-,.,gh he
had been for many years politiciap ae conid -
that the only sieePless night he ever pass, IN A..
count Of political anxiey was lha, =, rbieb Cen
~, .a.l G,ea hs arose from his
AL sos,e y me II The duties unexpect-
~ ~ 81 aPon am He reviewed during
the hours u that a,5htEis own oninions ara h}s
w;'h ~. -. was sensible that be had drunk in
800, mothers mix and cherished from his
~ up feeling, even prejudice, against sla-
very. lie endeayoredi to look upon the whole
county, from the farlh9est corner Of Maine to the
utmost limits Of Texas as but one country, the
country that had given him birth. He sa " il the
gathering clouds in the North and in the South a
storm which was likely to overwhelm him, and
he feared, his country also but he took the cons-
tuiIon and The laws as his only snide.
DE well Knew, that by so doing, he must lose
the friendship Of many prominent men ofthe coun-
Try and especially 10 his own State, and encounter
their reproaches, bat, 10 him, this was nothing
The man whoesn Look upon crisis without being
willing TO oder himself upon The altar Of his coun-
try is not III for public trust. On the night Of
0rus ldyiOFs DEAN, Inc memDeTS OF MS cdOlnet
presented 10 me their designations. declined to
look al them, first, because deemed il respectful
10 the honored dead that / should DOT consider by
what means should carry on The government I'M
III he was tecenllv Inferred; and secondly because
this avalanche Of responsibility had fallen upon
me unpre pared. desired at least few hours 10
reflect on what il was my duty 10 do. Here was
cabinet selected bY General Taylor, several of
them nay personal ffends whom would do any
thing in my power y serve, short OF endangeTing
the peace Of my country. knew however, thar
| their policy was not such as could approve
saw that the executive power OF the government
AID the legislative were in opposition TO each o.
ther, and that while this state OF things continued
peace could never belrestored.
The question Therefore presented itselfto me,
shall retain this cabinet or select a new one q
The lalter course was adopted; bnt you ean scarce2
ly conceive the difficulties of the position in which
| this decision placed me. When our Presidents
are elected they have three or four months before
taking heir offices toselec men, suitable TO act as
heads Of departments but this duty came upon me
| 10 half day. requested the membeEs of the
Taylor cabinet to stay thirty days andfto give me
an opportunity TO leok around and select their sue.
cessors; but they respectfully Geclned1 Thus
while me storm was coming up in the North and
! in The South, asIsuddenly called TO administer
the government without cabinet and without
time TO select one but thank God wasnJl long
/ 10 this situation. was so fortunate as tolobtain
1 cabinet the members Of which and myself AWAY.
agreed in opinion and in all acts, We scied 10.
| gather. In that cabinet your honored Kentucky
was honorablY TepreSsnied. Still--said- Az I'LL
7 In Texas and New Mexico a civil var was
threatened. Texas made preparations 10 take
| possession 81 . portion Of New Mexico He fell
u his duty 10 maintain the laws of his country =
| One Of the laws required that the people OF The
| Territory OF New Mexico should Be protected =
As means OF protection, he immediately ordered
portion OF the army and munitions Of war To ibs
frontier Of Texas TO DO duty there. The atmv va,
put IA motion, and then, and not till then did Con
| gfess act upon the subject Texas and New Mex.
leo acquiesced in the action of Congress. MI
Fillmore spoke of the adoption OF the COMPROMISE
measures Of 1871, and especially of the fugitive
slave law. This law, said he had some nro Wis
ions IN i 10 which be had objections. HI regret.
TED ths necessity OF its being passed at ALL bur the
constitution required The giving up OF fugitive
slaves, and Il was not for him to decide whether
TINS was compact he had sworn to maihtain il.
and he would do so 70 his last hour.
When the bilcsnie 10 him from the twobouses
ID The midst Of hurry and confusion aud dificnI'
lies, he examined it, and doubt came ub n his
mind whether i was not unconstitutional is deny
ing the right OF habeas corpus TO the fugitive slave
ne referred the matter 10 our accomplished Ken
lucky lawyer, his Attorney General, who gave his
opinion that the Law. was not violation Of he
constitution; and tnefeupo1. said Mr.. Filimorp I
gave my signature oIhe bill, but in doing so 7
drew down upon my devoted head. as IHkuew 7
should, the walls Of wrath from abolilionisln and
free soiism. Mr.. Fillmore regretted thatIhe Mad
felt called on to say 50 much Of himself ana wen,
on TO speak OF those who stood by him in the greaf
struggle of 1850. He said that he would eIadIv
name In that connection many living persons. moi
wings merely. but democrats, as true paitiois AZ
ever lived. This work Of paciication said h
was BY no means The work Of one man. or Ave
men, or ten men-the crisis was one in which IN
true patriots Of the nation no matter whattkev h.d
been called, wings or democrats, or any otheE name
rose above all personal aud partizan Consider
TONS aud looked only to the good Of The eeun,rv
he referred beautifully to the noble parts taken ~
the illustrious dead, Mr., Clay, Mr. Webst1- ,na
The late Vice President King. -N
The speaker said that though he had. hy hi. a.
forts in bshalf OF the compromise lost for 4 lin.
the confidence Of portion of his fellow Citizens
and especially 10 his own State, he LOVED th,,
State as dear mother. and was unwillinJ 10 ~
lieve that be had proved q Tecreantaon. HI trn.t-
ed that the exciiementof the mod hi Womb n,s.
away, and that she would at last see thar ~ IA !,
least acted with honest Intentions, IL he ma ~,
acted the better part But fellow citizens 1a;d ~
let me refer 10 your own State. When he I.,hsr'
ing tempest Of fanaticism abolition fanaric;S, 80
rolling up from the North and an Equally Ei.Isn,
tempest Of fanatieism. secession fanarieixm wss
rolling up from the south /; and where did ~.
State cfKentueky stand She stood IiIe - =
mid the surges Of the ocean-she stood 6rm .rd
mistaken, the pillar Of the Constitution III. -
iogy Of Kenlucky vas exeeedingI, andsorie snd
this portion Of bis speech. like ali the oth1r 49,
tons was received with the most enthnsi..I;. -
plause. Few public speakers ever m de - IN y,
impression uPo1 Louisville audience as ~