Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-04-05
arr. Fillmor. at Louisville.

remarks at Louisville, which will be reaa WIN
interest.
Mr.. Fillmore said on rising that he felt exceed
ingly embarrassed in being called on, for the first
time in his life toaddress an audience like the one
before him, and that he sincerely hoped there was.
no "ehieln present ''takn' notes." but that WHAT
he stSuld utter might be forgotten with the occa-
sion. Me was at loss to understand what mo-
tive couN have prompted such great and unex-
pected explosion Of regard on the part oftfe cii-
liens Of Kebtucky. Ii he were in the actual pos
session of the power which it was once his fortune
to WELD or eyeD again seeking that position, he
might see an inject for such a manifestation, but
here am, saif> be neither holding nofseeking Of
fee with nothing private public mar. which,
in my own estimatior,should call FORTH such q
testimonial as this To nothing, said he..can at
tribute it but to real Kentucky hospitality, which
seeks an object whether worthy or not and lavish
es ppon that object its own generosity.
MIR. Fillmore said that il was his misfortune 10
be. without his solicitation and certainty aeainst
his Wishes called to the administration Of The Gov
eminent. He bad MT even sought the nomination
for the Vice Presidency, and none could'-be more
SURPRISED than he when he learned thatIhe was
nominated. 1t was only ten hours before Gen.
Taylor's death that he had any thought that his
llus,rous friend was in danger. The knowledge
teame upon him like a peal Of thunder from clesr
sky lie felt wholly unprepared for the'great re-
spopsiblities about to devolye upon hlm.f Though
he had been for many years politiciapuhe could
say that the only sleepless night he ever paced
on account of political anxiety was that on which
| Gen. Taylor died. His sleeplesspess srose from
his deep feeling Of the weight Of the duties unex-
pectsdly devolved upon him. He reviewed du-
ring the hours of that night his own opinion and
| life EIe was sensible that he had drunk IN with
| his mothers milk and had cherishef from his
youth up, feeling, even prejudice, against slave
nv. lie endeavored 10 look upon this whole coun-
try, from the farthest corner of Maine to the Ut
most limit of Texas, as but country, the coun-
Try that had given him birth. lie saw in the
gathering clouds in the North and in the South
storm which was likely to overwhem him, and,
he feared, his country also, but he took the consli
tution and the laws as his only guide. He well
knew, that, by so doing, he must lose the friend
ship of many prominent men Of the country, espe-
cially in his own State, and encounter their re-
proaches, but, said be, to me this was nothing
The man, who can look upon crisis without be-
ing willing to offer himself upon the altar Of hls
country, is not fit for public trust. On the night
of Gen Taylor's death, the members Of his Cabi-
net presented to me their designations. declined
to look at them, first because ! deemed it respect
full to the honored dead that should not consider
by what means should carry on the Government
until he was decently inferred, and secondly be-
cause this avalanche of responsibility had fallen
upon me unprepared desired al least few
hours to reflect On what it was my duty 10 d.
Here was Cabinet selected BY Gen. Taylor, sev-
cra of them my personal friends, whom ] would
do anything in my power to serve short of endan-
gering the peace Of my country. knew howov-
er that their policy was not such as | could ap
prove. saw that the Executive power Of tho
Government and the legislative were IN opposition
to each other, and that, while this state OF things
continued, peace could never be restored. The
question therefore presented itself to me shall
retain this Cabinet or select new one. The lat
ter course was adopted, bu. you can scarcely con-
ceive The difficulties OF the position in which this
decision placed me. When our Presidents are O.
ected they have three or four months, before Ia
king their offices, to select suitable to act AZ
heads Of departments, but this duty came upon mo
| in half day requested the members Of the
TAYLOR Cabinet to stay thirty days and SO give me
an opportunity to look around andselect their sue
cessors, but they respectfully declined. Thus,
| while the storm was coming up in the North and
in the South, was suddenly called to administer
the Government without Cabinet and without
time to select one, but. thank God, was not long
in this situation. was so fortunate as 10 oil tain
Cabinet, the members of which and myself always
agreed in opinion; and, in all our ac;s, we at-d
together. In that Cabinet yourown honOred Ken
lucky was honoraIly represented.
Sill, said Mr.. Fillmore, the great difficulty re-
NAMED. Thequestion arose, what was to be dons.
In Texas and New Mexico civil war was threat
ened. Texas made preparations to take posses
sion Of q portion of New Mexico. lie felt 1t his
duty to maintain the laws of his country. One Of
those laws required that the people of the Terri
tory Of New Mexico should be protected. AS
means of protection he Immediately ordered Ior.
ton Of the army ard munitions OF war TO the from
tier ofTexas To do duty there. The army was
put in melton, and then, and nottll then. did Con-
gress act upon the subject. Texas and New Mex
leo acquiesced in the action OF Congress.
Mr. Fillmore spoke of the adoption of the COM
promise measures OF 1850 and especially Of the flu
gitive slave law. This law, he said, had ssms
provisions in il to which he had objections. He
regretted the necessity Of lis being passed at ALL
but the Constitution required the giving up Of fu-
gitive slaves, and it was not for him to decide
whether this was wise provision of the Consti-
tution-it was bargain, it was compact, he had
sworn to maintain it, and he would do so TO his
last hour. When the bill came to him from the
TWO houses, in The midst of hurry and confusion
and difficulties he examined it. and doubt came
up in his mind whether it was not unconstitution-
al as denying the right of habeas corpus to the fn-
gitive slave He referred the question to our 40
complished Kentucky lawyer, his Attorney Gene.
raj. who gave his opinion that the law not
violation of the Constitution, and thereupon, said
Mr.. Fillmore, gave my signature to the bill,
but, in doing so, drew down upon my devoted
head. as 1 knew should, the walls Of wrath from
abolitionsm and freesoilism. ..l..
Mr. Fillmore regretted that he had felt called on
to say SO much of himself and went on to speak Of
those who stood by him in the great struggle Of
1850 He said that he would gladly name in
that connection many living persons, not Wings
merely but Democrats as true patrols as ever lived.
| This work of pacfcation, said he, was by no
means the work of one man or five men or ten men
the crisis was one, in which the true patriots Of
the nation, no matter what they had been
| called, Wings or Democrats or any other name,
rose above all personal and parizan considerations
and looked only to the good of. the country. Ho
referred beautifully to the noble parts taken by the
| iustrions dead, Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Webster, and the
] late Vice President King it
The speaker said, that, though he had by HE
efforts in behalf of the compromise lost for Time
the cefidence of a portion of his fellow citizens
and especially in his own State, he loved that
State as dear mother and was unwilling 10 be-
lieve that he had proved recreant SON. He
trusted that the excitement Of the moment would
pass away and that she weudat last see that hs
had at least acted with honest intentions if he
had not acted the better part. But, fellow citizens,
said he, let me refer to your own State. When
the gathering tempest of fanaticism, abolition
fanaticism was rolling up from the North, an 0.
qualy violent tempest Of fanaticism, secession
fanaticism, was rolling up from the South, aud
where then did the State Of Kentucky stand p
She stood like rock amid the surges of the ocean: