Washington telegraph., 1856-06-18
WILL MR.. FILLMORE ACCEPTs
What are his Prospects ?--Letter from
Hon. John P. Kennedy.
NEW YORK, May 8, 1856.

= Ny DEAR Sir: In answer to YOUR in
quiry as to the acceptance of the nomina
, ton by Mr.. Fillmore, l can only say that
, | am in daily expectation of hearing from
himself upon this subject. l forwarded
to him about the middle of March, the
! letter of the Committee, apprising him OF
the proceedings of the Philadelphia Con
vention, and soon after duplicate. |
nave, as yet, received no communication
from him in reply. L attribute this to
the fact of his having set out for the North
of Europe, and the delay incident to the
transportation of the letters to him on his
travel. [ have 20 doubt, however, of his
acceptance, and have no hesitation in re-
peating to you what [ said a few weeks
ago to some of the members of the Amer
lean State Convention at Greensboro, n.
c., that a formal Letter If unqualified
acceptance may be expected at an early
ddy
1t may be, indeed, that Mr.. Fillmore,
having received the announcement of the
Committee at the moment of his return
from the Continent to England, may de-
fer his answer until he arrives here him
self; but upon the question of his accep-
tance, you may assure your friends, there
is no reason to doubt that it will certain
1 ly b..given Mr. Fillmore is too deeply
impressed with sense of duty TO the
country to shrink at such a time as this
from the nigh responsibility cast upon
him by his political position. He is aware
that his past service, in period of great
embarrassment and danger, in the domes-
tic affairs of the Union, has formed the
principal inducement to the call which
has lately been made upon him by the
Convention at Philadelphia. He would
not be the man he has proven himself to
be, if, from any fear of contest or consid-
eratioa of personal case, he should decline
summons which so strongly addresses it
self to his patriotism.
| know, and 50 do you, with what pro-
found regret Mr.. Fillmore noted the action
Of the present Administration and its
/ friends, in opening anew that angry and
dangerous discussion on slavery, by the
sbrogation of the Compromises Of 1850,
and with it the repeal Of the old Missouri
/ Compromise. He foresaw in it, what has
been so sadly realized-a more exasperate
agitation of sectional strife, and increased
dilGculty in the way of peaceful settle
ment; and nov, when this mischief has
/ been done. know that he looks with a
strong faith to the American party as the
/ only effective center upon which the intel
/ iicent and patriotic friends of the Union
may be rallied and organized with good
hope Of bringing back the country to,the
old conservative position with reference to
this unhappy dissension He coniides in
the loyalty of that party to the Union, its
devotion to the Constitution, and its true
estimate of the national sentiments of the
people, and its determination to maintain
a position which shall enable it to check
the excuses of faction in both extremes
of North and South he coniides In these
as presenting basis upon which all sound
and earnest friends Of peace and consti-
tutional supremacy may be united in the
administration of the Government.
The virulence with which this party is
assailed just now by the two antagonistic
organizations which have entered the field
against it, is an acknowledgment of its
strength and proof Of their fears Each
of them have their own serious reasons
for thinking it expedient to spread the
opinion that Mr. Fillmore means to de-
cline, or ought to be withdrawn from the
canvass.
His prospects, nevertheless, are better
than any man who can be brought against
him. In the South give him Delaware,
| MARYLAND, North Carolina, Kentucky and
/ Tennessee. as certain; Louisiana and Mis-
souri,. think, will give him their votes,
/ Virginia and Georgia ne may carry, and
even Mississippi, though l do not count
them. You can estimate his strength IN
the South better than I can. OF the West
[ cannot speak, since so much depends
there upon future developments.
] have recently returned from journey
through several of the Southern States,
and with pleasure observed, while there,
that the American party was wisely call
ING into its service, as candidates Tor thelr
electoral tickets and for other responsible
trusts. the worthiest and most distinguish
ed citizens, known and approved for their
conservatism, without respect to their con-
pection with the party through any form,
but looking only to their afinities with
the party in sentiment and opinion-thus
Giving broader and more just foundation
to their own power as a political body.
I hope this course will be adopted gen
eraIly, and the objections of enemies ST.
fenced, BY showing that in the nomination
of Fillmore, the American organization
has advanced from the character and posi-
ton of an order into that of great po-
litical party, large enough to embrace eV-
erv friend of the Union and the Constitu-
ton, and strong enough to concentrate
power that will be found ample to protect
and perpetuate both
Very truly yours,
JNO. 2. KENNEDY.
J. n. REYNOLDS, Esq, New York