Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-09-25
Judge Brien and Hon. A. ". Brown
at White Bluff.
From The CarksviIle ohronicIs, Sept. 1Tth.l

This Barbecue, which came off last Saturday,
was attended by near two thousand persons, a
large portion Of whom were ladies. The spot is
beautiful one, for such demonstration, and the
managers evinced their zeal and taste in all OF the
arrangements. Everything needed, was there,
and n the right place, so that good order prevail
ed, and the day passed off, with degree of quiet
unusual on such occasions. The dinner was super
abundant, admirably prepared and highly comph-
mepted in practical way.
Il was agreed, by those who had the ordering Of
things, that the day should be given up to Judge
Brien and Hon. A. V. Brown, two hours each, in
their opening speeches, and half hour each, for
rejoinder-the two first speeches before, and the
rrjoinder after dinner. A. V. Brown led off, and
as we had never heard him before, our expecta-
lions were on tiptoe-his reputation leading US to
anticipate great display of oratOry, and an exhi-
bition of the qualities Of a skIllful and practiced
debater. To say that we were disappointed, is but
to express the opinion of every one, who, like
ourself, heard him for the first time-indeed, such
is the opinion of his warmest political friends
Though be is fluent and fanciful, he displayed no
ingenuity, no ability His speech was strikingly
pointless-one hour of it being devoted to an eff
fort to throw some sort of protection around his
own motley record, which he Justly supposed
would be most vigorously assailed. In this effort
it is needless to say, be most signay failed, as the
elongated visages of his friends too plainly evncei
Indeed. every attempt to make him consistent
with himself, made his tergiVersations more glar-
ing, and laid him more widely open to successful
assault Having disposed of himself, the prophet
Of Pisgah entered upon a series of assertions, to
prove that Mr.. Fillmore is an abolitionist, In the
very face of his own recorded declarations to the
contrary; and in this sort of warfare, h0 showed
himself to be only equal of the most puere of his
co.workers. His next poiut-if point it may be
called-was that Fillmore, though honest and true,
stands no chance and therefore the South should
unite upon Buchanan to defeat Fremont. In urg
ing this position be proved himself to be no less
sectional than Sumner and Gid1ings, and this part
OF his speech was cupably incendiary. In defence
of Buchanan he said but little, and that little had
better been left unsaid, so far as regards the ad
vancement of his cause This is about the sum
and substance of his speech, which fell with chill
ling effect upon his party friends, whilst the only
cheerful faces in the crowd, were those of the
Wings and Americans, upon which rested no
frown, except when the prophet of Pisgah, with a
heart full of deceit and lips running over with by
pocrtical cant, dared to lavish eulogies upon the
memory Of the immortal Clay.
The direction given to the debate by the ex"Gov
ernor, forced Judge Brien 10 change his tactics
and depart from the usual line Of argument in this
canvass. But the readiness with which he adapted
himself to the change, proved that he is not the
man to be thrown off his balance by the tactics Of
an opponent. The Judge entered upon the dssec
ton of his opponent with keen blade aud a
steady nerve, and never have we seen a JOB, Of
that sort, dispatched more promptly, and more to
the satisfaction of those interested. The incon-
sistencies which make up the political history of
the Sweetest singer in the Israel of Democracy"
laid bare 10 the public gaze, and the agonized
victim was left impaled upon the jagged point Of
scared conscience. We felt sorry for the ex.Gov~
ernor and so did his friends, as the work of demo-
liton went forward, and we would have turned
away from the spectacle had we not felt that every
pang he suffered a forfeit to offended justice.
Our space will not permit us to analyze Judge
Brien's specific recapitulate his arguments in
defence of the American party and its candidates,
but we can assure our friends, everywhere, that
his triumph a signal one conceded TO be such,
by the most intelligent of the opposition. And to
our demo cratic friends would say, in conclu
sion make the prophet stay at home, and address
pastoral letters to the Methodist Clergy, in the
pacity of degenerate "son of sainted SIRE"
His manifold sins would break the back of a strong
er man, and with their weight upon him he can
do nothing for Buchanan. Order him to the rear,
and let all that be can do, in this canvass, be done
incOg-his voice and his signature will alike damn
his efforts in behalf of bis cause.
The Escape of The Fugitive Slave Crafts.
From the Clarksvile Chronicle.
Our opponents are in the habit of pointing with
exutaon, to the Crafts case, in Boston, and taunt
ing Mr.. Fillmore with the escape of that slave and
holding him up to Southern censure for not remov
ing the Marshal, to whom the duty of his arrest
was assigned We might Offset all this, by points
ing to the case, in Ohio, in which slave girl was
fOrcibly wrested from her mistress, in the and
rudely and insultingly borne off and set free. In
the Crafts case, the subject a fugitive, and the
mob aided his escape, but in the case of the lady
from Memphis, the slave was forcibly seized by
scoundre who relied upon brute force against
defeuceess female. What did Frank Pierce do in
the premisesS Did be dismiss the Marshal of that
District, take any steps to bring the brutal often.
der to justice? He did nothing Of the sort, yet the
Southern sag nits are as silent as the grave,-not
one word OF eensure escapes their lips, and their
cOnniving inactive President is held up to the pub
lie as a true friend of the South and faithful admin
istrator of the fugitive slave law.
But it is not by mere contrast, or recrimination
that we make up the defence of Mr.. Fillmore. The
following letter from j. ]. Crittenden shows that
Mr. Fillmore took action upon the case Of Crafts,
and to prove his readiness to do justice to the
South be laid the evidence against the Marshal, be-
fore Mr.. Crittenden, a Southern member of his
Cabinet, with the intention to remove said officer,
should Mr.. Crttenden so advise, after an examina
ton of that evidence. The examination was made,
and Mr.. CIittenden declared that there was no
cause for his removal, and the same decision was
made by Mr.. Hughes, the agent of the owner of
the slave. With these facts before him no man can
accuse Mr.. Fillmore Of neglect of duty, unless in
stigated by malice.
THE MARSHALL OF MASSACHUSETTS DIS
TRICT.
The Republic learning that certain papers relat-
ing to the Marshal OF Massachusetts District, had
been placed in the hands of the Attorney General
for his examination, and thatbe had given his views
in writing, to the President, applied for copy of
his opinion for publication. 1t will be seen that,
in Mr.. Crittenden's judgment, there is no satisac>
tory evidence Of neglector evasion Of duty by Mr.
Deven's or his Deputy
OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL,
November %, 1850
To THE PRESIDENT AS requested by you,
have carefully examined all the papers placed in
my hands. relating to complaint made again, Chas
Devens ESQ, the Marshal of the Massachusetts
District for aledged neglect and derelictiOu OF duty
in failing to execute warrant which came 10 his
hand for the arrest OF William Crafts, fugitive
slave.
These papers, consisting chiefly Of the afidavits
of Mr.. Devens, the Marshal, his deputy Mr. p. Ri
ley, James Dickson, Geo. T. Curtis, Esq, AID w.
II. Hughes Dsq., agent for the owner Of the slave,
with letters from Mr.. Fay and Mr.. Curtis here
with returned, Having peiused them with care,
and certainly without any bias, or prepossession in
favor OF the Marshal or his deputy must say that,
though can see no evidence of any particular
tivity energy on their part il seems TO me there
does not sufficiently appear any cause for eensure
Of their conduct, or the removal of the Marshal
from Office more commendabe activity and
energy might probably have been exerted by them
but they seem to have acted, to considerable
tent, upon consultation and in concert with Mr..
Hughes, the agent for the owner OF the slave, and
what might otherwise appear to be blameable in
them, may have been the result Of that consular
ton and concert In this uncertain state OF the
case, the declaration made by Mr.. Hughes at the