Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-10-17
FRIDAY, OCTBER -. 1856.

FRIDAY, OCTRER ~. 1856.
FILLMORE ON THE RESTORATION OF TIE
MISSOURI RESTRICTION.
When candidate for the Presidency ceaRcs 70 rc.
gard those restraints of silence and sec!usion which
his position impose upon him, the public.nSignt!y
conclude that hc begins to despair Of success. In
the last moment of the contest Mr.. Fillmore enters
| the lists rs the champion Of his own cause; and he
comes into the canvass under circumstances which
| suggest the gravest suspicious Of his integrity.
| For four months the South has understood that Mr.
Fillmore would no! be aversc TO the restoration of The
Missouri restriction; conviction of the popular mind
in which he Gcquiescej SO long it served his inte
rests. Having turned the misconception, il i, be n
nisconception, to the utmost possible advantage III
| the North Mr.. Fillmore seeks to cOncia.e ia
vor in the South by pretending to renounca the po-
son which had commended him tn the confidence
of the anti slavery party. The movement is too Oh
viously the result vi interested calculation, 10 impose
| upon the creduy OF those whom it ID intended 20
| deceive.
The suspicion Of dupl;cty which i: suggested by
| Mr. Flllmore's sudden and opporunc retreat from
position which he could turn to further account is
| confirmed by the manner i'll which he reveals his
| conversion to the South. Does ho frankly oouless
his error and distinctly repudlae the obnoxious posi-
| ,un! Not at all. No Drphic response was ever III
| tered with al air of deeper mystery i'll tone Of
more perplexng ambiguity. He is an ex.President
and employs his frankinS privilege 10 circulate Il
newspaper with an unnelligibe article on the repeal
of the Missouri restriction. From that article the
| ,I ,bcr, a,I ~,
Of language, would be at loss to dcduce any clear
and consistent idea yet ha; article bears the super
scrpton of Ny sentiments. W. r.. And this l. the
sum total OF information which Mr.. Fillmore ventures
to publish in illustration of his position in respect 10
the dominant issue of tho canvass! The thing looks
| more like juggler's trick than the opeu.hand dis
play of IN honest man.
Iu the beginning Of the canvass. Mr.. Buchanan
promptly and emphsically endorsed the repeal Of The
Missouri restriction and pledged himself to the final
| ty of the Kansas. Nebraska act. Like brave and
honest man he took his position and scr-nel submits
toits Consequences. Scornng the sembance Of fraud,
he proclaimed his opinions with disnctness and fall.
ness which admits of no mlscunstruction Ginning
the confidence Of the people, he frankly addresses
| himself 10 their understanding.
candor on the part OF HIN who soIics their favor. y"
man, they say, can ride both sides "i the snpl-
Their aversion 10 Gul!icI;y and conceament Is IN
stinctive and mp!acabit; and Mr.. Fillmore will find
| that his sacrifice of persona" integrity will be- com
pensated by no accession ui political support Pig!l
mem have short and satisfactory reply Ia his elaho
rate augmentation. II W. Fillmore Is d-'n"% II.
restoration Of he W>S0, rc,t' ci'0n rhy MT say 50
"a precise frori> Ii he neaus to deal honestly with
The country, why did he depart from the enSy process
,f simple negative, nnd attempt 10 perplex tie po'
| ouar understanding bv subtle rciuein"i;s and nam
tel,giUis nierences!
Mr. Fillmore and his pa::y think too mcanly OF the
popular intelligence, which il not 10 be deceived by
such silly articles The force of solid argument is
not TO BE- resisted by f.n,-y sophs:ry. The popular
conviction that Mr.. Fillmore s not averse TO The re-
ornton of the Missouri restriction is the result "f
.oncateustion Of circumstances which are significant
~ detni! aud conclusive" il tho aggregate"
First there arc tho Votes Of Mr. Fillmore North
crn supporters III Congress. nj! Of whom, with si
lie e1cepiirn supported proposition to re-enact the
Missouri Compromise.
Next is Mr.. Fillmore's response tn the enquiry ot
FILLMORE el.ctor in this State. Questioned rs I" hi.
restriction, Mr.. Fillmore replied by encl"sinG the
| Rochester speech to his imluis,ive frI"nd-'hs'
speech in which he denounced the repeal OF the M4'
souri, restriction in terms Of such sweeping and vchc-
| ment nrectve.
| Above all, Mr.. Fmorrs own language III regard
20 the repeal ui the Missouri Compr"nG ncomte,,lhly
commits him to the re--siabsnrnt of iha rcstrlc.
,ion When candidate for the Presidency Gcnouuccs
The repeal of particular measure IN outrage.
au act Of bad faith, violation of Il sGcrel com
pact, aud the of great nationa! caam.tics,
with the utmost furcc uI language hc incucatcs
the duty, both in moral and political se;.s", "i
making aonensnt for the wrong, ni repairing the in
Justice, and OF r. cnnci!ns measure from the iD
sence Of which the country suffers severely
But it matters little in elect whether not Mr..
Fillmore would make the restoration of thu Missouri
Compromise an object Of his administration Indeed
ne may oppose the re enactment of the restriction
in literal and technical sense, and yet ,rcunIly
promote it as the mos. active aud bIatan, Back Re.
publican. If Mr.. Fillmore would not revive the
Missouri restriction why do he and his party 30 vin
ently and persistently reprobatc its repeal! IT, rs he
aiirms that repeal the Of all the agitation
and alarm which aiict the country, he certainly con.
tributes nothing to the restoration OF tranquility and
peace by perpetual denunciation of the offensive n u
sure. Instead of soothing excited public feeling
he but exasperates it the by inanins the sense
of wrong. If Mr.. Fillmore were sincere IL his dec
aration and patriotic in his motive, h. would employ
vii his influence in the effort mitigate the mscuisv
| ous consequence of al !mpo!,iic MEASURE. On the
| contrary, in aggravang tie enornity OF the wrorg
ne feeds the flame Of Indignation; and is thus crn
nal accomplice with Black RepuG!;canism in lis n
| aendiary asation.--Agein, We demand to know why
| Mr.. Fillmore dcnounces tho repeal Of tho Missouri;
Compromise if he is opposed to its restoration! Can
the lphig offer an explanation Of its candidates lilo
| glca and irrational conduct!
The truth is that whether not it be Mr.. Fi!lmorcs
desire again to impose the Missouri restriction upon
the South, he is industriousy preparing the way for
| that caalnitous consummation. Not TO the nau who
could show an oilicia! connexion with the measure
from the Parliamentary record, belongs the chief ere
dit for the repeal Of the British laws, but 20 him
who was most active and Jealous IN organizing ih :
agitation against the policy of protection. The for
NAL and final act of repeal is no;hing the
the policy s already detunct when pablo Indignation
j. directed agans; it. This is precisely the part
signed to Mr.. Fillmore in the comprehensive cpn-pi
racy. He may protest reluctance to bear the re
sponsibility of the repeal of the Missouri restriction
but he is doing the work with the utmost energy. Ii
ne does not appear in the concluding scene, the
rophe will be- nevertheless the result OF his agency
and contrivapce Black Rrpuhcansm may reap
the fruit but Fillmore aud his party prepared
| tho ground and scattered the seed. They
operate in diverse spheres-;he control
iny the sentiment of the North, aui tie
other appealing moro directly to the public
| opinion of the South-but Fremont ani Fillmore are
allies By reason OF their Common deuuncaton Of the
| Kansas. y sbrasia act: and in the event cf :he