Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-05-23
WHOLE NO. 4sO.


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Mr.. Kennedy's Letter.
The Cincinnati Times publishes the following
from Hon. John P. Kennedy, Of Baltimore, Mr.
FiLmore's Secretary Of the Navy; and one of the
committee Of the Philadelphia Nominating Con-
vention to notify Mr.. F. Of his nomination by the
American party a. their candidate for the Presi-
dency in 1855. This letter, coming from such a
man is entitled to great weight and deserves caro-
full consideration and full confidence. We submit
il, without further preface, to our readers:
a .aog BALTIxoRr, May 8, 1855.
N MY DEAR Sra: In answer to your inquiry as TO
the acceptance Of the nomination by Mr.. Fillmore,
can only say, that am in daily expectation Of
hearing from himself upon this subject. forward
ed I'd him, about the middle of March, the letter
Of the committee, spprizing him Of the proceed
ings OF the Philadelphia Convention, and soon
aftera duplicate. have - yet received no COM
municatlDn from him In reply. ] attribute this to
the fact Of his having set out for the North Of Eu
rope and the delay incident to the transportation
of letters to him on his route of travel. l have
no doubt, however Of his acceptance and have
no hesitation In repeating TO you what said few
weeks ago to some of the members of the Amen-
can State Convention at Greensbor0ugh, North
Carolina, that formal letter of unqualified ac-
cepta'ace may be confidently erpected at an early
ddyi fga
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 defer his answer until he arrives
here himself but upon the question of his accept
ance you may assure your friends there is no rea-
son to doubt that II will certainly be given. Mr..
Fillmore is too deeply impressed with a sense of
his duty to the country to shrink at such time as
this from high responsibility cast upon him by his
political position. He is aware that his past SER
vice, in period of great embarrassment and dan
ger in the domestic affairs of the Union has formed
the principal inducement to the call which has
lately been made upon him by the Convention in
Philadelphia He would not be the man he has
proved himself to be, if from any fear Of contest
or consideration OF personal ease he should decline
q summons which so strongly addresses itself to
his patriotism.
Iknow, and 80 do you, with what profound re-
gret Mr.. Fillmore noted the action of the present
administration and Its friends in opening anew that
angry and dangerous discussion on slavery, by the
abrogation of the Compromises of $50, and with
II the repeal of the old Missouri Compromise He
foresaw in it what has beens so sadly realized,
more exasperated agitation OF sectional strife and
increased difficulty in tie way Of peaceful settle
ment; and now, when this mischief has been
DONE, know that he looks with strong faith to
the American party as the only effective centre
upon which the intelligent and patriotic friends of
the Union may be rallied and organized with
good hope of bringing back the country to It's old
conservative position with reference to this unhap-
Ply dissensionl he con6des in the loyalty of that
party TO the Union, It's devotion to the constitu
ton, its true estimate Of the national sentiments
Of thelpeople, and Its determination TO maintain
position which shall enable It to check the excesses
of faction In both extremes Of North and South;
he con6des in these as presenting basis upon
which.al sound and earnest friends of peace and
supremacy may be united In the ad-
ministration of the government.
The virulence with which this party is assailed
ust now by the two antagonistic organizations
which have entered the field against Il, is an ac-
of its strength and q proof of
their fears. Each Of them have thcir own serious
reasons for thinking II expedient to spread the
opinion that Mr.. Fillmore means to decline, or
ought to be Withdrawn from the canvass.
His prospects, nevertheless, are better than any
mar who can be brought against him. In the
South give him Delaware, Maryland, North Caro-
lima, Kentucky and Tennessee, a. certain Louis-
ana and Missouri, think, viii also give him their
votes. Virginia and Georgia he may carry; and
even Mississippi, though do not count on them.
You can estimate his strength in the South better
than I can, Of the West cannot speak, since
80 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
we're wisely calling into its service, us candidates
for their electoral tickets and for other responsible
trusts, the worthiest and most distinguished citi-
zens, known and approved for their conservatism,
without respect to their connexion with the party
through any form, but looking only TO their afani
ties with the party In sentiment and opinion, they
giving broader and more just foundation to their
own power as political body.
hope that this course will be adopted generally
and the objections Of enemies silenced, by showing
that, in the nomination of Mr.. Fillmore, the Ameri-
can organization has advanced from the character
and position of an order into that of great poti
cal party, large enough to embrace every friend Of
the Union and the constitution, and strong enough
to concentrate power that win be found ample
to protect and perpetuate both.
Very truly, yours,
JOHN p. KENNEDY.
]. N. REYNOLDS, Esq., New York.