Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-10-13
From the Augusta (Gs) Chronicle
The Missouri Compromise Letter from

The Missouri Compromise Letter from
Mr.. Fillmore,
e BUFFALO, n. Y, Sept 90, 1856.
JWM BERRIES, ..Eso.-Dear Sir Your two
favors Of the 25th inst have just come 10 hand and
furnish additional evidence that am constantly
msrepresented both North and South. In the
North am charged with being a pro-slaVery man,
seeking to extend slavery free territory. and in
the South / am accused Of being an obOlitionist.
Blu. am neither; and as have invariably refused
to give any pledges, other than such as might be
inferred from my known character and previous Of
fetal conduct have not answered to the pubic any
of these charges. If after all have done, and al
the sacrifices have made TO maintain the Constitu.
tonal rights of the South, she still dstrusts me,
then, can only say, that hope she may find one
more just and fearless and self-sacrifcng than
/ have been, and that when found, she may show
| her gratitude by her confidence. And SO Of the
| NOrth-if after all | have done to maintain her
Constitutional rights and advance her interest she
distrusts me hope she may find one more worthy
Of her confidence and bestow it accordingly.
shall have no regrets for myself in either case.
am only anxious that the country should be well
| governed, and that this unfortunate sectional con
troversy between the North and the South should
be settled, and fraternal feeling restored But
appreheud, that the difficulty is that the extremes
on each side want President favoring their own
| peculiar views against their opponents. / can
not consent to be such candidate for either side.
/ am for the whole Union North and South, East
and West, and if my countrymen viii not accept
me on those conditions, l shall not complain.
The enclosed article, copied into the Richmond
Wing from the Buffalo Commercial, speaks my SEN
timents on the Missouri Compromise. 1t may or
may not suit your latitude but have not one thing
for the South and another for the North and there's
fore send it.
In conclusion, permit me to express my sincere
thanks for the kind interest you have manifested in
my success as the candidate of the Union. l re-
member your smented brother well, and was proud
to call him my friend / wish his valuable life could
have been spared to aid in this struggle to save
| our country.
With sentiments Of respect, am, truly and sin-
eerely yours. WILLARD FILLMORE.
P. Sd write in haste, without time to copy or
correct
From the B,lTdIo Commercial Adreyti en-, Sept. II.
| Restoration of the Missouri COmPro-
| mise.
As the duties OF a statesman not precisely
those of debating club it always tries the pa
thence of practical to see effort wasted in dis
cussion from which nothing can possibly result In
great and critical conjunctures especially, states
man will study to discover the measures best
adapted to meet existing exigences, End he will
not lend himself to the promotion of any scheme,
whatever its Intrinsic excellence may be, for sin.
gle moment after he is satisfied he has no chance
Of success. Like wise physician, he will keep
himself accurately informed of the progress of the
disease, and the condition Of the patient, and will
not insist that medicine shall be administered to-
day because il would have prevented the malady
bad il been taken ten DAYS ago. 1t is bis business
to deal with the disease in its present stage, and if
the patient refuse to take the medicine which is
best in ITSELF he must not therefore, suffer him
die while he is wasting time in vain effort to con~
quer his obstinacy. II he refuse the best medicine,
he must give him the best he can get him to take.
We notice that several conservative journals 10
the South have lately advocated the restoration of
the Missouri Compromise as the most suitable
remedy for the present unhappy and distracted
condition of the country. Could the South see the
error committed in its repeal, and voluntarily come
forward forward for its restoration it would at once
end all controversy. But this we conceive to be
morally mpossble therefore, we cannot forbear
to remark that we consider the discussion of this
question at this time unwise and i'll timed. The
subject which now absorbs public attention is the
approaching Presidential election; and we cannot
see that the restoration OF the Missouri Compro-
mise is question which the National Executive
will ever in his official capacity be called to con.
slider. The Missouri Compromise line was estab-
lished by an act Of Congress it was repealed by
act Of Congress; and, if it is ever restored, il
u.
question of its restoration is of any importance in
the Presidential election it must be because there
is likelihood, or at least possibility, that Con-
gress will pass act for that purpose, which vii
be submitted to the President for bis approval /
it is certain before hand that no such act will
come before the President, the whole question i!
frivolous and idle, or at least has pertinence t
the Presidential election.
We suppose it will not be coutroverted that il
at AZ I'm, Nh.a InVn
promise, il will be prior to the passage Of &C
admitting Kansas into the Union as a State Sub
sequent to that event. its restoration would amOun
to nothing, for the two-fold reason that Congress
has no constitutional power to control the domestic
institutions of State and that even if it possessed
the power its exercise would be either Idle or i'm
possible-ide if Kansas should come in as free
State-impossible if she should come in as a Slave
State; for the same majority which admitted her 81
such would prevent the restoration. The whole
question, then, so far it has any bearing on tkt
Presidential election, reduces itself TO this. Wheth
er there is any possibility that such an act can b.
passed before Kansas is rite for admission
State? II the negative can be demonstrated, thel
all agitation of the subject is futile and unwise.
The present Congress, which has rejected bill
proposing the restoration of the Missouri COmpro
mise line, will 60 out ofpowcr on the 4th of Marc
next; its successor on the 4th Of March, 1889; ant
first session three years from the first Of next De
cember. Long before that time Kansas will eithe
be in the Union or knocking at the doors of Con
gress for admission If then act for the restO
ration of the Missouri Compromise is not passed b.
the present or the next succeeding Congress, it /
certain that it will never be passed at all. Thu
present Congress will pass no such act, for III
South has large Democratic majority The mex
Congress will not pass it, for the that tn
Democrats will still have the ascendency in tn
Senate. Even the most ssnguine Of the Republican
journals admit this, and no man in that party /
extravagant enough to claim that in the next Con
gress the Senate will be favorable to their views
The New York Evening Post made an estimate
day before yesterday, in which, after claiming th
election in several States which the Republican
are likely to lose, it only reckoned on % OF tn
50 members of the Senate for Fremont. Burin
game, in bis speech in Boston, two or three DAYS
since, made threat that with Republican Presi
dent and Republican House of Representatives
they would grind the proslavery Senate Of the mel
Congress las between the upper and the nethe
milestone" thus clearly admitting that they had n
! hopes OF the Senate.
We may consider il demonstrated, therefore, tina
an act for restoring the Missouri Compromise wi
never come before the President for his considera
lion As connected with the Presidential election
the question is perfectly idle-a mere abstraction
unworthy the consideration OF practical statesman
II is unwise to discuss it an element Of the Pres
, idential canvass; IL would be equally unWise eve
to sgitate it sgan 10 Congress. The Missouri Com
| promise is like water spilled upon the sand il ca