Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-08-09
al. After thanking his friends, and after
some preliminary remarks abiding to the
death of Gen. TAYLOR, he says:

| Ut Atei tHdHb my uiS i'ieH"e, ahp WV :
some preliminary remarks abiding to the
death of Gen. TAYLOR, he says:
Though be had bean fol many years
politician he could say lha, the only seepless
night he had ever passed on account Of political
anxiety, was that on which Gen. Taylor died.
| His sleepIessness arose from his deep feeling OF
| The weight Of the duties unex peciedly devolved
epon him. He reviewed during We hours Of
| that night his own opinions and life He was
| sensible that be had drunk in with his mother 5
milk and had cherished from his youth up, a
! feeling, even prejudice, against slavery.
Mr.. Film ore here admits that when Ire
assumed the responsibilities Of the Execu-
tive, he still retained strong preiatices
against slavery, ard had consistently main.
! tanned those opinions. In relation to the
| fugitive slave act he is reported by the
| Louisville journal to have said
Mr.. Fillmore spoke of the adoption of the
Compromise Measures of 1850, and sSpeciaiAl
! OF the fugitive slave law. This law, he SAID
had some provisions init to which he had OBJ
lection. He regretted the necessity of It's b.
inc passed at all. * When the bill
came 10 him from the two Honses; in the midst
OF hurry and confusion and difficulties he ex-
amined ii, and doubt came up in his mind
whether II was not unconstitutional. as denying
the right OF habeas corpus 10 the fugitive slave.
He referred the question to our accomplished
Kentucky lawyer, his Attorney General who
gave his opinion that the law was not viola
lion oil the Constitution, and thereupon, said
Mr.. Fillmore, gave my signature 10 the bill
When we remember tina. this is his
language, as reported by the Louisville
journal, we must take il as the midest
Interpretation the language he used would
bear. He had objections to the law he
regretted its passage. and donbted its con-
stitutionality. He passed sleepless nights
under the haunting idea Of sustaining the
South in her constitutional protection in
the enjoynen Of her slave property, and
only gave his signatGse 10 the bill when
| Mr.. CrittendeE said il was constitutional.
Mr.. Fiilmofe's Tepugnance to this sol-
tary one of the acts OF 1850 which Injured
| TO the benefit CT The South, is also proved
oy his s'oth III rendering the assistance OF
his power and authority as Federal Exec
u!ve to the execution of the set It was
during his administration that Sbadiach
was rescued In Boston for the want of fed
era support it was during his atiininis-
tfdtloH tIat L-iieH CtdltSi anu HtT UUNdY
defied their owners who went TO Boston
to recover them, and that these same Crafts
sailed in open day from hat port to Lon.
don 10 become the observed Of all obser-
vars at the w tld's Exhibition in the
British capital! 1, was owing 10 the atso-
Lutte denial o! federal assistance to owners
in pursuit oil theif slaves at the n orth du-
ing the whole of Mr.. t'illmore's adminis-
tration. that 1t became so difficult aud cost
Is a matter TO enforce She law after Mr..
pierce's accession TO The government; and
that Anthony Bergs could cniy be return
ed to his owner BY President Pierce S
Marshall and the gallant Irish volunteer
companies Of Boston whom Gardner after
wards disbanded, at The cost of life and
Lloodshed and the enormous outlay o! $780,
600.
But the browning proof of Mr.. Fill
more's repugnance to the law was iesprv-
ed for the last year Of his administration.
after he had los, tina Wing nomination for
the Presidency, aud when there was no
selfish motive left TO impede him 10 pnr-
sung the ben: Of his inclinations. We
81 ~ this chapter in his history from tn {
Washington correspondence and the Alex
andlia Sentinel: