Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-05-09
For the Enquirer
FACTS FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
Nm ~

,uIe us To completely understand it, ns vel u ..
sitter To Me-. Brooks, OF New York which WAC -
II the las; number. ,,, ~, E;l,,n,r,
| In the close Of the Erie letter, io'''
says: 80: q, any that
Il would, however. take this occasion a. nor d,.rr
IN thus frankly giving my opinion IS y n,aLpe A,
:, hava !, understand IN the nature VI TT
nave " i., .cek no disguise, but freely give
no .onti,p.ur. on any su'J"ct "t i",et'e' W , =,
,rbos. sufTrap-s anI Il candidate, au' "pprtu ~
living any pledge that sh",. ,n m .nis
~. n,uyn ro DELIBERATE BEFORE &C aiiu rs
o,IIy ns legislator, TO possess myself oil all Tue
'trn;tion and listen to every argument mat can Ut
'dduccd by my associates, before give aF"n' wore
IS I stand pledged to particular course oi action
ease TO be responsible agent, but become herT
nachire. Should subsequent events show beyond Ill
ioubt that the course became pledged 7" pursue
| xqs ru,HouS IN my constituents AMI d'SSrdctJ" O":
>e, have no alternatir' III opportunity 10, lope ~,
,m"r and there il power to absolve me from ~!
obligation" t,..
So, then, according to Mr.. F!more's own comics,
| sols bis course on slavery was not the eneI' %
pledges, but resulted from the uscre'i"n ,,ows
! reserved to himself aud all the votes ne eyer s"s
,prst b. considered rs prompted by iull ueoera'''"
nd consideration Of the subject oi thesi; we naI
here the key to tho extreme cnui!nn WIN "'''t. ''
Fillmore, in all hts letters SINCE 1910 h"' W
hi, course on the slavery question. As c"rrnora',
| nj ths fact that his opinions We're nnqua'ieo ""'
decided and not the result Ut temporary eNieu'enT!
We have already shown that variou" 'o'es S"o" ~
MIN nearly year before the Eric letter; "o'c W vi
,r with it, and before the cios7 VI 'heSt
| articles we hope To make il manifest that no ACT o.
nis life is in conflict with that ever memorable
epstlu =, =.
Before we 20 any further, however, IN The invest
| cation We desire to disclose some cotemporaneou'
| syn,.i,,,ns of hi, noIicy and position. The Bufal,
! Courier in September, 1913, puosheu III the Guy
wher. Mr.. Fillmore resided makes Use VI this ian
guage: ,.;,,su,
| ia, Commercial
~. MIh day of October 1888, that Mr.. Fillmore. III
a corrs.pundeuce With the Erie County Autl'Sinvery
| society. placed himself distinctly on the aooh'to"
plet!rn 50 far as that platform %aa "e e. ,bst time
was ob,Diatriv necessary TO gain political lnnurhce
and s.curs public favor in Western New l1rH.J
Having tax en- it. his position was srehS 'heneu' ai ~
he became, caRy III consequence VI tu" az country
,yb.re the fell spirit OF a6olltionsm Was men, au
now all powerful at the oshoi box. 10 tna! arTGM
Of his sentiments, We attribute tie popnlas WI j.;
| H. r;oys among abulitinAists aud Wigs here az" III
| ,h.r Tnrthern States especially Ono, iGf VIZ An'
un,ny IN ks pajichit or Serr!cts calculated l. as,
him To- IN, cniuence which he has been 80 ''''u"''
! ~ to reach. ,, -, oboI;,;on sen.
Nv -. Iony ,yo ma 1888; his declaration thai ne
ws. in favor of tho immediate abolition OF s,".s "
! The District Of Columbia BIS eoursa !" 80 H.,
| whenever IA. subject of slavery came to!'o 'ia,
ID. and his Gsrc, opposition 10 the ahme@ae'! "
Touy dr. navs him consequence, and enlisted IL his
nnI,rt those who have at last succee'cu III piaS,hS
him before the people us Candidate LOT tue VICE
.idencv Having done so, they discover me neccSS'
30 which EXISTS Ut couciliaug their fellow czsn5 NJ
,5s Snu,h who like General Taylor, happen ~ bod
few slaves. aud VIGOROUSLY cauilou. III oestcwins
their share OF the honOrs and trasts OF government.
So obvious is this necessity that the SouhIEn ireno
of Mr. Fillmore call attention 10 the fact that IL his
Erie letter, in 1888, Mr.. Fillmore gave no pledges
But no one asked han. 10 g.pe drcs his sentiments
were satisfactory 10 the society which be addressed
and the rho'e Abolition party Of the North. >.
la THE connection, them Mr.. Fillmore swhoe polt'
cy upon the Question OF slavery must be Regarded as
deliberate aud we'll settled one The pretext uuder
which he seeks to escape regard TO the Mississippi
case, decided by Judge Mclean, is al exceedingly
bold Que IN itee for the decision there only embraces
properly the point. that the power gi'en " congress
TO regulate commerce among the several Ststs, ca
not conflict with the authority OF the State ot Nssls
sipp 10 prohibit by law the introduction Of slaves n
TO that State articles Of merchandise But be that
as i; mav we have not Yet done with the BROOKS let
ter We give him the full benefit ot the cGnF iGpou
which il, Expresses that Congress has power over
the subject " slavery as II exists III the several STATES
a poeltiou which Yc have shown is not now disputed
by tho most ultra &bo..Qn!st III the country. lie
case 10 which Mr.. F. refers as eFecng the change III
his opinions decided at the 3aLcrry term OF tho
Supreme Cosrt 1911, aud is that Of Geoves SauSh-
ter Is Peters, ii9. He states i'll express ter1S. IN
the Brooks letter. tia: the case in Question decides
iLs: 1.-THE constitutions power over The transportation
81,
State TO n,her was vested the several States, aud
no. IN Congress. Tb:s opinion carried conviction ~
every unpr-iudced niuc, aad ths question "ss con
con d-r-I S.,tieG AZ any -h:e. this was my own
OF uiou then, aud ! have no cauSe 70 change II
"a Sc"
Now will il be considered credible after this u!'.
psreDry card;d and Ingenious -rcantatiun that Dir.
Filmure's whole legislative action and votes inter
The v.ae 1871. are i.s;ead Of being IN consonhuce
With the principle which az would have us believe
,I.,,i IN hru
rect disno.yraUiv cOntrt WIKI the sskeveratlon II.
makes! He have already shown that no !. contra
dic,ed and im peaahed by his own votes and bis o"G
act. in the state dt that this matter had never been
d;.cn.,.d in Congress before. We shall now prove
that he again dies in bis nest in the latter mate
rial assertion. 80. p,
By the Congressional Globe. I'd session 18th Con-
gre:s part /. lSil page so, II WI appear tnat'
said he had a series Of resolutions. upon subject
which had called forth some uterest 10 the other END
OF the capitol and in the nation. We appef them,
emitting the three first:
~; Resolved, That slavery being all atrdSlneut
of the natural rights of man, exist only by force
OF positive muaicipQ iar, and IL necessarily counued
to the territorial jurisdiction OF The power creating IL,
rs That when ship belonging to the citizens %
nm, Syats of this Union leaves the waters and terri
of such State aDd enters upon the high seas the
persous is!avesl on board CEASE &c Be SUBJECT 10
rug SLAVE LAWS OF SUCH STATE aiiH iHencetorth
are governed III their relations 10 eAcn osheE VI e"
mr., niueuabic to the las. Ul lie United States.
80 Resolved, That when the brig Creole on her
lat, passnse far Ner Orls1Vs, LEFT THE TERRIFIC
RIAL JURispIcrioN OF VIRGINIA. tho slave laws OF
that State ceased to have jurisdiction oyer the per-
sons (s!avcs) board said brig, aud such p'rsous
necame anlenablo uuly TO the laws OF the United
States.
- Resolved. That the persons (saves) on board
said ship, r-suinng their natural rights vt personal
liberty, VIOLATED so LAW OF THE UNITED STATES,
iHcUREEu 50 LEGAL PENALTY, AADARE JUSTLY LA
BILE 70 40 PuSISHMEHr.
49, That all attempts to regain possession OF or to
re. susavc said persons ARE USAurH1RiZED ny THE
CONSTITUTIONS AND LAWS o. THE UNITED STATES.
AID ARE INCOMPATIBLE WIZ OUR NATIONAL HONOR.
40. That all attempts TO exert gstlona intlu.
ence in favor Of the CVAsr.wisE SLAVE TRADE, or 10
place this nation III the attitude VI maintaining cGIE-
merce in human benYn, are subversve ut the rlghts
and injurious to the feelings aud the interests OF the Tree
States, ARE UNAUTHORIZED BY THE CONSTITUTION,
and prejudicial to our national character
uotiun was made that the resolutions do lie on
the table. Mr. Fillmore voted NAY, with Adams,
Gddiugs and Slads. Aud yet We are called upon to
believe that his mind was appropriated; aud, although
the resolutions were proposed year after the decls.
ion in the case which he reeR, he regarded the
questions raised by them as settled! John Minor
Bolts, the same day, offered the following preain'
Die aud resolutions:
"Whereas, the Hon. Joshua X. Giddings has this
day presented to this House series of resolutions
touching the most important Interests connected with
a large portion q, the Union, now subject ut Iego'
tatiUu between the United States and Great Britain,
of the most delicate nature, the result OF which may
eventually involve those nations in war; aud where
u.s. 10 the duty Of every good citizen to dlscpufe.
nance all efforts To create excitement, dissatisfaction
aud division anong the people OF the United States
at such u time aud under such circumstances; aud
wbercas, NUrISY aud MURDER are therein Justified
and approved in ters shocking 10 oil sense OF law,
order all ! humanity Therefore,
"Resolved. That this House hOl % the conduct Of
the said member US altogether unwarrdnei and I'M.
warrantnbl- anil deserving the severe Condemnation
Of the people Of this couUtry aud oi this body IN par
tcular."
Gu thcse resolutions, 3 motion wGs made To sus
pend the rules-ycus l2S, nays rs. Fillmore voted
nay, with Adams, fiddugs and Shade. IHo-thlrds