Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-05-27
TO the Editors Of the Enquirer:
RICuMnNn Maw Ol l2in.

hiShNoHp, Slay 81, lo'o'
Gentlamen:-My attention has Just been called TO a
paragraph in the Wing of this date, in which he un-
dertakes upon the ipe drp of some urr To npeacI
the accuracy Of my report for the New York Herald
| of the proceedings of the Know Nothing State Con.
ventiOn at Staunton.
du not dunbf but that there may he some grounds
of exception III reference 10 SIR. Gimer's speech: th-
fact being, fas the National American OF this date.
with becoming. justice To me, remarks, that the con-
fusion during lis delivery such 10 render mos,
Of what he sad utterly inaudhs But for THE th,
| Wing makes excuse doubt, because he was ig.
| nornnt of the true state of the facts.
With gard tO the Other speeches, challenge him
| to point out error. Doubtless, in his remark re
pccng other inaccuracies he refers Ia thar part OF
Mr. Siuarrs speech in whicll he Is represented as
having attributed to Mr. Fillmore the action had with
reference 10 the Anthony Burns affair at Bnston-
mat he did sn is beyond all Question: and thar he was
S"undersood by Others, will produce the following
hotlce upon this subject from the StaunUn Fndica-
| tor ,of Saturday, which issued Friday, three
lays prior 10 the publication OF my report u the He
| raid, 10 show:
"IHE ANTHONY BURNS CAsE.-A gentleman in
formed US that Mr.. Stuart: in h.s speech in the late
Know Nothing Convention, ggye MIlard Fillmore
the credit OF the bold decisive and determined cpurs
| pursued in the arrest Of the fugitive slave Anthony
| Burns, III Boston. Now, every one knows, who has
0ctn casual reader OF the newspapers that it WAS
Franklin Pierce who had the Fugitive Slave Law ex
| rcuted, in that instance and thar it WAS a brave
country. bya Know Nothing Abolition mob Frank.
III Pierce elegraphed to The T. 5. Marshal at Boston,
nsructnS that the law "n1St be enforced and that
all the forces Of the United States AT Boston mus; b.,
| brought into requlsiton to execute the law Mr..
Stuart knew this full well, bur he could MOI
| iet the occasion pass without indu-ing il
MS characteristic political Jeremy Diddering.--
| Why did not Mr. Stuart tell us "f the Pennsyiva-
MIA case, where Mr.. Gnrsurh of Maryland killed
by ne negro and abolition mob and where The L. s.
Nnr. .hnl ID, ,lI,. o.,
make the This day the death of Gursuch socs
nnavenged-if we rr,nrmber arght, the murderer,
never having been tried. This was during Mr. Fill
more's administrations Did he displHce the default.
ing Marshal!
"The fact il, Mr. Fillmore ncuer did have the Fu-
gitivg Slave Law promptly enforced. IL rernamcd
tnr Franklin Pierce to execute the law, which, al
though Mr. Fillmore was turced to sign he in his own
mind believed Il to bo unconstitutional
"OGr readers can have some idea of the character
OF Mr. S;uarts speech from this item of unmitsated
misrepresentation"
do not believe that the Wing would regard me as
capable of doing IN injustice To any Ii So it il the
trstIne during period "lsight years connection with
the press, tnt have been charged with such d-sgn
And would add that in probably not more than two
Instances during that period has exception been taken
TO the accuracy Of any report which have made.
The Wing may rest assured that. with anything
IKE far advantage. my report would be such as 10
defy the scrutiny Of any one-Spcaker iiearer
anybody else. am by this time pretty familiar with
the custom Of public speakers, when they commit
bunders, of throwing the responsibility upon the re-
porter. That is an old dodge, AMI one TO which many
o the speaking politicians of the present day
Ii, at any future time, shall give the Wing nppor
tuntvot making such comments my report he has
thought proper To do in this instance invite Em
clally TO dos II the prvegeot Wing or Know. No.
thing assemblies viii permit, shall raks position
"check by joe" with the speaker, and then shall be-
ready to abide any issue which the Wing may ad
vance on the score of accuracy.
1t would he, perhaps, not less becoming the Whig,
had taccorded 10 ME that justice which has charac
t-rizcd the views Of the National American, whose
editors being at the Convention, had better apporu
mites OF knowing the true state of the scts thnn he had
But the writer in the Whg presuncs TO know m"re
upon the subjects than they do, though from what
can hear. he was hshing in Buckingham county
while the Convention in session.
Yours Sc. P. KEAN.