Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-05-23

may know of the influences tnat were 7ou@n' ~
brought to bear upon hun IN reference ~ n' ~
IN. nmbilion.th, demonstrations that were ilil; u
him that h. would be tho lido! o the N"rtn; .'e. :, us
| re- nomination and reelection wer. iiirftto'e a..
refused to sign that bill that he was toIu, o L;I
other hand ar Won aix your signature to that Dill
then your political career is ended-then yoa, ~"
despair of again being elected in'o any e' w.,
ted position by the North then you may e"Pe Nv
hatred aud yirulent abuse OF What they e",' VI.
friends of freedom TO be poured ont IN unnumoere,
Quantities upon your head" But you might lis wei
expect one OF the showers of May TO WASH away ti'
rock of Gibraltar that representations ne le
were 10 influence the conduct OF Willard fiiiore
He did his duty firmly, fearlcssly and faithfully; ana
fellow citizens it but short time alter ttIc e1
ing which had been represented tn exist: anu "nr,
il Is said, would manifest itself IN hostility 10 MN
did exhibit itself in the North You recollect the rs
sistance TO the Fugitive Slave Law which occurred
in Massachusetts You recolect the resistance to ti'
same law which occurred i'll Philadelphia, when y
seemed as if the old Cradle OF Liberty had orS1t'ei
all her ancient history, had forgotten the days oi Han
cock of Adams and of all the illustrious heroes o
the Revolution, and had given herself up 10 wiz
fanatcism. You recollect that negro III the cusio
DIV of the law forcby rescued from That CUSTODY
md fellow citizens, let here sHy, that some liui
bas been found with Mr.. Fillmore TOR not removing
the Marshal who had that negro IN custody. Ana
fellow citizens will tell You the reason. Al Tie
time Of the rescue the Marshal was not within three
hundred miles of The city OF Boston. To my persona
u,
the time aud had probably got go far as Baltimore on
his return home, when the rescue occurred Bat
such was the anxiety OF the President 10 do rghi
that Immediately the news OF the rescue oeIbs
being brought to him, he submitted Tie question ~
tn" Attorney General, to say whether the Marshal
| was To blame-whetIcr he was guilty ot any taut
either Of commission or omission. HE Attorney
Generals reply WAS that the Marshal took every
step that prudence would require, and reported TO the
President that he ought not 10 be removed. Inc
| President, therefore, did not remove him; but h.
communicated his Judgment with these renarks "
inform the Marshal that his conduct would not justify
his removal; but notify him. If another case occurs,
he will be removed whether he fails not 1t VIII be
| enough to know that he was unucky. Another CIR
cumstance occurred in Boston, which called Tor fur-
ther action The President WAS informed that there
were military companies and large mob, preparing 10
rescue the fugitive Burns from the custodyOi the Mar
sha What was the then OF this mail-that these
democratic editors now with full knowledge n the
| facts before them, dara to any Is III aoohuni't-
what was his course! He put the naval aud military
power under the control OF the Executive, ana he
gave specific instructions to the course they were
TO pursue in the crises. Companies OF marines were
| maroied to guard the prison, and his instructions
wcro that there was to be No ch!ds pay therc' no
| firing uf blank cartridges. The officer ~ marines
was ordered 70 have his park OF artillery charged
with grapc-shot, and he placed under the control
of the civil authority of the country, 1nd II necessa'
ry to sweep the city OF Boston His orders were'
that every man who was found III resistance I" the
laws OF the country WIS to be treated is an enemy I"
the country and you hear great dealG credit gwen
to General Pierce for issuing orders To place the mi
!irarv Mt the CoLG OF the civil police. venture
the assertion that he gave orders 10 thar elcc-
| | venture to say that ak the orders gi:cn were
those of Mr.. Fillmore, which were permanent
Fellow citizens, YOU recolrct how this thing terIn
mated, YOU recullect tEGt the mob were Overawrd
and that the result WIS, that the lag was maiiitancd
violence was prevented. ana the supremacy ii The
! constitution and OF the law, made IN pursuance
! and ffu,lv "a
But scarcely had thar great question been adjust
| ed when occurred IN the South. Many OF
| the facts connected with tbs dissatisfaction which
existed in the State Of South Carolina are
not known to the country. But tell yna about that
fine there was q dissatisfaction in South Caroline
Sic, Threatened ~ break out in open rebellion The
government vaa tel Informed upon the condition OF
things thse; and such WAS ,e G..e OF public feeling
that not lawyer could be obtained Ia GhaFeston Ia
accept the office of District Attorney. 1t was offer
ed first to Mr.. Pettigrew, but he declined IT, not from
gny iec- Of the consequences, but because II con-
flcted with biz oter 1sti--. 1t was offered to Others
and they refused up0nti.e grounf t.t Il right bring
them in conflict with their fellow citizens. aud u VAS
ony after several fruitless efforts to obtain an Ator
uey Who ,rould mantain the laws OF the country,
that Mr.. Pettgre;,, TT! rcble fellow whose name l
never mention except with feelings c! pride cam"
forward aud solicited the appointment, saying That
be would uphold the President in maintaining the
lnws Sucr was thc state of feeling that il WIS said
there would Se CT attempt made ~ take Fort M"u,
trie. The iurbcsun y as Completely LEarineG, anu
Il yas said there would be attack upon the fort
Troops we're poured into it, aud stationed in the neigh
hood with drtGTlIT ailGu that the Hug Ut the nitr
States should not be pulled down from i0rt A"urIc
4 correspondence took place Oh that oGaaa4I between
the Governor OF South Cgr0iHn am the I:esi
dent which never saw The light The Governor too.
1can.Gu To ask the President by what authority he
had seL, sI inr0. of troops 10 Fort hlou!trlt. Mr.
Fillmore in!oTTGd iin if@l he was the President :"
the United STATES; inh thHI aS nEGti ~ res con'iHh
der in chief of tn. army and navy I'll the GnI'ri
Sfatcs and that devoIvcd upon him t" p'are the
troop, HLsp-e. . bis discretion, it was thought me-
crs5ary. fIut e re,lJ re- -rrrvr't. tell you
TINT Mr.. Fillmore would have ns!G,tc,l H. rrpTe
r:a"v Of the laws Southern suil Just rIh2 he
lha!lllaeG ;L;ir on Northern soil. lie never looked
to the section where they Ec:c cUmbated he looked
to his constitutional duties, always GdEerng to the
principle bet the constitution made It his Interest,
nay Incumbent en- hun. 10 defend The laws Of the
United States wherever they light be- Gssailed. There
is point upon which have hesr;i great frGl nf
blame attached to Mr.. Fillmore and ~ have thought !
most unjustly. have been written to To give state
meul uf tic cesp but refused to do the ground
that the recc.d eyiccGGe EeE. accessible, should be
referred to in preference &c parole e.Idnncf. leard
it said that Mr. Fillmore exhibited strong ABOLITION ;
feeling - FGrdon'ng some kldnappgrs VINO we're m
prisGped ih " ashiHgal. will tell you the facts OF
this od:p 10 the best OF my sGcU.itGtiGn, bc!iev- !
ing that in every substantial feature IL correct IT
not the record evidence Will CT sGbiittcd and bI
that il will be aecn how far my recollection Of the AZ:
fair ia at fault, if at all In 1917, when the abolition
feeling was running very strong, number OF that
PARTY IT, lie city of Washington hired some four or
five agents &c ed large humber OF negroes 10 escape
from the District OF ColrnbG. they Eado their es-
cape, but.ths alarm was g-en they Ghre pursued /
arrested brought back indicted aHd tried Ter tho of
fence, under the laws Of the District or Cu!umhlG.-
The law of the District it then stoad made the Of
.rce rot felony, punlsiabIcb by Imprisonment ~ The
fruiich,,S,v but srula mI>drmeanor, and the pun
shment wa@ moi cons reG:rt il the Pcnitenary, but
iine and il further provided, liza, N tie cf o. tile
payment of the fine, imprisonment should follow
until the fine should be paid. The imprisonment WAS
g.ver, not the period Of punishment III other
words, no i.eq ;c.,n of Imprisonment was indicated
by the pi osIiIun u! hne. ~. =; ""hrse III default oi
lis payment he was confined. hne OF siSrg' wss
imposed upon them They were Nil poor, and file con. :
sentence WINS they were unable TO pay me ihe' qua
tey We're therefore incarcerated III 1917, where tneE
remained unit! lc.2-.sClLc.h!nT about I'VE years.
Maryland otter the di.tnCt hsd bcrL C.tdGt, CT al
least that portion given by her, shHn9ed her 'a@'--
She made the offence felony plnishaoe oy eonhs'
ment for five years Virginia just across the rlyer'
made tLs oal.e CtFence felony, punishable oy I'M
prsonneut in the peniteLtErj Ter rye years. mus
On both sides Of the District, the punishment VAS cen
tnenent in the prnitentiBry for i've years. lhese
nersous having suffered confinement OF i've years
i was considered by the citizens Of the District OF
Columbia, and ~ pi6Gy Of the owners Of the
slaves themselves, that they he'd guf;clehty 4'0neG
for this offence, aud they eccqFdISlJ tWtef
in pe,illou to the President for their PARDON on Inc
ground that they had already suffered the punishment
which woud have been inflicted upo" them 1t The Of
fence had been committed in Maryland or Virginia.
This being so, they held that it would be strange
crumny ii in the District of Columbia the term OF
i'm prsonrert should be greater than that imposed
by the two adjoining Gtgte:. They said 1t WAS re-
pruach upon the national Justice LEoE humanity
that if the Hen had been ricI they neVef ~ILld
have gone to jnil ut ALL because they happen TO be
rCcr they should be confined until Sl2OOh was paid
which Tou;, he equivalent 10 Imprisonment
for life Andl say bert i!:c. edvsed tho President
of the United States to pardon tresc :e:! Us they
had already had suihcient punishment Wy object
il obtaining you in respect TO this matter u.s. that
vher lie Canss opens you will hear all these things
hr.,r..lt Hr,snnI en- ,lish u be lufncmnl In