Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-09-09
Millard Fillmore IN 1874.

ed him ever TO emerge, he made tour OF the West
and Southern States. During that trip he was
every where received with reclamation of heartfelt
respect and gratitude the part of the people with
out distinction of sect party. He greeted and
feted great public benefactor. upon whom too
many evidences of esteem and too much honor could
not be bestowed Democrats We'd with Wings and
Wings with Democrats in rendering that tribute OF
affection and confidence which they felt to be pre-
eminently due to one who had acted his part so no
bly, and disinterestedy while occupying the office OF
President In word his tour throughout the entire
South and Southwest was a splendid grafton, such
as Kings and Emperors might envy, but which none
in any age or country have ever enjoyed. There
no particle of sycophancy, or awnins hattery in
these immense and extraordinary popular demonstra.
tons with which he everywhere received and
honored. Nothing of the sort. They were the sim
pie and spontaneous, yet brilliant and magnificent
outpourings of the public gratitude towards one who
had so acted in his high Office to command uni
versal respect and afection-towards one who then
had no patronage and no office to bestow but who
merely humble private citizen, travelling in
private capacity, and anticipating of those UNI
usual marks of public esteem which were so freely
and profusedly showered upon him
The tremendous popular demonstrations az The
say, in ls5+-t~o years after his Presidential term
had expired, and when he had nothing to offer in
return for much kindness and hospitality but the
warm and eloquent expressions of grateful heart.
OHiy three short ysGrs ago these things hdpprned!
But what do We witness now, What now think and
say hundreds and thousands of those very men who
were then among the foremost in presenting him the
tributes of their praise and admiration. Do they
sti llrrv nuf sitvaI r.;
servant" DO they still call his administration
WdShiHg tOn-iike." Do they still compliment him
by saying that he true and honest guardian
of the rights and honor Of the South That they had
been agreeaby disappointed in him. the reason that
they knew and felt that he had manfully and nobly
overcome and surrendered his early prejudices
against an institution of the South and that he had
most worthy discharged the duties of the Presiden-
cy without regard to section locality and without
for moment permitting the opinions he had drunk
in with his mothers milk bias his official Judgment
or his official action? Do these persons We ask still
employ towards him the language of eulogy, of ad.
miraton and gratitude?
Not So Their opinions of Willard Fillmore seem
to have undergone most sudden and miraculous
change. Aud why is this =? Can any man in the
universe offer reasonable or even plausible expla.
nation for it? What has Mr. Fillmore done since
1904 TO justify any human being in enterta ming
different opinion Of him now from what he did then
He has been in retirement ever since and has nei-
ther spoken nor written word, which could posi-
bly, tend to diminish any mans regard for his wis
dom, moderation, patriotism, OF fidelity On the
contrary, his New York and Albany and other
speeches, delivered in the last few months were so
lofty and eloquent in tone and sentiment and breath
ed such warm and fixed devotion to the Constitu-
ton and the ,ohote Union, North and South, as to
e1tort praises from many of his bitteres enemies,
and eectrify the hearts Of all honest and o ltrotc
men throughout the land, from Maine to California
There is nothing, them in his recent conduct or re-
Gently uttered opinions to estrange from him the re-
spect and gratitude of a single Southern man. who
felt or expressed these sentiments towards him in
1854 He is precisely the same man now as then
with the exception of having large additional claims
upon those people Of the South. who are disposed TO
act fairly, Justly and consistently and who are not
willing TOR mere Pdrty's sake, to prosecute and
strike down the best and noblest benefactor they
err had
We have heretofore given extracts from the
of leading Southern Democrats on the occasion of
Mr.. filmores reception at various points at the
South during his tour in 1854. We desire NOW In
direct public attention to of the utterances at
that time Of Mr.. Fillmore himself in order to con-
front and upset the base charge Of his adversaries
that lac has not gwen any evidence that his early
Preiudices against slavery had been utterly disspa.
ted 10 do thus we first refer a paragraph in his
speech at Mobile, which reads as follows.
when called by mysterious dspensation of Provi.
1ece 70 assume responsibilities from Shich would GLAD.
nave shrunk formed the resolution to take the Con.
sututon Tor my guide, and no matter with what yye,.
does or friead'hiP' it might conflict or what IL nbt
personally cost me- 70 do my duty feAfessy 10 the whole
c1untfyn "V'
Hear him again in Montgomery, Alabama. In nj.
iuding to the night Of Gen. Taylors death. and his
resolves prior to his Inauguration as President he
said
During IL troubles and anSiees invardlv realized
cast TAR from me any PToSfics that might have en-
terained against any section party In the confede,
and a. be guided only by the Constitution Of INV conn
Try That had entertained Drsjiiiees against an 80;
tuition Of the South. do not deny bat inv ne ,o,
as guardian Of the rights OF the whole Union
" following period during vheh st 80 tresdi,,g g
er Of Ire senate and heard the gissfon of sIo,,yy ft
discassed bV tie ebicsf deiibsrafirc LoJg o( M III
Ior,1,d Pr9pey OCCASION 10 rsriso and eo,yso, nm [
hon and DID 90, without consulting single individual
the land" "'' VIC a"s VI
We put the question to all Just and candid men
have We not In the above passage an emphatic and
entire reHUnoiati0n Of hs former pr,jude,s beside
bis glorious and patriotic administration TO endors,
his noble resolvesf
The Augusta Chronicle, in 1854, thus alludes "a
further expressions Of Mr. Fillmore upon the sam,
subject
Having made The tour Of The Southwestern ssv,
hatee, he announced the steps " the STATE Hone
door 70 hoatgome'y ths, the aat'-sqvery prejudice
h early education he'd b,sp obiterot,d Nv ,6ai i, Lo
sern ~ I've South Of he happy condition NJ ne darer
There h Is in language still more clear, pointe,
and unmstskable. "Ths aati-siacsry prejudice
Of MS Sarty education had been oBLrrERArrp b
Nhaf " had sesH IN TIE South Of ne happy cond
ton ef ne slave ~
And also, in Natchez, in the presence Of Thousand
Of the people, who had assembled at a moments n,
tice 10 welcome add 10 hear him, he thus gave n
terance to his sentiments We quote from the Ma
cher C'ar'er OF March goth. 1884, and with this e1
tract conclude our present article
II is almost impossible b follow the very eIoouei
and feeling response Of Mr. Fillmore There vas NOT on