Washington telegraph., 1856-04-23
Something of Interest.

1t will doubtless be remembered by our
readers, that the opposition press, on the
of the nomination Of Fill
more and Donelson as the candidates of the
American Party. plumed themselves upon
the fact, that while conducting the ''Wash-
ington Union" Dir. Donelson differed with
Mr.. Fillmore on the questions which divid-
ed the political parties of which both the
gentlemen referred to were recognized as
able champions. Following the lead of the
Washington Union" of the present day.
the journals advocating the interests of the
opposition have declared their intention to
reproduce Mr. Donelson's structures upon
Mr.. Fillmore, and number of them have
been as good as their word The case then
stands thus: The political integrity of Mr.
Fillmore has been impeached. and he has
been arraigued before the tribunal of pub
lie opinion for imputed violations Of faith
and alledged unsoundness upon those meas
ures which most intimately concern the well
fare, of not only section, but the whole
Union. To sustain the charges involved,
a witness Doneison-has been intro
duced by the parties which represent the
prosecution-and portion of his testimo-
ny has been heard That portion listened
to. and seeming to answer the purpose for
which it was brought forward, the witness
is requested to retire. But availing them
selves of the privilege which no man dare
attempt to deny them. the parties to the de-
fence bring out of the mouth Of this witness
few facts-latent until now-and materi-
ally affecting the verdict which is to be rem
dered. Now some of the special plea1ers,
comprising the party to this prosecution.
know perfectly well. that if they accept as
germain to the issue part of the testimony
of witness-they must abide by the effect
which the general tenor of the whole of his
deposition must have upon the decision which
the jury will render. And having selected
the people as the jury-and the bar of pub
lie opinion as the tribunal before which to
be heard-can they-will they refuse to
give man chance for his life by irving
to gag witness. whom they took the trou-
bic to search for. among the friends of the
Certainly not, Oh. no =
as a matter Of course they wont ;. There
will be a generous and magnanimous rival
ry among them-that they may see who
will be the first to manifest determination
to "do justice. though the heavens. - of their
political faith, SHOULD fall We shall
await the result with anxiety and be happy
indeed to congratulate the first member of
the opposition press. who. by publishing
the following article. which oris::nally ap-
peared in the Nashville Banner, will give
unmistakable evidence of a disposition to
show to the world that he is above the busi
ness of petifogging:
Mr.. FILLMORE AND Mr.. DoNELsoN.-
The following incident is related to US by
gentleman who happened to be present when
Mr.. Fillmore visited the Hermitage as he
passed through this section of country after
the close of his Presidency He called, af
ter leaving the Hermitage, and spent seye-
raj hours with Major Donelson, .ho Lad
prepared a collation. of which many Of the
neighbors partook. In the course of the
evening. Major Donelson, after adverting
to the fact that he had once bitterly oppos-
ed Mr.. Fillmore. having looked npon him
as the head of party unsafe for the insti-
tutions of the South, stated to his friends
and ne:ghbors that he was happy to have
such an opportunity as this of expressing
his conviction, that he had done his distin-
guished guest, who had just left, great injus-
tice. 1t was now manifest that Mr.. Fill
more was far more reliable friend of the
constitutional rights of all sections of the
Union than Mr.. Pierce for whom be (Mr
Donelson) had voted Time hasshown that
Mr. Pierce was the patron of the ultraists
who had SO bitterly opposed the Compromise
Measures, as final settlement of the slave
~ question. 1t was also now evident that
Mr.. Fillmore, in standing by that settlement
had brought upon himself the wrath of the
higher law men of the North Under such
circumstances Mr., ,Donelson said, he was rea-
dy to make all amends in his power, and that
as he had helped his Democratic friends to
pull down the administration of Mr. Fill
more, he would say to them that he was
ready to build it up again. and as an earnest
of his intentions, he would now propose as
toast. at his own house; and at his own ia
BILE y:
"MILLARD FILLMORE The people will
make him President in 1856, as they did
Gen jackson in 1928, and in 1882. He
is true to the Constitution and the Union.
whilst the Democratic successor has shame
fully surrendered both to the keeping OF
the higher law men of the North and the
South, the Rhetts and the Cheyeses of the
latter section, and the Stewards and Gid.
dingses of the former
This toast was drank with acclamation,
and affords conclusive evidence of Major
Donelscn's high appreciation of Mr. Fill
more, at time when his open and manly