Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-06-20
T,,r RICHMOND ENQUIRER
=, .,ncxaT.C CANDiDAT L
,A<,v AND FILLMORE on SLAVERY
n,sov ND CONTRAST

OF kEfILChf'
u,rAx<.N AND FILLMORE ON sha' EN-
COMPARISON 4yD CONTRAST
Ina, thirty wears ago. or to be mole precise OH inc
,sN Of A,riI, 1876, Mr.. buchanan delivered
.n,-ch in tbs House OF Representatives. III WHY" ~
HooR.d the following language to express MS pe''
,,,I o,uon Of the abstrac: justice and exped'ency
,:saO slyery .
.u-o,t,ns here, Mr. Chairman, for a moment. to
snantnypn a subject TO VIII ch | have never ori"re
anvrsitd upon tins fnor, and 10 when ttus'' nn,
reyffQsain lave occasion I" advert mean ,,,;,i.
c.I ali great moral evil. thank God, my lot iias
br.k>sst in n State where it does not exist.
Ehsyb.en q curse en,aicd upon US by thai nation
wn,oh yttss it a subject oil 'eiroa'n ~ 'u' N'''
1|lpn.y quote. this paragraph with exultat'on'
And ;mnss tina, il couyicts NJ. Buchanan of nfdei-
~ to -; interests of the South. The Inference from
,ia ,r,umeur is that the Democratic candidate for
the Presidency is unworthy OF The cohhoenco anu
support of the slave holding States.
II will be obser ed that Mr.. Buchanan simply de-
c.res tina, in bic Judgment, slavery Is mors wrong
and political evil. Now IN all editorial article IA
the Rc -, I'd Wing OF May 9Th, 1885, we hnd these
y ~ wutGs:
"ln hi. view tie indir,dual opinion N men, as to
n. .rQct righ Of $idcery dGes not, HHd m me rfry
,y,r. ,, 0ur thyofy O oar yorcrnmsH', cahiDf, ds-
Gu,i.iy item for Il ta0r0myA and nnqn"Hed dPp'e'm'
t,J rcnce Of ne political and legal rtshfs' u"der
lie Constitution.
lie most ingenious advocate of the Democratic
cauciia:e, could not devise more complete eScupa-
too 0: Mr.. Buchanan, than is involved IN the prcl
pie here propouuded by the lphHg. In the language
;o;gI above, Mr.. Buchanan only avowed Ills con
vr,ips OF 'iho abstract rlSh: of slavery but lne
R!cn:..nd IPatg declares thu: 'iie individual "p'h
ion d, up as 10 the abstract right ot slavery does
NOT, and m khe oery nature 0t or theory u S0rr'"'
me-. CANNOT disquality them Tor a thorough aug I'LL
- I'D uppreciaton aud defeucs of the political anG
,,b,. under nh. Constitution" Therefore, the
Sout. ;hould not distrus Mr.. Buchanan. heisnse he
was OF opinion thirty years ago, that 'is'esY WA
moral and political evil. Such opinion, II entertsi"
e a; this moment would not disquslty hun from "a
Thorough appreciation and defence Of the political
aud legal rights" Of scyery, "under tho Constnu'
ton"
But, in viudieating Mr.. Buchsusn from any suspi'
cion or in.iuuatou OF unsounduess IL respect to the
rights of the South We are no. content rsi thus IN
voluntary verdict of 'not guilty" from one - the
most active and incorporating opponents OF the
Democratic party. We take higher ground We al
nrm that tn. record Of his public life furnishes con-
clu.iye evidence of his fidelity To ibe South: nay
more. that il proves him be the most intrepid AUD
cou.,srept Of NorherR statesmen in defence OF "ho
political epG legal rights Of slavery under the con-
sttuiiun."
To. simple fac. .ha, the opponents of Mr.. Buchan.
an are driven &c thes. arcua 'tus'ca! researches
au.ons the m,uldy moneGaeu;s oi p:e-adam'te Pc
hiu nal
Pile. confession that his suuse2 career is exempt
FROM criticism or r-proach. MouIG acute aud active
enemies rest their case on the stale arses OF an al
most forgotten era, il recent ti'n-S snpph"a 'Hs VIII"
any more efficient weapons OF assault FortsrGEe
indeed i. the man. who after ha!i-century ' service
in the COUNCILS of his country, is obnoxious Only 10
accusations Of thirty years standing.
la 1890 Mr.. Buchanan veDrured TO declare h'm-
sell against the moral and political propriety OF slave
rv lie did il, nortn the eagrr and agGr*s-iVs SP'r
OF IN abotonist, but nodestly aud reluctantly WIN
every expression Of respect for the feelings vi the
s,ayeholders and with al emphatic protest against
the discussion and agitation OF the subject. WE'LL
who CT that day not of the sane opinion FER
haps here aud there among the more sacac"us states
nen of the South, some man of the stamp OF Calhoun
lngh, be found who. riang superior to the 'rraon"
prrudices of the moment sud regarding the institu
ton OF African slavery with tbs eye OF philosopher
anticipated the souuder Judgment Ut later times. ln
the North it is hazardous to affirm, Gat there wa"
bat one universal on. uop of slavery, which Hr. Buc-
b,nuu rather qualified than expressed in all its viz
ic. If moral repugnauce. Tax any public u,nu i'll
the North who survives from that PERIOD and We ven.
tur. IN G,s.rt that he went beyond Mr. Buchanan i'll
condemnation of slavery. Aud, at later dsy. even
IN ans State tine meu of both parties sbrank
from the support OF slavery on the solid gronna OF
sbs;rsr, right and exileiieucy. WIN. Z. Rves 20
lenuiy characterized it in the Senate as "a moral
social and political evil" With what proprriy
:hrn can now reproach Northern pol tcian with
r',i!c.s from winch were not free oirsslves
Aa,es"nisn to slavery, an engine opoilieal agl'
cation, did not begin TO assert power IL the country
before 1890. 1t not till that comparatively re-.
cen; day. that Aboltohism took definite shape, and
discovered it. mischievous purposes. 1t was then
that thinking began to examine slavery in more
philosophical spirit. anahat the patriots OF the North
opposed themselves to the criminal cncroachinents oi
sbcton The necessities OF Esf defence constrained
the people of the South 10 explore the foundations
Of en- institution which they Caust either have de-
Tended upon principle or abandoned TO ito tate. 10
tho discussion Of the subject brought ine!!ecis
charged with unressoniug prejudice, and perverted
bv IN. evt,avagan ideas OF crazy Cato or an I'M
practicable Brulus Nevertheless. reason asserted It's
sway and it i'd now the edoGiuan'. tnot the unlver
cal conviction of the South that negro saVeryis deten
ribu u mora! grounds, AMI is commemorate as socla
anl political institution In the progress ofthe discus
sou tla s.n;im mt of III. North in respect of slavery
manifested material modification; that nsu who had
n ~ npp
cuns 10 regard IT, if not with favor at least without
prejudice.
Between Buchanan and Fillmore, there is this i'm
port.rt and lrrcconcilable difference The candidate
OF tie Democracy when he was aversc l" slave
z, ~ principle, never proposed to impair any ot Its
constitutional guarantees. He regarded it Us inVIo
iuLl. ard invuuerabe within its legitimate sphere.
III. candidate Of Observation-Disclosures, on the contra.
~ not oaly avowei hesrty adherence of slavery
hu. c.. Uited the zeal of crusader in assang the
safeguards Of its security The Erie ieter written
~ I've years after Sir. Buchanaus speech in 1926, aud
IN the very crisis Of the Hut-slavery excitement Be-
fore that ne the thoughtful and patriotic men ct the
Sorr,. had begun to pause III their Remuneration ut
slavery. and to rally in support OF It's political
and legal rights" Among such Fillmore was Tot
found but he warmed with the progress OF tue aS'ta'
tlon aud displayed increasing Zeal and energy IN as
sa,.n the South. Six years later, III the respon'i
ole ch4-acero Of member Of Congress, he continued
his attacks np'n slavery. In ASSOCIATION with Adams
Gilings and Slsdr he organized the anti-slavery
agitation aud LAID the foundation Of Abolition par
". Il he is not f,hl,ns at ths confasration
be at least applied the spnrk and kiadled the aame.-
With the whining hypocrisy ola professional inoen-
diary, he comes now 10 cou,empat, the mischief Of
hrs owl hands, and to talk panst,cally OF "a!layng
,L snitaran" Such eRronierY Is rsrs oven in there