The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1856-05-31

fugitive slaves. His own language sucsi'
the reluctance With which be gave the eS'
ees,ive sanction TO the bill bu, his private
judgment, and personal feelings were over
come by pledge TO his party, that he would
no, veto any measure which did not involve
pslnatlc violation Of the Constitution.
BY cons:rain, Of the same pledge, aud N
virtue Of the same principle OF opposition 10
tho exercise OF the Executive seto. Nj
Fillmore coald no, negative bl!l Tor the
repeal of the fugitive slave law ar the re-
establishment, o. the Missouri restriction.
TIE fugitive slave law was the iulhlmen'
Of an obvious obligation OF the Constiln'
ton. The bore. Of the uaion hung upon
IL. success. Ye, Fillmore moved not -
uer. uttered NO, a word, in fs seaport.
When. after an ardrous struggle and with
the sid cf Democratic votes alone, II had
Tough, 4, way through tongress, snd wa.
nse,en,ctl to the President for signature,
Fillmore hesi,a,od raised objections, en'ers
tanned doubts, ard u, last gave !, the Exc
cu,i1e sanction with an ar OF restrain, and
strong repreaanec. And for this pltiiul
and unrracious service, the South must
enter into bond. Of perpetual obligation
The South viii not affect the hypocrisy ri
gratitude 10 the man who doles oai IT, righis
IN nigrsrd measure aud With such reluctant
cir.
Whatever sefuple OF Conscience Fillmore
might have bad acains, the enactment Of
the fugitive ssve law, IS execution was his
cleaf and imperative duty. Md. # IN the
iisehsrge Of this duty, he bad displayed the
less, real or energy, be eiehi have com
pensaisd the South fls the reluctance with
which he Welded to It's hfst demand. In,
fortunately for himself. aai lor the InterN
est. Of The South, the iaagaor with ahicb
No enforced was quite equal 20 ihe disgust
with which he signed the bill for the RECAP
lufe OF Fugitive slaves
Everybody will rccollcct the case Of
Crshs. |, was the first attempt TO execute
the law: and IL WAS Of the utmost cnnse>
.erence that the efficiency Of the measure
should be- 50 sanally established as To bear
down I'll opposition, and prevent any future
attempt r., resistance. \ gentleman from
Georgia seui an aeen, 10 search Of two
slaves, trsiis and wife vha were living in
boston They were found without difficulty,
aud Nigh, have been captured and secured
# any Effort bad been made to enforce the
lsw. The Marshal relu.ed 10 ,u ms duty
he slsves psraded ,hr streets, dched the
authorities, aud al sst 10 open das, em-
hsfked on steamer Tor Europe. Ihrv
TOOK up their sejour he London. were
caressed by the abolition sfi.,octacy Of
Ersiand. aud allowed - iusul; Southern
Isdies with IMMUNITY. Great was the re>
loieing 81 the abaiiliouisls over this result
and they had a RICH, to celebrate their vic
tory. Il was signal triumph From that
day the fugitive slave law became dead
letter for all practical purposes
The South we're enfaged and Inundated
by their defeat, Then they discovered that
they had sacrificed honor MS well rs sub
s'abial interest 10 mere shadow Their
Indignation should be directed agsins, the
guilty object Il Was Willard Fillmore who
suffered an abolition mob 10 defy and trans
pie upon the law for The tecapture Of fu>
gtives slaves, With ary adequate demon
sita'ion Of force, the law might have been
executed, the majes'y or government vim.
dca,ed and The rights OF the South main,
tanned, by the capture and return Of the
slaves II wls at lcas, due to the South
that the treachef6us Marshall should he
dismissed hut Fillmore retained him In Of.
fee and is thus an accoo,plice in his crime
Boston has since been the scene Of ans
other violent tesisterse to The fugitive slave
law. In this las, instance, The ind Icipliaed
impulses ol the mob were reinforced by all
the energies OF the State Government.
The resistance was infinitely more desper>
ale, but Franklin Pierce was President
the military was called out, sedi.ion was
overawed, and the lazy was upheld with all
the force o: The Federal Government. An
thony Burns was captured aud returned to
this city The result euragad and hnnila
ted the aholi,ionists, nnd wen they might
mourn over their defeat The South appre
cinted their Triumph, and will ever be CRATE.
iul to the man TO whose fidelity and energy
they owe their victory,
T. has not been many years since the
people Of Washington city were startled
one fne morning by the discover, that an
kee kidnappcts had run eff something more
titan seventy slaves, belonging Ia the Dis
riet \ steamer WAS instant, despatched
in pursuit The pifn,icnl cralt was cnp,ur>
II down tho Potomac The slave. were
restored 10 their owners, and the Yankee
rognes were committed to the peui,enliary.
lime pas, on, and The thing was forgotten.
when a remarkable circumstance revived
recollection Of the event, In the summer
a 1852, il was announced In the National
Era newspaper Of Washington, Presideu,
Fillmore, al the instance OF Senators Sum,
uer and Seward had nardou,d u,a kidn.n.