Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-07-25

DID he resist the oyertures Of the slave oll-
garchy Of the South, or did he become 3
willing instrument in their handsf ask
you to look at bis acts while President, and
! let them be the answer to these questions.
| viii refer you TO the Fugitive Slave Law,
that makes the freemen of the North slave
catchers-that prizes menof less value than
| the beasts, that refusesto them the righ oftri-
al by jury, that centres the right Of freedom
Of the man in one Judge, and pays him
double fee if be declares him slave, Rnd
only half the fec if he finds him a freeman.
This is the power that the slave oligarchy
Of the South exercised at the North, where
/ we have prohibited property in men to our
I own citizens; and this act bears the sigma
tqre Of AGilard Fillmore as President Of
United States, 1 ask you how be can ex-
4 pect the vote of the free North Can you
give him youryetel 2 CanI give him mineR
4 Are these the views that you and enter
tain in relation to the rights and the duty
4 OF the people Of the North or mankind -
Now, sir, upon this question alone, without
\ going into all his other acts Of su0seryiency
4 to the South and the Slave power, let hin
stand for the sufIaggs Of the freemen of
4 the North.
As to the AmericaniSrn Of Mr. Fillmore,
you and l have some knoEledge Of hos
much be has done to sustain that party
has he ever been identified with It either IN
principle or in feeling If 50, where are
his acts-on what occasion heretofore has
he proclaimed iti What assistance has he
lever rendered to Us in all our cOntests9~-
What were his antecedents as to American
ism when President of the United Statesg
I Did be then protect American interests or
4 American. .menq 1 well recollect that he
did not. and the country viii recollect it too.
When the Captain General Of Cuba IS
sued his decree prohibiting the steamship
! Crescent CITY from touching at HaEanna
50 long as Mr., Smith, an American citizen,
was on board Of her as Purser, because, as
] they alleged, the Herald and other papers
, in New York had published some informa-
ton from HaYanna that was distastful to
: the Cuban government, and which they
I charged to have been furnished by Purser
} Smith, and therefore neither the Crescent
: City nor any other American ship should
9 be allowed to touch at Hayanna having Mr.
5 Smith on board, or any other person who
, would dare to furnish to the American press
g information disagreeable to the Captain
: General of Cuba,-Mr. Fillmore was ap-
5 prized of this order by the owners Of the
= Crescent City, and he was desired to take
e some actisn in relation to it for the protee-
/. ton of American property and American
S citizens; he miserably skulked the response
+ bility of his position, and used his interest
+ with the owners to have Mr.. Smith dis
+ missed as purser, and to be replaced by
It some one who was satisfactory to the Cap
n tain General of Cuba. This the owner re-
IS fused to do, and sent Mr.. Smith back with
IS the ship. Mr.. Fillmore ordered the United
n States mail to be taken from the vessel,
y and notified the owners that if the shipwas
I fred upon by the Cuban authorities, and
r damaged or destroyed, that they would
+ have no claim upon this government for re-
1t muneration. The commander Of the Cres-
, cent City was removed BY his order, he be-
It ing an officer Of the United States navy, and
e under his control Another commander
n was appointed by theowners. He too was
.e removed by Mr. Fillmore's orders. The
ship was fined $4,000 for not carrying the
le United States mail, when the United States
n government or Mr.. Fillmore withheld them.
J. The insurance offices in New York were
q, either frightened BY the course of Mr. Fill
= more, Or influenced by him towithhold their
le insurance from property shipped by the
e steamer that Purser Smith was on board Of
le The owners of the Crescent City had to in-
10 sure the property Of the shippers. The
N passengers on board were not allowed to b
le landed in Cuba. The owners persevered
he in what they considered their proper rights
10 and the rights of an American citizen, and
ut refused to dismiss Purser Smith, until the
Captain General of Cuba was obliged e
u rescind the mandate against Purser Smith
le This is the mode in which the rights Of az
ee American citizen had to be indicated whilt
d. Mr.. Fillmore was President. This is the
i'll same Mr. Fillmore that you recommend
e. me to support as an American. Now, sir
nd can you support him as an Americana Car
n the American party support him as al
Americana Is he the proper representa-
be tive of the American peopleq These ar'
be the facts for the American party to look a
at before they vote. For my part Mr.. Fill
a more would be the last man would sup
ire port in the whole country as the standard
h, bearer Of the great American party.
. What has Mr.. Fillmore ever done for thi
re- country or the American partyl Wher
he arc his acts that are to be remembered o
al or treasured up in the hearts of the people
,p- What great interests has he ever advanced
he Or has he been mere office holder withou
nj merit, except the merit of doing nothing
ed You are aware of the manner in which b
in was forced on the American party bv th
ri Islave oligarehy at Philadelphia, when be az
lse parently received the nomination of q
en Convention.
ese In the letter TO me you appear to ls
IN great stress upon the course that the b
on, publican party has seen fit to pursue, an,
of that it has not met the American party ha
he way in the great work of uniting the whol
yht North against the corrupt policy Of the pre-
is ent Administration and the Cincinnati non
ich inee. We will suppose that all this is tru
he in relation to the Republican party. I'm,
to self do not think the Republican ConvsI
an ton acted as wisely as It might have don