The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-19


secure the sanction Of the Congress- OF the Unitsd States
ard many enterained serious fears whether IL they
should through the two houses Of Congress- they
filled with rumors that II these bills were pass
ed they would receive Executive veto. To the
eau made e upon me- l gave qualified answ s;
tionally l agreed that I would go in and hold
interview with the President and that that would de
Council. Accordingly went to Warrington little be.
fore the middle OF September 1850 On my way the
city heard the news that the Fugitive Slave oil bad
passed. and that 1t about this time beng present.
ed to the Executive FOR his signature. Great I'M
easness was felt among the to what would
with the President, which lasted about two hours And
pectsd to dnd-hat there was no ALTERING that there
was no waveriDg that there was no doubt
DUTY upon n sw ina. i. to had s'
was placed; saw, from his own declarations, that he
perfectly appraised that when he put his signature
that bill he sgned his political death warrant. He
felt that, In the then excsa condition Of the country
fixing OF his signature that bill equivalent to
his abandonment OF his political aspirations in rela
ton to the succession to the Presidency and yet,
course that he should take. He acted upon the prlnc
pie that aotuated great and glorious adopted leader
Henry Clay would rather be right than be Presi.
every pledge that he gave in that language In In
Vulnerable conversations which had with him, and
4G60c1aIe0
the time Of my first interview with him. until the close Of
his administration never saw one symptom Of waver
Ing cfraterDg of doubt as to the dissnarge Of every
rious questions which agttatsd the country, called
upon the Executive for the exercise OF great WISDOM pru
dence and 6rmness It was not the more question Of
signing the Fugitive Slave law but there were questions
North and SOUTH which required the exercise OF even
higher moral courage, and greater degree Of wisdom
tween Texas and Mexco You recoect Texas threat
ened to take orcbls possession of the territory claimed
on that occasion Just what it was Throughout.
Never hesitating for . moment-never looking
but looking only the constitution aas guide looking
only to the welfare OF the country the motive OF his
action he promptly issued Proclamation giving those
territory Of New Mexico the whole power Of the govern
meat would be brought to bear to put them down. He
is . man that knew no North, no South no East
West tell you candidly gentlemen, if had not kno
the place of his nativity never should have discovered
it duIir my official connection with him. In his official
action upon every question there was perfect
y He looked only to the interests of the country and
never saw in any one measure that there was the
slightest preference for the North the South the
South the North. Why the very organization of his
Cabinet is proof Of this When state to you the
to organize it had been, you will at once see thAt
fairness with which he disposed to fulfil every duty
incumbent upon him. You recolest that in the orgaui
zAon OF his Cabinet he four to the South and three
10 the North. He stated to me- that as he North
erner it proper the Cabinet should be balanced thus
making four Northern to four Southern men, and
preventing the possibility Of the ascendancy OF either sec
zion in the Cabinet Council. Gentlemen, the Fugitive
Slave bill was passed. and could not tell all that may
know of the influences that sought to be brought to
bear upon him in reference to his action upon that sub
ject might tell you Of the appeals to his ambition
he would be The idol ef the Nortn that his nomination
and reeec ion were inevitable IT he refused to sign that
BILL that he was sold 1p the onsr hand .ai.
endedhen you may despair Of ever again being elected
into any elevsted position BY the Nortnthen yoa may
expect the hatred and viruent abuse of what they call
freedOmy
quantities upon your head" But you might as well ex
gest one Of the showers Of Nay to wash the ross o.
ence the conduct of Willard Fillmore. He did his duty
firmly, fsaressy and faithfully and fellow cisiz,ns
represented to exist and which, it said would ma
Diiest itself in hostility him, did exhibit itself in thu
Law which occurred in Massacbu setts You rscollect
the resistance to the same law which occurred In Pha-
dephia, when it seemed fthe old Cradle Of Liberty had
forgotten all her ancient history had forgotten the days
of Hancock, Of Adams and Of ali the iusrous heroes of
the Revolution, and had given hersslf up 10 wild ia
~ was II ns o.
fellow citizens lete here say that fault has been
found with Mr.. Fillmore tor not removing the Marshal
rescue The Marshal was not within three hun
sonsl Enowesge he was in my house at washington
about the time and had probably gos far Baltimore
on bis return home when the occurred But such
was the anxiety of the President to do right that imme
datey uptn the of the rescued being being brought
'ohim, he submitted the question to The Attorney Gene
raj TO whether the Marhsl to bia ne-whsther
ne guilty of any fault either Of commission or onis
sion The Attorney Generals reply was, that the Mar.
hal took every step that prudence would require and
The President, therefore, did not remove him; b..
communicated his judgment with these remarks:-"I
his removal bu notify him, if another occurs be
viii be removed, whether he fails not.n 1t
win be enough to know. that he was unIucky
Another circumstance oc,urrsd in Boston, which called
for further action The President Was informed that
there military companies and large mob preparing
to rescue the fugitive Burns from the custody Of the Mar
shall What was the course then OF this man-.hst II
democratic editors now, with full knowledge of the lass
before Il en- care TO say is aboltioais-whst ais
coursef He put the naval and military power under tns
control Of the Executive aud he gave specific instructions
to the they to pursue in the crisis a
Ills instructions were that there was to be chdsp'sy
there, no firing of blank cartridges The officer OF ma
rints ordered 10 have his park OF Artillery charged
with grape shot, and he was placed under the contrc II
the civil auhority OF the country, and if necessary
sweep the city Boston His orders were that every
who was found in ress'ancst the laws oftne country
10 be treated enemy to the country and you hear
great deal of credit given to General Piece for ssuing
orders to place the military at the control of the evil
police venture the assertion that he gave ord
to that effect venture to say that all the orders given
were those Of Mr.. Fillmore, whi:h were permanent Fol
low citizens, you recolect how this thing terminated
ecollect that the mob overawed and that the
result was, the law maintaned violence was pre-
vented and the supremacy of the constitution and Of the
law, made in pursuance of it, maintained With firm
ard steady hand Bat scarcely had that great question
been justed when occurred ia the South Many Of
tho facts connected with the dissatisfaction which
not known to the country. But tell
you about that time there was dissatisfaction
Ia South Carolina, which threatened to break out in open
rebellion The government was well informed upon the
condition of things there and such the state Of pub
lie feeling, that not lawyer could be obtained Chrss
ton to accept the Office Of District Attorney. II
offered first to Mr.. Petgrew, bu1 he declined it, not
from any fear of the. consequences but because II
opcted with his other duties 1t offered to Others,
and they refused upon the ground that 1t might bring
them in conflict with their fellow ctizsns and 1t was
only after several uiless efforts to obtain attorney
who would maintain the of the country that Mr..
Petgrew, that noble fellow, whose name never
except with feelings OF PRIDE fer ward and solicited
the appointment, saying that he would uphold the Prss
dent in maintaining the laws Such the state O.
feeling that 1t said there would be ate mpt de
to take Fort Moultre The fOrtihcation completely
unarmec, and 1t was said there would be sttack
tine fort. Troops poured into it, and stator In
the neiehboihood With determination that the o.
the United States should not be pulled down roa F)r
Mourie. corres pondence took place that lon
between the Governor of South Carolina and the Pc
dent, which the light. The Governor took
4hn hxw vha% o,x, r,tvl, In