Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-08-19

boldly avows, that sooner than abolition and
free-soil measures should fail, he would let
the Union slide" The people OF the Free States,
burning with fanaticism, inflated by these sue
cesses, and headless of constitutional restraints
ana OF consequences, are madly rushing into
the Republican ranks with unanimity hitherto
without example; and it may well be feared
that even the united energies of all southern
men and the conservatives Of every section may
be too feeble to resist their OVERWHELMING
power. The Union trembles under the blows
Of this sectional strife; God grant that the
fearful catastrophe of its dissolution may be
averted The election Of Fremont would be
its death-knell. II his supporters are strong
enough to elect him, they are also strong
enough to consummate their designs of sec
tional ACKNOWLEDGMENT and southern humilia-
ton; and in spite of the Constitution, they
will assume the power of Congress to legislate
over Slavery in The Territories of the United
States; they will exclude the South from its
just rights in the national domain, abolish
slavery in the District Of Columbia, repeal the
fugtive-slave bill and refuse to admit new
States into the Union unless they repudiate
Slavery. That these measures would follow
the election Of Fremont he had no doubt; and
when they did, the Union would, and ought to
be, dissolved. These measures, and each Of
them, negative important provisions of the Con-
stitution inserted for the security Of the South,
and if persisted in are just grounds Of separa
ton.
Fellow-citizens, do you appreciate the dangers
which encompass you? He feared we were on
the verge of dissolution. Gloom and appre-
hension shroud the future; our very existence
as nationals one united people-in all
nhot Aar 81. IL r. ~.
ton. Our institutions are assaulted in their
most vulnerable part. The torch Of the incen-
diary is blazing; the citadel Of the Union is
besieged; and this is no time for the garrison
70 be wasting the time and strength, which
should be given to the common enemy, in the
indulgence Of old antipathies and vain disputes;
but regardless of the past and with patriotic
devotion, sacrificing, on the altar Of our common
country our ancient prejudices and preferences,
we should rally under the standard Of that
leader who gives the best assurance of his
ability to preserve the common safety.
If we concede Mr.. Fillmore's entire nation
atty, and that, if elected, his energies would
be devoted in good faith to preserve the Union,
aud quell all sectional discord, what assurance
have we that he can be elected? Does any
one believe that he can be? He who thinks
he can be is blind to the signs of the times.
Mr.. G.. knew very we'll that in certain
quarters studied efforts had been made to pro-
duce the impression that his election was GER
tain, and it is quite possible that Their are those
whose vision does not reach beyond the narrow
horizon of Somerset, or even of the State of
Mary land, who may think so but the man
who comprehends within his view the whole
country, and the present state of parties, who
has observed for the last half year the varied
and manifold indications Of popular sentiment,
and is familiar with the spirit Of the American
press, and can think there is the remotest pro
.babi'ily of the election of Mr.. Fillmore by the
people, has become insensible to evidence.
Where Is he to get the votes? he is the no.
minee Of the American party, which, if it was
even a national party, has long since ceased
to be SO by the detection of its own members.
A large portion Of the members from the free
States Of the convention which nominated him
at that time seeded, and went over TO the
Republicans aud from that time to this the
work Of secession has been going on, until
now it may be truihfully affirmed that the
American party, distinct from, and uncon-
nected with the Republicans has ceased to
exist in those States. True individual mem.
bers remain firm; but, as party, capable any
where in those States, unless it be in the city
VI ASS" Aotn, VI OhC~tiS duy ~ uUco
not exist. Nor can he expect any important
aid in those States from other parties The
Wing party there, for the most part, lost itself
in Americanism, and as part Of the American
party has gone over to the Republicans. Ex-
cept Choat and Winthrop, and probably Eve
rett OF Massachusetts, he conld not name q
Wing of New England; of national reputation,
who was not now Republican. Even the
most active and able supporters Of Mr.. Fill
more's administration have enlisted in the
Republican ranks. Dayton, of New Jersey, is
the Republican candidate for Vice President;
Collamer, Of Vermont, is the chosen advocate
of Republcanism in the United States Senate
and Corwin, of Ohio, his Secretary of the
Treasury, is stumping Indiana for Fremont;
and the same may be said of many others OF
like stamp. In the free States nearly every
Wing Of national reputation may now be
found among the Republicans. The legislatures
of those States are either Republican or De-
mocratic--- not Fillmore Americans; in the
House Of Representatives there are scarcely
enough members from the free States who
favor Mr.. Fillmore's election to fill the cabi
net appointments, even if they were Of the
right material; and if there is one member
from those States in the Senate Of the United
States who favors his election, Mr. G. could
not name him. OF the anti-democratic press
of those States the same may be said. Out Of
81 anti-democraiic journals from the free States
which exchange with the New York Herald,
rs, as we learn from that paper are for Ere
mont, and IL for Fillmore and z for Buchanan.
Shut their eyes, as The friends of Mr.. Fillmore
may, the fact is nevertheless true that the
whole North and West are either republican or
democratic; and no reasonable ground exists
jnstiiying the belief that he can get single
electoral vote in the free States, unless il be in
California, of which he did not pretend TO
speak. These States will vote for Buchanan
or Fremont Mr.. G. greatly feared a majority
of th~n would 90 for the latter. In the South
Mr.. Fillmore may do better. His friends last
year carried Delaware, Maryland and Ken.
lucky; if these be accorded to him now, they
will not elect him. Can he get any more ?
Few, if any, think he can but suppose he
gets Tennessee, North Carolina, and Louisiana
and his most sanguine friends claim no more
in the South--still he is greatly in the minority.
Then, he cannot be elected by the popular
vote; and every vote thrown for him, with that
view, is vote thrown away. But votes for
= h,v 81