Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-12-28
| th.. a..e,u.l feeling and eouea.ss vAieA hav'

But it sceifS 70 - thae ny o." ~ 10y
importance 10 my ccunsrynss, tey ncS 49, - -
that I could give them " participating In The pse-
tSc,lirgs Of any meeting Ny sentiments Q" tns
question AZ slavery, and ths esssss".
tonsl rights Of the South In rcgarl to Il have NOS
changed since they wcrc made manifest - tho whole
country by the performance Of painfal Official duty
in approving and enforcing the fugitive slave 'sw:
What the Constitution gives wooM conesSe y
fits without sharing It's b0rshens and its Irresponsible
ltics know Of no other rule II political right az
expesliency Those wcrs my sentimcnta thsn-shry
arc nv sentiments now. stand by the Consiiiu.
ton Of my country At every hazard. and am pre-
pared to maintain L at every sacrifice
Here might stop; but since ! have yielded 70
the impulse to write will not hesitate to express
very briefly, my views ON one or two events which
have occurred since retired from ofbcc, aud which,
in all probability, have given rise to your meeting.
This cannot do ntclligibly, without brief refer.
ence to some events whIch occurred during my adj
mration.
All: must remember that in 1919 and 80 tho
country was severely agitatcd on this disturbing
question Of slavery. That contest grew out 81 the
ACQUISITION Of new territory from Mexico and con.
test between the North and the South ~ to whether
slavery should he tolerated in any part Of th. terri.
tory. Mixed up with this was claim on the part
of the saveholding States that the provision ot the
constitution for the rendition u Isitivcs from scr
vice should be made available ~ the aw Of IDS an
that subject which depended chiefly on State 9TH
Gers for is execution. had bccomc imperative, be-
cause State officers were not obliged to perform that
duty.
After a severe struggle. which threatened The in
tegrity Of theUnion, Congress- finally passed laws set
Ting these questions; and the government and the
people for time seemed to acquicscc IN that COM
promise As final settlement of this exciting qucs-
ton and il is exceedingly to be regretted that mis-
taken ambition or the hope Of promoting party
triumph should have tempted any one to raise this
question again. But in an evil hour this Pandoras
box Of slavery Was again opened by what conceive
to be an unustiiable attempt to force slavery into
Kansas nv repeal OF the Missouri Compromise. and
the flood of evils now swelling and threatening to
overthrow the constitution, and sweep away the
foundation Of the government ITSELF Ind dcluyc this
land with fraterna blood, may all bc traced TO this
unfortunate act. Whatever might have ercn the
motive few acts have ever been 50 barren 81 good
and so fruitful Of evil The contest has cxaspcrstcd
the public mind, North and South, and eng, ndcrcd
feelings Of district and may say. hate. that fear
It will take years to away. The lsmcntahlc
tragedy at arpcrS Ferry is clearly tracrablc to this
unfortunate controversy about slavery in Kansas.
and while the chief actor in this criminal invasion
has exhibited some traits Of character that challenge
our admiration vet his fanatcal zeal to have
blinded his moral perceptions and hurried him into
an unlawful attack upon the lives os peaceful and
unofendng community in q sister State. with tho
evident intention Of raising q Scrvilc instruction
which no ono can contemplate without horror; and
few. believe very few, can be found Indifferent
to the consequences Of his acts or 70 blincl nv e.
natical ZEAL not to believe that he justly suffered
the penalty Of the law which he had violated
cannot but hope that the fate Of John Brown and
his associates will deter all others from any unaw.
FIJI attempt to interference tho domestic affairs of
sister State But this tragedy has now closed. and
Virginia has indicated the supremacy of her laws
and shown that she is quite competent tn manage
her own affairs and protect her own rights. And
thanks to an overrulng Providence. this question
Of slavery in Kansas is also settled and settled
in favor Of freedom. The North has triumphcd.
and having triumphed, let her. by her ma-nani.
nifty and generosity tn her Southern brethren.
show that the contest her part one Of prnci.
pie and not Of personal hatred or the low ambition
Of sectional triumph.
Finally. if had the power to speak and there
were any disposed to listen to my counsel, would
say to my brethren Of the South:-Be not alarmed,
for there arc few, very few, at the North who would
Justify in any manner an attack upon the insti,u
| tons Of the South, which are guaranteed by the
| constitution. We are all anti-savcry in sentiment
hut we know that We have nothing 10 do with !, in
the several States and do not intend to interior,
with It And would say to my brethren o( IN,
North. Respect the rights Of the South sssur,
them by your acts that you regard them as frirnt
and brethren. And ] would coniurr all. in III,
name Of all that is sacred to let this agitation cras,
with the Causes which have pr"i,cc,l Il, Let hsr
mony he restored between the North and the South
and let every patriot rally around our national ia.
and swear upon the altar Of his country to sustsir
and defend it I am, with great respect your obedi
ent servant,
WILLARD FILLMORE
LETTER OF Ex-PRrSIpENr VAN RtREx.
LLSbEgxwALp. Dec. u. 1859.
GEH1LEsEx-T have received the invitation to al
tend the Union meeting to he held at the Acatlcn,
Of Music in the city Of New York, with which yo
have been pleased TO honor me.
Although since my retirement from the Prcsidcu
cy have declined to attend political meetings q