The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-10-17
R1r. Fillmore on the Election OF a
Black Republican President.

In July, 1856, soon after his nomination for
the Presidency by the American party, Mr..
Fillmore made speech at Buffalo, from which
we publish an extract for the especial instruc.
ton of the Bcleycrettites who seem to find il
little difficult to unearn the lore of former days.
The same men who, in 1856, supported Fillmore,
and lauded him especially for the manly utter
ance of such sentiments as these from his Buf
lalo speech, are now denouncing, in no stinted
phrase, as traitors and disunionsts all those who
dare TO announce, en- Southern soil, their deter
minaton to carry out the programme as laid
down by the Honorable Ex-Prcsdcnt. But to
the extract:
'Sir, what do we see? An exaspcrated feel
ing between the North and the South, on the
most exciting of all topics, resulting in blood
shed and organized military array.
"llut this is not all, sir. We see a political
PARTY presenting candidates for the Presidency
and Vice Presidency selected for the first time
from the free states alone with the avowed pur-
pose of clecting these candidates by sulifages of
one part of the Union only to rule over the
whole United States. Can il be possible that
those who are engaged in such measure can
have seriously reflected upon the consequences
which must inevitably follow, in case of success?
Can they have the madness or the folly to be-
lieve that our Southern brethren would submit
to be governed by such Chief magistrate I?
Would he be required to follow the same rule
prescribed by those who elected him, in making
his appointments? If man living south Of
Mason and DiXon's line lie not worthy to be
President or Vice President would it be proper
TO select one from the same quarter as one Of his
cabinet council or to represent the nation in a
foreign country? Or, indeed, to collect the rev.
enue, or administer the laws of the United Statcs2
If not, what new rule is the President TO adopt
in selecting men for Office, that the people them
selves discard in selecting himg These are Sc
rious, but practical questions, and in order to
appreciate them fully, it's only necessary to turn
the tables upon ourselves. Suppose that the
South, having majority Of the electoral votes,
should declare that they would only have slave
holders for President and Vice President, and
should elect such by their exclusive suifrAges TO
rule over us at the North. DO you think we
would submit to it? No, not for a momeTf'
And do you believe that your Southern brethren
are less sensitive on this subject than you are,
or less jealous of their rights? II Won do, let
me tell you that you are mistaken. And, there
fore, you must see that f this sectional party
succeeds, it leads inevitably to the destruction
of this beautiful fabric reared by our forefathers,
cemented by their blood, and bequeathed to us
as a priceless inheritance.
tell you, my friends, that / feel deeply, and
therefore speak earnestly on this subject, for
feel that you are in danger. | am determined
to make clean breast of it. | will wash my
hands of the consequences whatever they may
be; and tell you that we are treading upon the
brink OF volcano. that is liable at any moment
to burst forth and oyerwhelm the nation. |
might, by soft words, inspire delusive hopes,
and thereby win votes. But / can never con-
sent to be one thing to the North and another to
the South. | should despise myself if could
be guilty of su,h duplicity. For my conscience
would exclaim, with the dramatic poet
as there not some chosen curse,
Some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven,
Red with uncommon wrath, to blast the
Who owes his greatness to his eountry's ruin ~