Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-24
Lincoln and Fillmore.

1t is frequently asserted that Mr.. FILLMORE had
very strong antisavery record at the time he was
elected Vice Presidents strong as LINCOLN has
now-and that he made conservative President,
whose Administration was satisfactory to large
portion of the South. 1t is hence argued that the
same influences, which made his National Admin
istration, viii operate upon LINCOLN.
The two cases are not parallel and the one cannot
be a5duced as criterion for the other, if grant
that FuINoRE's Administration was all that we
would have it.
Mr. FILLMORE was not elected PRESIDENT by the
people. He was elected Vice President on a ticket
with candidate for President who was large .ou-
isiania planter and whose chief recommendation to
the American people was that lie was nOparty
military chieftain. Gen. TAYLOR and Mr.. FILLMORE
were the regular candidates Of the Wing party,
which professed to be eminenuy national, which
was composed in large part, Of the largest slave
holders and strongest prOslaveTy men in the Union
They received strong support both from the North
and the South. They owed their election to the men
and were responsible to the interests Of both sec
tons There was every motive for them to be
national and conservative Their supporters and
councillors were from the North and the South in
equal proportion. There had arisen, at that time
40 great anti-slayery party whose avowed pur-
pose it was to on our institutions and eX-
cIude Southern men from all participation in the
common benefits of the Union Mr. FILLMORE, when
be came, by the death of Gen. TAYLOR, into the
Presidency, had no great anti-slavery party at his
back to stimulate and support him in a war upon
the rights of the South. His administration would
have been worse than failure had he started out
ia that course.
Now mark the contrast!
LINCOLN has been elected by party having its
existence only in the Northern States, and whose
ayowed purpose is to war upon slavery wherever
il constutionally can and to brand the STAKEHOLDER
unequal morally and politically to the citizen Of
the non-slayeholdng States. The party so electiug
him is emphatically a sectional party. Its progress
has been resisted with all the moral power of the
South. and it has finally succeeded against this
united resistance in electng two OF the most fanati
cal Of their party as President and Yice-President
of the United States. The principles upon which
these fanatics are elected were shaped by party
hostile TO the South their candidates were selected
as their deliberate choice to carry out those prnci-
pies and they have received a strictly sectional
vote. They must therefore look TO this sectional
party for support
They cannot look to any portion Of the South as
supporters for the Southern man that would under
these circumstances, yield to them such support
would be Justly suspected of having battered away
his LOYALTY to his section, and his regard for his
neghbors and feow-citizens, for the poor and mis-
cradle smiles of an Administration that is, in its es.
teutias, a foreign rule to the Southern States.
What motive, we ask. then has Mr.. LINCOLN, IN CON-
mon with those which actuated Mr. FILLMORE in his
conservative action? None whatever. The oppo-
fton Of the South, if indeed any portion Of it re-
mains in the Union during the whole of his term,
must continue to an Administration so elected
uad with such purposes Of hostility. This will
De source Of continual annoyance to the President
elect, and must strengthen his aversion, while his
Northern party, actuated by mingled motives of a
mcrcenary character and of hatred to our institu-
tions. viii stir up his jealousy, and compel him to
carry out the programme Of his party. The South
should at once dismiss any hope of conservatism
from Ar. LINCOLN. We all know upon what plat
form he was elected, and what are the principles
lie has himself avowed. From these there will be
no change. The Springfield Oll) correspondent of
the New York Herald says:
Mr. Lincoln remarked to-day to a visitor. in regard
10 an expected definition of his policy, in advance of
his inaugural as follows: during the past six years
have placed my views on all public questions So
fully and frequently record, that all those dcsir,
ing can learn them by simply referring to it. If my
past assertions obtain credit present ones viii
lie treated no better