New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-17
AN ILL.CHOsEN PACIFICATOR

Inc sIlIlL Vi OlsCftliOu sccius W nave utStIlcu
the Pine-street meeting of Saturday, when the
question of Peace Commissioners to the South
came up for action. 1t was well, looking from
the standpoint of the gentlemen who composed
that assembly, to make every legal and political
concession which the South demands, and to in
sist as their speakers did, upon a complete re.
peal not merely Of Northern laws against kid
papppg colored citizens but also of oil Northern
sentiment upon the subject of Slavery, and the
abstract right Of one man to make slave OF
another; but if it was expected that any pract-
cal influence would be exercised over the South
ern mind by the assumption of these positions-ii
it was hoped even that the South could be made
TO believe that such propositions were sincerely
made-tben certainly the utmost care should have
been taken to select representative men who could
be relied upon as earnest and above suspicion in
their advocacy of the proposed measures. The
selection of Mr. billiard Fillmore was, in this re-
spect, unfortunate Upon the question of Slav-
ely, he has not hitherto come up TO the Southern
standard and the standard OF the Pine street
meeting; and so far on the other hand, as the
secessionsts can respect his opinions at all, these
justify them in the extreme measure OF disunioD
to which they are about to resort.
We know Dir. Fillmore is not, in the ordinary
sense of that term, an Anti-Slavery man; but
the South and Pine street ask than
negative qnaifcations-they demand absolute
and positive Prc-Slaycry. Mr. Fnlmoros record
is not at oil up to this mark. In 1888, when he
was a candidate for Congress, Committee OF
the Erie County Antl-Slayery Society put to him
series Of questions-askibg him, first, if he
was in favor of the right of petition against
Slavery; second, if he was opposed to the annex
atiCn of Texas long as Slavery existed there;
tLiId if he favored tie exercise Of the right o,
Congress to abolish the internal saye-.rade;
and fifth, if he was in favor of immediate egis.
latiGn for the abolition Of Slavery i'll the Dis
trict of Columbia. To every one of these ques-
tons, Mr.. Fillmore gave an affirmative answer.
lie may have, aud probably has, changed his nina
On some Of these points. But as the influence OF
bis example and his opinions, 30 far as they
went lave aided the growth of that very NORTH
ern Ant-SlaveIy sentiment which Pine street
proposes TO repeal, and because Of which the
Soutb proposes To dissolve the Union, We
submit that the choice Of such man ~ pacifl-
Gator was moi u wire one. Nor need wc go back
twenty two years to find that Mr.. Fillmore il not
in accord with the spirit Of the meeting on Sat.
uItiy. Ii Was oily uAe year, lacking day,
iI1IG the date of tie meeting, when be gave utter
ance, in public letter, to a sentiment which is
far iiCm r,concliIg him to the position which
Pine street thinks tie times demand. On
the 10Th of December of last year, be wrote an
answer t0 an invitation 10 u Union meeting in this
City, in which lie said: /" In an evil hour, tlls
" Iandora's box OF Slavery was again opened by
"WLat / conceive TO be an HgjuSt.fobie 0ttrapt
"to toree Siaray iEiO Kansas by a repeal of thc
Missouri Compromise; ard the nooj of evils
"now swelling and threatening to overthrow the
Constitution, and sweep away the foundations Of
- tie government iiseif, and deluge tiis land with
- lIatorna blood, may all he traced to tbs HatO.-
innate Gd." Will what face can man who
Las 50 recently ana in such emphatic terms de-
nounceG the South for endeayOring to maintain what
it coLctnes to be it, Constitutional rights t. car
~ Slavery into all the United States territory
appear IL the South viii Il proposition to give
th'm al ,bey ash On his question And with
what confidence eau the Sccessionsts listen Ia
one who only year ago attributed aI The mis-
iUitLu,s with which We are now threatened 10
their uriustlabie conduct IL viii not be- an
oasy tlk to convince The South that the Pine
sticel meeting represents the feeling Of Tho North
en- pcTlr "a tie question OF Slavery; tho diGi.
Guilty VII be- increased thousani-,,d when the
chosen rcpr,s,riati.e Of that meeting il himself
IN evidence a. lhc existence oi that Nothoiq,
feeling and opinion If which tAe South complains.
Nor bre thne tue only troublesome rmini.-
cerccs with Which he Sccr+iout.ts Wi oven.