Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-01-13

From tle Boston Post.
The demonstration Of devotion to the Unio1. BE-
.nn ia Boston continued ia Philadelphia New 1orA
ea ris,Vbcre in the North can but be, IN the end
productive Of CREST good The recent m'inster
Gathering III New York city was worthy 81 tiie I'm
nirs fr and the Empire STATE the letters ana
speeches were hiled veto splesaoH. 90 fass.5i'ae
devotion 60 The Dnien q anything could pe
fonrd in any of the circumstances OF that assem-
blage Of patriotic men, which could, m any sense
he fhoueht capable Of amend nent, perhaps tle lev
ter Of Fillmore would be the first and chiefest and
vet fhas eminent gentleman did not fail TO respond
promptly and warmly TO the general purposes for
which the meeting was assembled. lie saw the
reat nerif which enTeleped the land, and he admit
fsd the exstsuce OF dangers which put IN imminent
dsnrer the durability OF the Union. t viii be re-
memlered here that Mr. FILLMORE N hls recent let
Ter. after expressing the reasons which prevented
his attendance &C the meeting in New ork, goes on
in a second paragraph to say
Bat It seems to me that IL ms opinions are OF
/ any importance TO my cOunmymen, they now have
them IN q much more responsible and satisfactory
form than could give them By participating in the
proceedings Of any meeting. Ny sentiments on this
unfortunate question Of slavery, and the consttu-
fiona rights OF the South iD regard to it have not
ehanlted since they were made manifest to the whole
country by the performance Of pdiefM dit8 Ia af-
proUiag and en0rcing TIE ftqUe slaUe ia6. What the
constitution gives I would cencede at every sacfi
fee I would not seek to enjoy its benefits without
sharing its burthens and It's responsibilities know
Of no other rule Of political right OF expediency.
Those were my sentiments then-they are my sen
uments now. 7 stand by the constitution Of my
country at every hazard, and am prepared to main
1 il at every sacrifice"
The chief and only purpose Of the Union meeting
( IN Faneuil Hall. and those which followed it. has
been to nculcate cordial cheerful, absolute obedi-
ence to egerlJ requirement of the constitution That
at least was TIE object which inspired the Post to
be the earliest to invoke the patriotism Of Aassa-
ehusetts 10 convene in the Cradle Of Libertv-0BE
! DIENCE TO TIE C0NSTITUTi0N,-tha was the
high aim that the noble aspiration. It did not mat
/ ter then and does not matter now, long the
crisis and peril are upin Us, what abstract opinions
individuals hold de held, as to the various moral
] and economic questions which may be made to
spring out Of the existence Of slave labor. A man
/ may, as a phIios0phie theory, hold slave labor a
moral good, and another man may in the same sense
think it not moral good, and yet both be willing e
execute the spirit and letter OF the compact Of the
! Fathers. We do not now see fit to quarrel with
men holding either opinion, provided they are TO-
/ Che whole constitution, and do not sympathize with
or abet the persons who are agaRstthe constitution
What we aim TO do Is TO put down tic idea that any
requirement of that sacred instrument is wrong II
theory or painful in practice. When we have done
that, then, and then only, can the Union rest Sc
curely.
We therefore object to Mr.. FTlmore's letter. be
cause the paragraph we have quoted encourages the
I idea that the clause Of the Consdtution demand
ing the rendition of fugtiyes from service is harsh
repulsiYe and unwise. Nothing in that great com
pact made by the men of the revolutionary epoch
can be characterized BIZ such words. The Fugi
tive Slave Law Of 1859 was and is constitutional
! The Supreme Court Of the United States has said
/ II The Supreme Court of Massachusetts, has said
/ it, Mr.. Fillmore's Attorney General (Crittenden
I said it, why then, does he, who has been Presi
dent Of the United States thus speak of the approx
al Of a constitutional law Of Congress, passed BY
/ the assembled wisdom Of his countrymen, as
] painful dmg2" Is II not just such superficial can
as this that the patriotism and craftsmanship Of
the United States must rebUke, if it be expected
I that the Republic is to endure The country has
had enough Of that sentimental nonsense, st enough
for a knitting society, but utterly unfit for a natier
Of brave men, full q life and hope, and fred with
i visions Of material grandeur and greatness such
as the world has never seen. If Mr.. Fillmore would
c0ncede what the Constitution gives at ever sacri
fee" why does he thus arraign the hHlaliy Of tbs
men who, to secure the passage Of the compromise
Of 1885, approved and voted for the Fugitive Slave
Law Of that year? His expression painful . does
/ but embOdy much Of the argument Of the fanatica
Republicans against the South. BY its use, at this
time and on the occasion he did, he gives away the
whole case he professed willingness to Yndicate and
defend. Are we not correct2