Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-06-04
For the Spectator.
Warning Against Over Confidence in POli-
tics as in Religion, Ali Important.
"Beware of Peters word,
dopt1u

FOR the Spectator.
Warning Against Over Confidence in Poll
tics, as in Religion, Ali Important.
"Beware of Peters word,
Nor confidently say,
Il never will deny the Lord
But grant Lever may!'"
Illustrative of the frailty of poor human ma
ture, even in those OF most eminent and distin-
guished professions of justice and sectional equal
ity, and whose teachings, administrations and
antecedents have entitled them to the nations
confidence, furnish the following extract from
the noble (and then universally applauded) speech
of Ex-President Fillmore, delivered or his re-
ception by his admiring fellow-citizens at Albany
on his return from Europe in 1866, then the
nominee Of the Conservative Whig party for the
President of the United States:
"Sir, you have been pleased to say that have
the union of these States at heart. This, sir, is
most true, for if there be one object dearer to me
than any other, it is the unity, prosperity and
glory of this great Republic; and confess frank
ly, sir, that fear it is in danger. say nothing
of any particular section, much less OF the sew
ersl candidates before the people. presume
they are all honorable men. But, sir, what dove
see2 An exasperated feeling between the North
and South, on the most exciting of all topics
resulting in bloodshed and organized military
array2
"But this is not all, sir. We see 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 electing these candidates by suffrages of
one part of the Union only to rule over the whole
United States. Gan it be possible that those who
are engaged in such measure can have seriously
reflected upon the consequences which must in
evitably follow, il case of sucoess9 (Cheers.)-
Would he be required to follow the same rule
prescribed by those who elected him, in making
his appointments2 If man living South of
Mason and Dixon's line be not worthy to be
President or Vice President, would it be proper
to select from the same quarter, as one of his
Cabinet Council, or to represent the nation in
foreign countrvg Or, indeed, to collect the rev.
If not, what new rule is the President to adopt
in selecting men for Office, that the people them
selves discard IN selecting him9
"These are serious, but practical questions, and
in order to appreciate them fully, it is only nee
essary to turn the tables upon ourselves. Sup
pose that the South, having majority of the
Electoral votes, should declare that they would
only have shareholders for President and Vice
President, and should elect such to rule over Us
at the North. Do you think we would submit
to ita No, not for moment. (Applause.) And
do you believe that your Southern brethren are
less sensitive on this subject than you are or less
jealous of their rights? tremendous cheering)
If you do, let me tell you that you are mistaken,
And. therefore, you see that if this sectional
party succeeds, it leads inevitably to the destruc
ton of this beautiful fabric, reared by our FORE
fathers, cemented by their blood, and bequeath-
ed to US as priceless inheritance.
81 tell you, my friends, that l speak warmly
IN this anhiaet for fool that in dapoor
| am. determined to make clean breast of it,
will wash my hands of the consequences, what
ever 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 over
whelm the nation. Inight, by soft uords hold
out delusive hopes, and thereby soin 0otes But
can ne0er consent to be one thing to the North
and another to the South. I should desp5se may-
self IF could be guilty Of such euasion. (Tu-
multuous appause) For nsy conscience aooasM
still ask, aoath the dramatic poet
sIs there not some secret curse
Some hidden thunder red with immortal wrath
TO blast the wretch who owes his greatness
To his oountry's ruin p"
What an ''dn0them0 4,,oronatho'' for one to
pronounce against, and to become liable to him
self.
The same just condemnation of sectional nom
nation of, and sectional support for President
and Vice President, by the people of one section
alone, ard the same prediction of the inevitable
results are enforced in all his speeches, on his
popular welcome from New York city to Buffalo,
and would have been cordially repeated by sew
enty thousand in Virginia. Now that ''the e.conse-
quences, which" (he said "must inevitably fol-
low, in case of success" are upon US, with fear
ful threatening and coercive preparation. Now
that the prophecy has been verified by the inev-
liable consequences justified in the teachings,
where do we find the Prophet9 Now that the
entire South has taken the precise attitude that
he says the North would occupy, if the case was
theirs by the ''turning of the tables upon them
selves,'' and that they were taught they should
take, and not submit to it"-"no not for one
applause)--we find even him
indulging and actively engaged in ''the madness
or folly of believing that his Southern brethren
should submit to be governed by such a Chief
Magistrate."
Gan it be possible that one so deservedly hon.
ored, as was MLLARD FILLMORE, was insincere
in these doctrines and that they were employed
for mere electioneering purposes, when himself
was a national and not sectional nominee?
Have they lost any of their truth or force now
that the dangers predicted have eliminated into
complete success, by the election and Inaugural
tion of president and Vice President, for the
first time from the free States alone, by sufrages
of one part of the Union only to rule over the
whole United States?" But more He is not
only 'sbelieviDg that his Southern brethren
should submit" but is exerting all the power OF
q hitherto pure and patriotic public life to infu-
ence and infame that very political party, pre-
senting candidates for the Presidency and Vice
Presidency from the free States alone," to rally
to arms! to arms! !! and to teach their Southern
brethren to submit to such sectional rule, as be
says, turning the tables upon ourselves" "Do
you think we of the North would submit to it
No, not for one moment!"
And himself, cloaking the Honored Er Presi-
dent, under the tinse1ed liuery and aoaoing plume
of military command, takes the extraordinary
command of Ex-Governors, Ex.Senators, Ex-
Judges, Ex Professors, and manifests the extreme
of Inconsistency and insincerity, and, like 'Saul
of Tarsus," is ready to march against some
Southern Damascus, and bind hand and foot bis
Southern brethren, who are but doing that which
be said they would and ought to do, and which
''they of the North would do in one moment"
What has Virginia done9 or rather what has
she not done to preser0s the Union, or on the
secession of others from it, to preserve her own
cherished Union status? She initiated Peace
Congress, appointing her wisest and most con-
servatve men, and invited all the other States
to send representatives to the same; and the
peace measures were rejected. She sent Peace
to President Lincoln and to the
seeded States, urging peace and amicable settle
ment.
She at last sent from her Union Convention
Commissioners to ascertain and learn the pur-