The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-09
Willard Fillmore.

As we go to press we receive news Of the
death of Willard Fillmore, the thirteenth
President of the United States, who expired
last evening at Buffalo. Elsewhere we
print sketch of his life and services.
It is a noteworthy fact that Millard Fill
more became a prominent figure in politics
with the advent of the whig party as
political power in 1910, and that the party
expired with his Presidency in 1852. The
first year of John Tyler's administration was
in many respects like the first year of General
Grants second term. Twelve years of one
party rule then, as now, had left many
abuses to be corrected and greatly
needed reforms to be instituted 1t was,
indeed, o time when the very words which de-
scribe the present situation were employed as
descriptive of the condition of the country.
Business was PROSTATE. Public confidence
was almost destroyed. The Treasury was
bankrupt Mr.. Fillmore as leader of the
Twenty-seventh Congress was in much the
same position as Mr.. Dawes, the leader of the
Forty-third 1t is true there was then no
legal tender and national bank currency to
distract the Chairman Of the Committee on
Ways and Means, nor committees on Appro-
priations and Banking and Currency
to neutralize his efforts. All the
old United States Bank questions had
gone out with Jacksons administration,
and the only thing that remained in theoretic
politics was the American system in its prac-
teal application to the revenue and protec-
ton. Mr.. Fillmore grappled with this SUBJ
ject as well as most men would have DONE
and settled everything pertaining to financial
legislation as satisfactorily as any man could
upon the economic principles enunciated by
Henry Clay. But, even upon these questions,
where Clay was most radical Fillmore was
conservative. He was essentially man Of
Chase was, for instance, he would have seized
upon the opportunity to make the whig party
an anti-slavery party. AS the leader of the
House in the Twenty-seventh Congress Mr.
Fillmore had the opportunity of becoming the
great anh-slavery leader of the country. In
failing to grasp this distinction he attained
the highest dignity in the Republic but
that other distinction brought him no marked
honors. He was the Congressional leader of
compromises Immediately after 1910, as he was
the President of compromises in 1850 In fail
ing to precipitate the slavery question in the
Twenty-seventh Congress he averted its settle
ment for ten years, and then signalized his own
administration by a settlement which was the
real beginning of the agitation. He aimed at
Cancellation and gained for himself only a
mediocrity that wrecked him as a statesman
in spite of his fine capabilities, and left
him in retirement in the stirring era
when he should have been foremost in
action. John Quincy Adams, if he had
lived under like circumstances would have
made the latter years of his life the most
brilliant in the history of American statesman
ship; but Mr.. Fillmore sacrificed everything
" Cancellation except his rivalry with Seward
anj even that fell with the general failure of
his ambition. Mr.. Fillmore was noticeable
man, and lacked only comprehensiveness of
action to have given his country permanent
impressions Of his genius.