Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/203

MILLARD FILLMORE 159 it is impossible to doubt his patriotism or his honest belief that he was acting in accordance with his oath to obey the constitution of his country. The presi dent s dream was peace to preserve without hatred and without war tranquillity throughout the length and breadth of our broad land, and if in in dulging this delusive dream he erred, it was surely an error that leaned to virtue s side. There is a legend that "he serves his party best who serves his country best." In Mr. Fillmore s action it is con fidently believed that he thought not of party or of personal interests, but only of his bounden duty to his country and her sacred constitution. One of the president s earliest official acts was to send a military force to New Mexico to protect that territory from invasion by Texas on account of its disputed boundary. Then followed the passage by a large majority of the celebrated compromise measures, including the fugitive-slave law. The president referred to the attorney-general the question of its constitutionality, and that officer in a written opinion decided that it was constitu tional. Fillmore and the strong cabinet that he had called around him concurred unanimously in this opinion, and the act was signed, together with the other compromise measures. The fugitive-slave law was exceedingly obnoxious to a large portion of the Whig party of the north, as well as to the anti- slavery men, and its execution was resisted. Slaves