Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/219

 MILLARD FILLMORE 171 ordinary mortals. To the writer, in pointing out his carefully preserved papers, contained in the library of his beautiful home in Buffalo, the ex- president said: &quot;In those cases can be found every important letter and document which I received during 1 my administration, and which will enable the future historian or biographer to prepare an au thentic account of that period of our country s his tory.&quot; The only opportunity probably that ever would present itself for properly defending and explaining the signing of the fugitive-slave bill; the existence of an unquestioned and strong public sentiment in favor of the president s doing so; the recommendations that the act be done, made by Mr. Fillmore s most eminent advisers the proof of all these things unquestionably would have been presented by the letters and documents referred to; and now every one of these is gone.* April 22, 1908, executor of the will of Millard Powers Fillmore, who was supposed to have destroyed all President Fillmore s valuable papers relating to his administration as directed by his son s will, the manuscript letters and documents were discovered uninjured and complete in the garret of Mr. Marshall s house. He had wisely dis regarded the mandate to burn the valuable records which are now deposited among the archives of the Buffalo Historical Society, and it is believed a portion of them will be published at no very distant day. It may be added that the correspondence consisting of 8436 letters received by Mr. Fillmore as vice-president and president from March 4, 1849, to March 4, 1853, include many from Daniel Webster, Edward Everett and other of the most distinguished Americans of that period. The writer of the accompanying letter when a citizen of Buffalo
 * Soon after the death of Mr. Charles D. Marshall, of Buffalo,