New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-08-02
The Convention In Danger:


from Sharon Springs letter which ILLS the ieadint
column in his las, Courier s. Enquirer, IN "hicf
the Convention movement il asssiled "a ioho"s'
~rhave me, .ioce left New-york politicians from
every part Of the State and am delighted 10 learn 'n'
every where the people % ootn psfles arc 49,
CONVENTION 10 change our organic law, ana fes"y ~
vote against the proposed measure. Every respecao
Wing with whom have conversed depounces s - n
duct Of the Whigs in the Leg stature VINO 'c'eu 'o s
Convention bill ss utterly dsrcputsoe lnA' lne 'p.
sentsfives ofhe Wig party from selfish puf
have cosesced with the Barnburners anu 81"
Abolifions,s in authorizing the assembling Vi
,,on In no.,;on 10 the sinest provisions OF the Con
stituton NJ indeed most 4meniable Fact and wen ca
culsted to convince the people that our party no'
devoted 10 iis principles than the reckless compno
of men 70 which Il Is opposed Beyond AL DOUBT sunni
of the Representatives Of Focoism In the late Legs
lature were more honest more CONSERVATIVE ana ia'
m.re the friends Of and order than were the hig
In the came body
Col. Webb goes on to say that every honest
Wing 10 the State and Union blpshed RI" party
when the Wing Members Of our Legislature voted
for and carried the Convention Ia public exhibition
of those bushes OF the Courier would make any
showmans fortune that it was the work solely OF
"dcmagogues and Office seekers" who only "care
for the oaves and fishes" that
THE Representatives Of the Wing party cooly barter
ed lie honor s principles and fts lair fame. in The des
perse hope OF reapng from the sale the temporary con
uol of the political de-tnies Of this great state 1he
knew thsi their whole proceeding was revolutionary soo
dishonorIn2 they knew and admitted that even 10 sue
coed In base PURPOSE II WAS necessary 10 seek tns Az
OF the anti reuters and ablitonistr they dd nor oon
that they could only hope for success by becoming NOR
radical than their opponents; they knew and ahme'
that the proceeding at war with every PrncP'
put forth by the pa1y they represented; ana ys
they boldly Proceeded to the consummniion ON thsi
treason 20 Wing principles without any other apology o'
their dishonest conduct than the OFT repeated ana nia
nous declaration that the Wings had nothing 10 zoos
and every Thing 10 rain from new shuttle OF iht
cards " &c. &c.
These charges strike at the very vitality OF the
Wing party Either their author is mos, infamous
calumnator and factionist, the party he 10 impl
Gates Ia bopclessly corrupt and rotten. If out Of
some ffty.odd Representatives, chosen by thu
Wings of the entire State, TO the last Legislature
there could be found but two il any, possessing SUI
hcient virtue and decency TO spurn conspiracy 50
base atrocious, mercenary as is here positive
ly charged then there can be no rational hope of
honest Wing Administration, and the power should
be left mem. in the hands of our opponents who
cannot be worse than this. and of whom only hall
entered into this horrible plot enable the People
legally and peacefully to review and revise their
Chart Of Government. We see not how the man
who prefers these accusations can ever again ask
his readers to vote Wing Ticket.
But there 10 not particle OF truth in them-not
shadow Of ground for them. The Wing Members
OF the Legislature voted for Convention,
l. Because they believed that experience had
shown serious defects in State Constitution, and
that Convention would remove them.
IL g. r..
die,ai and Legal Rcform whereby the enormous
expenses and delays now encountered in seeking
Justice through law may be greatly diminished.
3. Because those constituents desire a change in
the system of Distric,ing for Senators and Repre-
scntatves, so as TO secure an equal and Just repre-
seatation to the People of the State. AT present
q Loco Foco minority of the whole People have q
Of the % Senator'S with large majority in the
House and in Joint Ballot and similar disparity
has very generally prevailed. Uniform Single Dis
tricts. both for Senate and Assembly. the
are now established by Congress) would secure the
People against this perncious anomaly.
T. Because their constituents desire that much OF
the Official Patronage concentrated at Albany
shall be RENTED the People of the several Coun
ties who quite as likely to select their function
aries in,elligently and worthily is who knows
nothing personally of the candidates. and only hears
Of them through their interested heated partisans
s. Because there is growing desire that the right
of the Legislature to involve the State in Debt be
placed under some Constitutional limitation Pop
ular superv sion This is not, TO be sure Wing
proposition. but it strikes very reasonable
one IL freed from Objectionable details. We ear
ncsty desire the completion Of our more important
Public Works but not il the People are avcrsc to il,
We arc not afraid to go to the ballot box directly
on .hs questi on of Internal Improvement.
6. Because their Constituents desire a removal OF
the gross Injustice Of present Constitution in
jsc,ng all Property tests for White voters and i'm
posing one ON Blacks, Some are opposed to Blacks
voting a, all; others 1--WE hope the larger number
condemn all distinctions account of Coler; but
nobody, 80 far as we know, approves of this anoma
lous Properly Qualification.
7. Because the present Constitutional introduction
Of Clcrgymcn holding any civil office is indefensi
BILE in principle and mschevous in practice in view
Of their eminent fitness TO discharge some Of the
duties connected with our improved system OF
Common School Education. The exemption o.
OsCs =. u~"S f'oP~''s 'f~'i' s"~"'~~ - N~eiAAer
equally erroneous
Such are some Of the grounds on which the
People desire and the last Legislature authorized
tho call e . Convention. That call is made pre-.
cisely a. all legal Conventions of the whole Peop,
have been called in this and other States, whereby
the subsis,ing Constitutions Of each were framed.
The only difference is in the rcquisiton in this case
Of an express Popular Ratification of the call. as
we'll As Of the results at which the Convention shal
arrive, while Conventions have usually been called
by simple majority vote Of the Legislature. 1t is
no, possible that the Convention now called shall
accomplish any mischief except with the express
assent Of majority Of the People, given at their
Annual Election.
Need we answer the Couriers stale nonsense
about Dorr and Dorrisml The fatal defect in Dsrr's
case was the call of the Convention by no Legisla
tive or other constituted authority bat by town
appointed a, a party csucus-a power
not known to nor recognized by the State in any
way whatever This body assumed to fix the time
md mode of eecting Delegates qualifications OF
vosers evidence of citizenship &c. which ii had
.,,h,~,tx, IN A., thar, no ha1