Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-07-12
For the Portage Sentinel.
A survey of things in General.


of the Union. This remark, however, must
be confined to that restless and isolated few,
who breath the very atmosphere OF perfec-
ton, and whose supernatural thoughts are
constantly concentrating into one grand and
stupendous idea. Compared to this idea,
all other considerations are subordinate, all
other principlessas dust in the balance
What can equal the transcendant nobleness
of the thought, that man has right to be
tree! 1t as noble thought, but why be
bewildered and fascinated by its beauty, till
we see nothing else in the wide spread har-
monies, which the God of nature has diffused
through the natural, and the moral world.
l thought when reading some of the Reso-
lutions adopted, at the late Anti-Taylor Con-
vention, at Ravenna, that this lone idea
must have blinded the perceptions of many
good heads assembled there, or inconsistent
cy so palpable, would have been apparent.
1 will quote single Resolution-tbe first
one adopted:
"Resolred, That the Presidential nomi-
nation lately made by the National Conven-
ton at Philadelphia, was in utter disregard
of the rights, views, and feelings of northern
freemen, and instead of receiving our appro-
val,meets with our decided disapprobation. ;"
That the proceedings Of that Convention
were in cutter disregard of the rights views
and feelings of northern fireman." I have
never yet seen any evidence.
On the very first ballot three northern
candidates received % votes:-Webster
%, Clayton 4, and Mclean 3. If the
North had rights to maintain, why did she
not cast her l73 votes for Mclean, or
Webster, or some other Northern MANI
Can any individual in his senses blame the
South for voting for the man of her choice?
Is she to be censured because she did not
vote for Webster, or Scott, when the north
ern delegates refused to support them? If
the South then has @disregarded the views
and feelings of Northern freemen," she has
done no more than northern freemen them
selves. The statements of the Resolution
above quoted, are in the highest degree pre-
posterous and absurd No one can believe
them, if he view the facts of the case for
single moment,-unless he admits, forsooth
that the Wings are "a herd of dough-faces.
But all know that no Wings face ever in
clined to be doughy. Suppose, however,
that for once their faces have softened, and
that their supereminent majesties have de-
scended from their great moral elevation;
upon whose shoulders is this misdemeanor
to be saddled? Upon the South of course.
Appended to this Resolution are various
reasons, mighty no doubt, and conclusive to
those who offered them, tending to sustain
the truth of their statements and to vindicate
their course. One, and the most prominent,
is that Southern men have occupied the
White House four times as long as it has
been occupied by men from the North. Well
admitting it has, who is in the fault? Can
you expect Shareholders to support men
from the free States, when you refuse to
yourselves? Can you consistently accuse
them of sdisregarding your rights" when
you do not regard them? If you are cor
rupt enough to disband your party, and dis
grace yourselves, by nomination man of no
principles, no adequate knowledge of civil
affairs, merely for availability, you should
not add to your depravity by inveighing
those who with yourselves are equally re-
sponsible.
Let us for moment glance at the course
pursued by Hon. Daniel R. Tilden. That
gentleman had the honor of representing the
Wings of this district in the National Con-
ventiou at Philadelphia. The moment he
took his seat there he tacitly agreed to abide
by its decisions. If he did not, then Con-
vention is a perfect farce. If each delegate
on returning to his constituents is expected
to support the man who received his vote in
Convention, what l ask is the utility of hold
ing Conventions at all. Mr. sTilden had but
two honorable alternatiyes-leave the party
or go for the nominee. He has done neith-
er. Perhaps his affinity for exclusiveness
is not sufficiently powerful, to induce him to
leave his party: and may be the votaries of
the one idea abstraction have not political in
fuence enough to suit his tastes. We pre-
sumo he kaoWs.
The Philadelphia Convention has devel-
oped certain latent elements, which until
now have been but partially seen by the
masses. The Wings of the North, while
accusing the Democrats of bowling obse-
quiously to slaveholding dictation, have
sworn uncompromising hostility to Southern
sectional interests, and have pretended to be
the only true guardians of the welfare of the
free States. But what is their position now?
All, that is a question we presume no one
can answer. All we know is, that all form
er principles are either abrogated or sup
pressed, and that the party in the North has
uoIs@mtara1y thrown itself into the arms of
cIavnryy for tbo, <,f