The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-24

hou'', ~ L =, vi tue loin inst. Win The q
vowed purpose Of uniting the lemccrati
party ofthats state. The result Of these con
veniions was naturally look ed for with deer
in'eSest, and with ardent hore we frmls
believe, on the part Of the mass of both thu
free soilers and The Cass democrats in thi.
region, that in their ostensible object, the
conventions would be entiGely successful
We regret that we are compelled to an.
uouncc that the contrary was the result
Both conventions have adjourned without
ei!ecting union, ana as each is now accus.
ing the ether Of defeating that desirable Oh.
Jec', il is presumabie that with this adli,io-
al bone Of contention between them, the two
wings, or parties, are now more hostile than
ever.
AS TO which party is really in the fault,
the reader will be better able to Judge after
he sha llbe made acquainted with the detail,
OF the negotiations. These we shall al.
tempt 10 give in brief space.
After the two conventions had organize ,
the Landowners despatched a committee TO
The bunker conv cntion, with communica
ton in which, after assuming that the only
difference between the two parties was on
The subject Of slavery, they proposed to unite
win the hunkers Oh their asserting 10 step
upon the following platform:
/ lst. 1t is not questioned or disputed that
congress has the power over slavery in the
District Of Columbia.
I "a. II is not questioned or disputed that
congress does not possess the power over
slavery III the states.
Sd. The power of congress over slavery
III the territories Of tue United States !,
questioned. This convention holds that tine
Federal Government possesses the lecisa-
tive power over slavery in the territories.
and ought to exercise it 50 as 10 prevent the
existence OF slavery there.
This is nothing more nor less than the old
Buffalo platform. Ofcourse it vas net ex-
pected that the hunkers would assent 10 it,
and the intention was merely to bring them
out. And the Hunkers did come out with
the following connterpropos,ion. After as
senting that the only difference between the
two parties was on the subject of slavery.
they propose TO settle the difficulty Ly
mounting, instead Of the Buffalo platform, a
skeleton erection like this:
ReSolred, That we believe the peorle Of
the north are opposed 10 the introduction of
slavery ihto Territories now free, but we
deem II to be unwise andimprac,icable, and
we cannot consent, TO make that question
party test, or TO incorporate il as an article
OF the political faith Of the Democracy of
this state.
And, ny way Of Calculating the proprie.y
Of the mutual adoption Of this specimen of
architecture, the hunkers proceeded to say,
that
at was impossible TO expect ANYTHING
like unity Of views on the subject of slavery
amongst members of the democratic par.y:
that it had never existed, and was never
looked for; and that it was wholly unat,ain-
able"
They proposed, therefore, 'as a basis of
union, wholly TO discard that subjec. from
the platform of democratic principles, leav-
ing every one to the enjoyment Of his indi.
vidual views and opinions" And by way
OF giving still more force to these views, the
hnnkers most adroitly, and we think with
not a little cruelty, remind the barnburners of
the resolutions adopted by the latter year
ago at Utica, in which the present PROPOSE.
ton Of the hunkers was substantially embo.
died, the following being its language
"That although such are our opinions
(hos,ili,y TO slavery we have never sought
to impose them upon others still less have
we made an acquiescence in our views of
the subject controlling test in an election,
as has been unjustly charged upon us. The
annals ofour party proceedings maybe safe.
ly challenged for the proof that no such test
has been avowed by us we have neither
made such test, nor will we submit TO il
when made by others, nor can the democra-
tic masses of the state be induced TO sustain
those who do either"
This was poser. How to get around il
and prevent the two conventions from join.
ing hands at once, was enough to tax the
utmost human ingenuity. Blu, after sleeping
Oh it,the thing was finally managed though i,
must be owned somew ha, bunglinely, after
this fashion. the barnburners replied to the
hunkers, that they did not now ask them
to adopt the Wilmot proviso as a part of
their creed, they only wished the democra.
cy Of New York to resolve that it was cor
rect doctrine, and submission on the part of
the hunkers TO the adoption of such a reso-
luton by the united convention was made
a prerequisite to union. The following is
their language:
"Believing that the election of the demo.
cratic candidates 10 the state offices cannot
be secured even upon united action Of
these two conventions without distinct an.
nouncement Of the principles Of these reso
lutions, this convention feels constrained TO
insist upon them as frank expression of
the views entertained by the great body of
the democratic party Of this state. Ii re.
CARDS this expression as like due 10 the par.
ty OF this state, to their brethren in the
southern states, and 10 the world, that there
may be no concealInent Of the real senti.