Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-06-01
MEETING OF THE
Free Soil and Democratic Electors

free SOIL and Democratic Electors
OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHPORT.
Alta meeting of the Democratic and Free
Soil electors of the village of Southport,
held at Clements Hall in said village.
On Saturday evening 18th May, Is40,
pursuant to public notice given in the South
port Telegraph,
JOHN l.. V. YATES, Esq, was called to
the Chair, and HAYS Mckinney was cho>
sen Secretary.
The object of the meeting having been
stated, Mr.. Lowell offered the following pre,
amble and resolutions:
Whereas, Isaac p. Walker did on the
iirst DAY of March in the year 1914, ioin
me Liberty party, and sign the Constitution
OF Tie Milwaukee Liberty Association, the
preamble OF which is in the following
words: " Whereas, the necessity of the
united and determined political action for
The overthrow Of slavery, by peaceable and
constitutional means is eycry where ac.
knowIedged by the true friends of Iihery.
ana whereas the odIOus system is sheltered
and protected by the mantle of the law, and
nothing can drive it from its retreat but a
thorough change in the administration of
the general government, and whereas We
nave no reason TO expect this from either Of
me two great parties of the country, the
course OF both being equally hostile TO our
enterprise And whereas our ONLY hone is
our own independent, consistent, honest and
energetic action; therefore, we the suhscri-
Oers to this Constitution do associate our
selves together for the objects above stated"
and at the time Designing the same declared
IN public speech, that it was his intertion
to adhere to the principles ayowed in the
same to the day Of his death.
And whereas In letter addressed TO the
Hon. Warren Chase, and Hon. G.. Latham
Sholes, members Of the Senate oflhis State
dated June 7th 1913, and the day previous
to his election TO The United States Senate.
he used the following language: II ain I'm.
compensatory opposed to the extension of
chattcl slavery into territory, either now
owned or which may be hereafter acquired
by the United States. -
And whereas in letter addressed to the
Hon. Warren Chase, member of the State
Senate, and belonging to the Free Demo-
cratic party, dated October Bird 1919. and
published in the Daily Wisconsin, by said
Walker himself, he used the following lam
guage: " In regard to those principles of
reform which you and hold SO dear. |
know OF no torture which could force me
to abandon them, or to cease 10 promote
them, by all those means and measures
which my judgement teaches me are best
adapted 10 the end"
40 the end Of promoting our Drincinles
we are both now called upon to exercise our
discretion and Judgement in our individual!
preference for a candidate for the Prisiden>
cy." " Now how can best do this By
voting for Mr.. Van Buren, If could en-
terrain rational idea that he could be elec>
ted, my conscience would at once answer
the question in the affirmative, if doubted
the issue of the same principles with Gen.
Cass."
by voting for Mr.. Van Buren, in the
democratic free states, we are weakening
the strength and diminishing the pros pccls
Of the stronger northern candidate, and lust
in proportion as we DO this, are we bright.
cning the prospects of the Southern and
slaveholdlng candidate, and consequently
strengthening the arm and extending the
power and area of slavery" In other
words we are defeating Cass and clecting
TayloT while the first, living where he
does, surrounded by the people which sur
round him dare not veto the principles of
free territory. And the other living where
he lives, and surrounded as he is, by slaves
and Shareholders, dare not do othericise
than rctO them. While in the south the
pistol, bowie knife, rope and faggot, may
be, and have been used TO compel obedi-
ence to the mandates of the slave holding
power; in the north we have a still more
potent engine TO enforce obedience TO the
dictates of freedom, vIRTuoUs AND SOUND
PUBLIC OPINION"
:" TO sum up this proposition then, | will
say that IC69Rof, / dare not, vote for Mr..
Van Buren,. While am morally certain
that the only result which could follow from
nv doing so would be the election of
slave owner. a southern slave holder, whose
every interest, whether pccuniary, social,
relative or prudential, would lead him to
crush, and if possible crush forever the
hopes and bright antisipallons of northern
lfeemen."
And, sir, this is dangerous, fear(ully
dangerous period for southern man, and
slave holder to be elected by our indirect
agency"
"If General Taylor shall be elected the
power viii pass into the hands of The slave
holding power, to be welded over the free
north with tyranny too merciless 10 be
endured"
" But on the other hand, if Gen. Cass
shall be elected, my deliberate opinion, and
firm convictions are, that the last state has
been admitted, and the last territory organl-
zed without an express inhibition of Sla-
very. And if organized with this inhibition
the territories will be settled by freemcn,
loving free labor, free press and free soil;
and who, when they apply for admission
into our Mon, will present no constitution