The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-06-04
The Locofoco Convention at Burlington.

little to object.
The Locofoco Convention at Burlington.
The Free Soil, alias Free Democratic,
alias Democratic, alias Free Jellersonnn
Democratic party held their Convention al
Burlington, OH Thursday last, TO nominate
State ticket 10 be defeated at The next
election. Having assembled in moderate
sized meeting house, the proceedings were
opened by an Abolition charge from
"crlorcd individual - after which the
meeting was called 10 order. To ill the
chair (being a ioIerabIy capacious pulpiO,
the public sentiment at once setled upon
IloraIio Needham, Esq, as the most COM
p"tent and suitable person. That genllc>
man not being at hand, Caleb B. Harrng-
ton, Esq, of Rutland, was chosen instead.
Hon. d. P Thompson was chosen Secre-
tary.
A uoiion was then made. that all Free
Democrats present he invited 10 participate
in the proceedings OF the Convention,
| without calling for credentials The Chair.
man, installing the word Free" Tor JEFF
fersoa'dn Owing to the great resemblance
in sound) put The question accordingly, and
| The motion prevailed. A "genileman ON
| The right" here inlerrosed, feeling quite
doubtful as 10 the latitude of the term
Jellersoninn Democrats and convinced
that, al all events, it would not include
him" Here followed a general discussion
and The meeting literally resolved itself
into not very harmonious nominating
convention" The question was finally
settled by compromise being agreed that
the Secretary, in recording the motion,
should write /" Free Jelfersonian Demo-
Gratis" The forenoon being now conside-
rably " exhausted" the Convention. after
ii fuller and more permanent organization,
| appointed a committee Of fourteen on
Resolutions, and another of thirty 10 nom
mate State ticbel@.hen adjourned 10
o'clock, ?. Nj.
| On re-assemhling at tiro o'clock, Hon
Henry Wilson. President of the Msssachu-
sets Senate, and (says Mr.. Siansbury)
" the man who elected Charles Sumner"
was Introduced to the Convention.
| Mr.. Wilson said he had been confined TO
official duties for several months. He now
met the representatives Of 10000 of The
freemen of Vermont" for The first time
they had, 10 Massachusetts, conquered
their prcjudices against the Democrats
acted cordially with them & "overturnedr
| ~ the Stale. All good Free Sellers here
should innate their example. OF the
| ihiriv-one STATES. all but three were anil.
Wing, and he regretted, he said, that Yer
mont was one Of the three, that sustained
this most abominaby slavocraiic admins
rraiion that ever existed. He spoke OF Mr..
| Fillmore and his Cabinet as belonging TO
| that class ol WORKOUT old fogies," who
always come up as the country goes
down" To sustain the Administration
was 10 sustain The fugitive slave lhw-lhat
greatest abomination that ever disgraced
Tree people.
Mr.. Wilson here "releved his mimi 4"
of great deal OF bitterness towards Mr.
Webster, and set himself deliberately about
very manifest and greatly over-wrought
misrepresentation of the fugitive slave law,
aud Justification OF it's results in practice.
We shall mention two or three instances of
This Justification, rs II specimen OF his can
dor and honesty, and Then pnss what seems
10 have been generally regarded as a ralh-
er heavy aud ineffective speech.
He said that, under The law of 1850, any
person giving fiod to "poor fugitive
hurrying away from bondage,' was liable
To be imprisoned. six months. and 10 pay a
fine OF 81 900. This he said without quail
lichiion. We need hardly say that this is
untrue No person exposes himself TO this
penalty whatever assistance he may reh>
der the siave-uness il can be proved that
he knops him TO be claimed as fugitive
from service or labor" by some citizen of
a slaveholding stale. This can rarely II
ever happen except alter the slave is in the
actual custody of the Marshal.
Mr.. Wilson said The expense Of recap
turing fugitive slaves had to lie paid lin
parl) out of The hard earnings Of the peo>
Pile I" on the hills aud in The vallies Of Yer
moci."-The cost Of recapIure falls on The
claimant, unless he makes oath that he is
apprehensiye oil an attempt 10 rescue him
from The hands Of The officer, in which case
the u. s. Government is required TO fur-
nish sufficient escort. This expense,
however. 10 not paid by tax OIL the people
Of Vernon. or of any other s'a,e--and il
u were, !, 10 incurred by the interference Of