The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-11
FREE SOIL NATIONAL CONVENTION.

The National Convention of the Friends of
Freedom that met at Cleveland Ohio in Sep
tember appointed Committee to call Ma
tional Convention of Anti-Slavery voters for
the purpose of nominating candidates for the
Presidency and Vice Presidency. For our own
part we prefer that National Conventions
should be called in more popular manner,
that they should grow out of the action OF
Peoples Conventions in the several States But
rs this Committee has been appointed, and rs
its members are among the most reliable of
the friends of freedom, there is IN obvious
propiety in cooperating with its movements.
The Chairman, we understand, has lately ad-
dressed u letter to the members asking their
opinion as to the time and place of holding the
Convention, and also as to the form of the call
that should he issued A considerable number
of the members being in Washington, they
met few days since, with several OF our best
friends in Congress, to confer upon the subject
There was great unanimity of opinion, and the
conclusions to which they came will be commu-
nicatcd, we are informed, to the Chairman of
the Committee, Mr. Lewis, of Cinninnati.
We learn that no doubt existed as to the
propriety of such Convention. With one ex-
ception, we believe, all concurred in the belief
that the action of the old parties would be
such as to render Independent nominations
necessary. But they were unanimously of the
opinion that the Convention should be held
after the Conventions of those parties not that
they had any doubt rs to the nature of their
action, but they held that the American People
would be better prepared to decide their
course upon facts than upon presumpi'ons.
As to the place, all but one agreed on Pitts
burgh as their first choice, and Cleveland ms their
second. The one referred to preferred Cleve-
land first next Pittsburgh.
They all desired that the determination to
hold a National Convention should he pro
claimed and the subject kept steadily in view
though for reasons we suppose they will assign
in their reply to the Chairman, they thought II
best that the call itself should be postponed
! till after the old Parties had made their nomi-
nations The usual time for the meeting of the
Wing and Democratic Conventions is in the
latter part of May and first week in June.
1t is to be hoped that the Committee may
harmonic in opinion and action.
ILLINoIs.-The Free Democracy have called
Convention of the friends of Liberty to meet
at Princeton, Bureau Co. Illinois on Wednes-
day, 22d of January, 1859 for the nomination
of candidates for Governor, It, Governor, Sec
rotary of State, Auditor and Treasurer, and
electors of President and Vice President and
effect thorough organization of the friends OF
Liberty for the State, and through all the
counties 1t is called rs II mass convention of
the people, opposed to slavery and the pro-
slavery administration of the Government and
the Fugitive Slave Law, and the Compromise
measures; and all persons of these views and
those who would have the Government of the
country administered on the principles of JUS
tice ON which it is founded, without distinc-
ton of former parties, are requested to meet
in the Convention, and form for the State a
Free Democratic and True Liberty Party.