The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-15
FREE SOIL STATE CONVENTION.
MOKCESTER.


One Of the greatest Anti-Slayery meeting
ever held in Massachusetts, or in any othel
part of the United States, was the Free Sol
Convention held this day in Worcester
took everybody by surprise, 50 multitudinou
was it; so powertul--so strong in men and il
determination The most distinguished and tn
ablest men of the State were there. and III
meeting, when It met in the afternoon. in tn
tent numbered fully five thousand person,
The unanimity Of the meeting was in keepn
with its vigorous spirit How unlike the Dem
Ocratc and Wing Conventions at Baltimore
instead Of spending two or three days il
squabbling and doing nothing and at last be
ing compelled TO do something very difFeren
from what they intended, they got through Tia
whole OF their business IN one day and will
the most perfect harmony There was "A unit
OF purpose and tirmness that made this Con
yentlon really formidable and well calculate
TO make both the Democratic and Wing partir
tremble for their fate ut the coming PresdcI
tial electon-fOr both of them are i'm DANCE
OF being tripped up by the third party whcl
viii aSsurcdly construct IA platform and nomi
nate candidates at the National Convention a
Pittsburgh.
Gen. WILSON then on behalf of the Stat
Central Committee, called the Convention reg
ularly TO order Mark Doolittle Esq, Of
Belchertown, was chosen Chairman pro tenn
and Robert Garter Of Cambridge, Secretary
Committee was then appointed, consisting o
one from each District to report a list of Off
GERS for the regular organization of the meet
ing
PreSident-STEpHEN C. PHILLIPS, of Salem
Vfce Preadents--Wm. Davis, of Plymouth
&. b. Weston of Uxbridge Hon r. l. Reyes
Of Dedham VIM. b. SpoOner of Boston; John
]. PalireN OF Cambridge John B. Alley s. F..
Is statevNt Stoneham; J. w Graves, of Lowell
Sewali, "tWorcester; VIM. Jackson, of
John NJ Earle, gr~a VIII of Sundgsssers nd"'
Newton b. H. HubbaI1i '.lrIdnd Caleb
Swain, Of Easton Joel Hayden, of Williams
burgh and VIM. NJ. Walker of PhillipstOn.
Secreiar,eS.-Robert Carter, of Cambridge
Geo G. Hoar of Worcester; s. b. Howe, Of
Cambridge; a. J. Aikens, of North Adams
and s. L. Gere Of Northampton.
The Divine blessing was then invoked upon
the Convention, by the Rev. Mr.. Higgins
Mr. Phillips then addressed the Convention,
saying that II favorable crisis had now arrived.
Neither the Wings nor Democrats could draw
attention to themselves AZ the Anti-Slavcry
party; and beside, there was no point Of differ
ence between them The division wall has
"i"hOl' anu bOJu phIJltS SIitllu upDn lio siiHIc
platform. The tariff, bank, and all, were for
gotten The Free Soil party was in opposition
10 these two parties, thus united in sentiment
and is now ono Of the two great parties of the
country The great issue was to be, whether
or not there was one subject on which Ameri-
can froemen might neither speak nor think
lie asserted that the candidates Of both parties
had given their adhesion to the Compromise
measures and voluntarily forfeited the support
of the FREQ Soil party There could be only
one fnality-truth, victorious or yanquishcd
Throughout the world was going on that con
test between liberty and despotism in which
the Free Soil party was engaged.
On motion Of Gen Wilson Committee Of
one from each Congressional District was APP
pointed to prepare IN address and resolutions
and the following gentlemen, nominated by thu
Chair were then chosen that Committee: Hon
Henry Wilson, Rodney French, Caleb w
PrOuty, f. w Bird, Seth Webb, ir, j. w
Stone A. c. Brown, Edward Kimball Amasa
Walker, Edward Hopkins and d. w. Alma
Mr.. VIM A White, Of Watertown. stated
that one of two things were evident either that
the Convention was too large, or the Hall too
small that hundreds were unable TO obtain
admission and he moved that when the Con
vcntiOn adjourned, it he tO the spacious tent
upon the Common, at o'clock which motion
was carried by unanimous vote.
Letters wore then read from the following
gentlemen, who were necessarily absent from
the Convention: Hon T.. /. keycs. Hon
Horace Mann. Hon. Charles Allen, Hon
Joshua f. Giddings Hon Charles Summer
Hon salmon p Chase
The letter of Mr. Chase is regarded as o
great Importance
After the reading Of the letters had been
concluded, the Convention adjourned till th,
afternoon.
During the progress of the forenoon meeting
in the City Hall, the crowd became 80 greni
outside, that it was addressed from the step,
by Hon John G Paltrey. Amasa Walker
Secretary 0tState Mass, Rev Edwin Thomp
son. and Dir j. W Stone
afternoon Session
The Convention was called to order at {
clock in the afternoon, under spacious tent
IN an open lot adjoining the City Hall Tins
tent, which was Of the most magnificent de
scripton, was capable Of accommodating 5000
persons and it was quite filed A convenient
platform was erected for the speakers and re-
porters at one side
Shortly after the Convention had reasseml-
L.
n r., from all parts of the audience Mr.
Halo then addressed the Convention in a pow
erful speech, of an hours duration Of which
the following is an outline
To-day new chapter in the history of tho
country was about 10 ba written. If they had
striven so long for the slaves of the South
should they not now show sympathy for thu
long-enchained slaves of party, whose leaders
had YVp,n1 IA nna pharl shaI MOI
pies They look to you u give utterance to an.
other glorious time, which shall DE heard over
the land Agitation is not dead, and tho princi-
pies of liberty are not stihed. The friends Of
liberty will continue their agitation, despite Of
the fulminatons against it. Human nature
always asserts her dignity What was agita-
ton 1t was the element of life which God
had tmead throughout moral and physical
uature--an element of regeneration. Even the
waters Of the pool of Sloan were not beneficial
till the angel csue down to agitate them and
then it was that ne who stepped in was made
whole Four years ago wc had acquired by
conquest aud treaty Territory which was
without an organized Government The aues-
ton was what Government it should hays
This Territory was six times the size of the
thirteen Colonies that struggled ior ndepend.
ance and two hundred times the sile al the
State of Observation-Disclosures and rich in
mineral resources TO a vast extent The M.
peal was made to the citizens, whether thu
immense tract should have the institutions Of
liberty-lree churches free schools and froe
donor whether II should be cursed with tn,
Llighting influences of slavery Tins was thu
great question, of vast magnitude and import
ance-not merely question of to-day, but o
all time Its consequences would extend Will
the future IA far ~ the eye OF faith could reach
This, we were told, was all settled by the Com
promise rs it was called but "the Com
promise meant, to give little aud take
lItLe but what had the people Of Massachn