The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-08
For the National Era.
NATIONAL CONVENTION AT PITrsBURG.

DR. BAILEY | feel constrained, as a mem
Der Of the National Committee respectfully to
protest against the CALL published in your pa
per of June oath, signed "SAMuEL LEWIS.
Chairman By order of the General Free Soil
Committee because
! /. The Committee was not appointed to in
yite meeting of the " Free Democracy" or
Free-Soiers, as such, but the FRIENDS OF
FREEDoMn
2. Only the Friends Of the principles de-
c!ared at Buffalo. ut the memorable Convention
Of August IS4S," are invited to attend
3. The time and place agreed upon by the
committee have been changed. not by them,
but at the instance of the friends of the Con-
vention at Washington"
4. The Call, as published, has not been
agreed upon by the Committee.
And s. 1t purports to be signed by order of
the General Free Soil COMMITTEES" when
there is no such committee.
The Convention at Cleveland Ohio. held
September GATH 1851, was called a CoNvrN.
rIoN OF THE FRIENDS OF FREEDOM as may be
seen by turning to the Era of October "a and
9th. 1t was composed of Ant-Slayery men of
various descriptions, including those who ap-
proved and those who disapproyed the plat
form laid down by the Buffalo Convention.
The National Committee then appointed. on
my motion. % notify Convention TO nominate
candidates for the Offices Of President and Vice
President, were simply authorized to fix upon
the time and place Of said Convention" II
they chose to do more and designate the de-
scription of persons invited to attend they could
not, with propriety, include anything not i'm
accordance with the views held BY the Con-
vention from which they received their ap-
pointment
In November, Mr.. Lewis addressed a crcu-
| lar to the members Of the Committee. request.
! ing them TO name the time and place for the
Convention to meet and authorize him 10 sign
their names to the Call, with form of that
call if they pleased. Accordingly, on the 9th
of December ! sent him the form Of call
which was afterwards at his suggestion slight
| ly altered and reads as follows
"To THE FRIENDS OF FREEDOM THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES.
"The undersigned, n committee appointed at
the National Convention, held at Cleveland
Ohio, September oath 1851. to name the time
and place for holding National Convention
for nominating candidates for the offices of
President and Vice President Of the United
States, for the term commencing March 4th
1853, hereby notify the FRIENDS OF FREEDOM
to meet at Harrisburg. Tor Pittsburg, or Buffa.
10y in the State of Pennsylvania, on Wednes
day. the - day of - next. at ~ o'clock
noon, then and there to consider and act upon
the important business above mentioned This
CALL is addressed to all electors who are op-
posed to the existence and extension of Amer
lean Slavery, TO the Fugitive Slave Act, and
who are in favor of divorcing the General Gov
eminent from all participation in upholdine
human bondage, and abolishing it wherever
Congress has jurisdiction over the same"
Mr. Lewis in his reply February / tn, ap
proved the form sent to him, and wrote, 81
want to make our action conduce to the com
bination of all friends of truth and freedom ,
Such was ma desire Several letters passed
betweed MIR. Lewis and myself and another
member of the Committee, to whom Mr. Lewis
had referred me, up to June Sth, Mr. Lewis
having written, Now, our course is to induce
as far as possible, every Anti.Slavcry man t.
90 up to our Convention and he informed M
that Judge Allen, to whom he had sent the
views of other members of the Committee would
with the aid of such members of the Committee
as he could consult, prepare suitable call
sign his name to it, and publish it," He added
IL wrote to Judge Allen last week, that we mus
| uitci aIi itlN upoi tuC Lcdl u
real Anti-Slavery men; and while it would be
right to secure aid from others, if possible, We
must not do anything to repel that class"
On the 18th of June ! wrote to Judge Allen
expressing my dissent from those members o.
the Committee who were DESTROYS of incorpo
rating into call the appreciation Of the Buff
falo Platform. and my objections to having m,
name affixed 10 any call less open and Anti
Slavery than the form sent to Mr.. Lewis. II,
replied on the i4th that "the call agreed upor
here, tWashington,) and to which Mr. Levi
has given his assent, and authorized the use O
his name, is addressed to the Friends of tn
principles declared Mt Buffalo at the Conyer
ton of August, l84s'" On the 9TH | reptile,
endeavOring to show that the Cleveland Cor
yenton was not composed of members of tn
Buffalo Convention, or Free Sellers, exclusy,
ly but was gathering Of Abolitonsts an
Free Soilers that several, including some c
the officers of the Convention had dissente
from the acts of that Convention that som
parts of the Buffalo Platform were oontradit
tory to other parts; and that the principe
avowed at Cleveland went beyond those de
clared ut Buffalo. At the same time. CAV
him a summary view of my correspondence
with Mr. Lewis, and stated that we ought not 4
allude to the Buffalo Platform, but under pres
ent circumstances, simply name the time an,
place for the Convention to meet
No reply has been made to the above com
munication, and have read with surprise anc
profound regret the call published in the Era
dated the l9th--a call that not only espresso,
unqualified appreciation Of the Buffalo Conven
ton, but invites to the Pittsburg Convention
only those who approve it, making the mem.
bers of the Cleveland Convention, and even
members Of the National Committee appointed
by it, who have dissented from the Buffalo
Platform parties to it Under these extraor-
binary circumstances | must, for the sake OF
consistency and principle respectfully decline
having any part in the doings of the gentle
men at Washington, in the premises, or at
tending their Convention. LEWIS TAPPAN
BY request, we publish the following letter
of Judge ALLEN, referred to in the foregoing
protest Ed Era
WASHINGTON, June IA, 1852
My DEAR SIR hasten to reply to yours of
the 9th inst regrettng that we cannot have
| the pleasure OF your company at Washington.
Our friends here have had two meetings for
consultation in regard to the call Of a Nation
al Convention. They represent constituencies
in different parts Of the country and were uni
ted in the opinion that the call for a Conven-
tom should be made after the Conventions of
the other parties A large majority of gentle
men in different States, who addressed MIR.
Lewis, (Chairman,) by letter concur in that
opinion. | regret that the views Of Anti-Sla
very gentlemen in New York do not coincide
with those elsewhere expressed. WAS not
present at either meeting in this city, but feel
bound by the unanimous decision Of our friends.
My judgment also, ought to add, approves
OF it,
The "Call agreed upon here, and to which
AZ \ o..,.. Loo ..,ta, h;a uoant and apthnrizad