The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-03-09
WHIG STATE CONVENTION

should not only have nominated DR.. Waters
Free Soiler, for Secretary Of State, bu
actually have voted down the Compromise
of 1850 at their recent Convention. At the
| first blush one might be disposed to believe,
as the Iowa Reporter very harmlessly repre-
scnts, that they had sold themselves to the
Free Sellers, and in doing SO had violated
the platform Of Wing principles adopted in
! 1880
/ When the name Of Dr. Waters came be-
/ fore the Convention as candidate for nom
iination for the office Of Secretary Of State,
objections were made On the ground that he
was the nominee Of the Free Soil Convcn-
tion for Governor. As DR.. Waters was
present and Delegate he was called upon
to state whether or rot he considered him
selfa candidate Of that party and was will
ing to run upon their ticket; whether. in
fine, he was Free Soler or a Wing The
Doctor very wisely refused to speak Of him
self, but remarked that there were gentle
men present from his county who were per-
sonaIly acquainted with him and from whom
such statement would come with Il better
grace Whcreupon Mr.. Clark arose and in
Ia few wcll-conccived and happy remarks
stated, what had already been made known
to many OF the Convention through letter
from one OF the most prominent men in the
State, that DIR. Waters was a sound and re-
liable Wing, and had always voted and act
ed with the Whig party. Assured then
that DR.. Waters was sound, reliable and
ardent in Wing principles, that he was an
acknow edged and active member Of the
Whfe party, it did not become the Convcn-
ton to stop and enquire what were his pecu
liar views with respect TO slavery orreligon,
nor did it at AL impair his qualifications that
the Free Soil party had so appreciated his
attainments as to select him as a candidate
for the highest office in our State. He was
therefore nominated BY 4 large majority.
After the Convention had adjourned DR..
Waters requested the members to tarry one
moment, when he informed them, that lie
should take the earliest opportunity to have
his name Withdrawn from the Free Soil
ticket and shoGld use his influence to get the
members Of that party to support the Wing
nomination rur Governor. Could Whigs
ask more!
Among the resolutions hastily drawn Up
by the Committee was one endorsing the
Compounds Act Of 1850. When It came
before the Convention it elected considerable
discussion, but no opposition. Not mem
Der Of that Convention opposed the resolu
ton on The ground Of opposition to the
Compromise Act, but they spoke against
the policy Of Introducing into the proceed
ines an act 50 irrelevant and likely to pro-
woke discussion and feeling among these in
the party who lid not favor its peculiar iea-
lures. 1t is true that one or two members
particpatel in that discussion who were
bitterly opposed to the Compromise OF
1850, ma though they condemned it in its
every provision, yet tliey diu not speak
urain.t the adoption of the resolution from
their rcpugnancc to the Act, but upon the
ground assumed in the commencement of
the d. bate, that the question Of slavery was
an irritable one and as no occasion existed
for any expression with regard to the Com
promise Of 1850, wisdom dictated that that
element Of liscord be not alluded to among
the resolutions Thus SO far from the
! Compromise of 1850 being voted down by
tho Convention, the principles of the Act
did not come before that body in the discus
sion, but simply the policy of introducing it
among the resolutions.