Washington sentinel., 1854-01-25

by each. According 10 my recollection, the Hon
Preston hing, OF 81 Lawrence, was chairman pi
The frecsoil committee, and Chancellor Walworih
was al the head OF that appointed by the demo.
cratic convention, and OF which ! also was a
member. II Is unnecessary 10 detain the com
mittee by detailed account of what transpired
during the conferences. Il is enough 10 say, that,
upon our part, il was insisied-and zealousiy
advocated it-as an Indispensable condition TO the
proposed union, thai the treesol convention
should repudiate and abandon The : WIlmot pro-
viso," as party principle. II was the determina-
tion of myself and others OF the delegates, 10 de-
feat, il possible, any arrangement not coupled
with the concession Of that which would compel
the Albany atlas. the leading aud effective organ
OF the ireeso party, 10 haul down The black flag,
and remove The Wilmot proviso" from the head
OF It's columns.
jected by the freeso convention; and, on the
other hand, far from rendering 10 any terms Of
union TO which we could accede consistently with
principle, they sent TO us resolutions reasserting
their adherence TO the obnoxious proviso and the
fanatica and unconstitutional doctrines which
had been so Zealously disseminated by them dur
ing the campaign oflo4S. When these resolutions
were communicated 10 the convention, motion
was made Il think by mel 10 lay them on the
table To my amazement, a member from Or
leans rose and advocated in substance the adop-
tion OF the Wiimot proviso, and when interrupted
in his haraugue. il was discovered that there were
many others who sympathiZed with him. Believ-
ing that we were betrayed Mr.. Sickles and my
sefwere disposed TO quit the convention. After
further ruitless negotiations the two conventions
adjourned. was, al this time, bitterly denounced
by the freesoilers and 'sos' for the course had
pursued. Disappointed politicians, in the public
streets and bar-rooms, ascrbed the failure OF the
project 10 me, among others The political asso
ciates OF my colleague, Mr.. HuGHEs,l with the
"soits of our party, then iercely charged me with
pI,,nt fha If Ich uas-
terday (times harmg changed he now thinks fit
10 impute 10 me.
II now suits the purpose Of these versatile gen
tlemen TO shift their ground, and 10 assert that
was one Of the promoters of The league. while at
the time, and in The hour of the transactions,
denounced as one OF the causes of its failure
So deeply did | then incur the displeasure of my
colleagues political associates, that with the de-
sign TO draw upon me the Indignation of the peo-
ple my motives were impeached, and my con-
duct imputed TO base considerations of private
and pecriniary interest. Reports were extensively
circulated in Rome and elsewhere, accounting
for my opposition 10 the union because | was
an satensive sLnreoao,er and breeder Of negroes"
The Albany atlas, with the vehemence that char
acterized its articles followed by many prints of
less note, repeated and gave circulation TO these
reports. BY the desire of some of those with
whom was acting, who were apprehensive lest
this charge. uncontradcted, might produce an in
furious influence upon our cause, in the then ex-
cited condition of the public mind addressed
a letter 10 the editors OF the Atlas which was in
serted in their journal, in which stated in sub
stance, that was not and never had been directly
or indirectly, in my own right or otherwise, by
way of ownership or otherwise, interested in
single slave. The purpose of this denial was 10
undeceive those Of our people who might have
been mised BY the misrepresentation TO which
have referred and 10 counteract any prejudice
that might have been excited by them against the
cause which / was supporting. Thus far the
committee have had no other authority than my
own in support of the denial / have given 10 my
colleague, Mr.. HrGHEsl and 10 the gentleman
from Alabama, Mr. SMITH i but do not mean
10 leave the matter there | will now refer 10 ex-
tracts froh the Albany ifias, then and now the
political Koran OF my colleague and Of his freesoil
associates-their pa4le mscnm, whose articles
pressed their creed, and were doubtless then read
and fully digested by him.
My colleague must have forgotten yesterday,
when he delivered his speech, which was ev-
IDENTIFY after careful preparation, and with all the
appliances and means that those of his colleagues
who sympathiZe with him could furnish, with
pamphlets and documents of 1919 in his hands,
the circumstances in respect 10 myself 10 which
have referred, or he would not have stated my
with the events of that day in direct
10 those facts, 10 the evidence of the
atlas, TO all the incidents that occurred, and
trary TO all the probabilities of the case. The con-
trast between the charges made against me now
and those preferred in ls49, would otherwise i'm
ply a facility of transformation that would make
the fortune of any professional jugger in the land
! now proceed 10 read extracts from the Atias 10
which / have alluded. Referring 10 the Rome
convention, il says
Tioo members from NeW Iork, Assrs Cutting and Sick
les outraged and nsted By The drotua that made,
tesrs about 10 ieape he House IN disgust" dc.
On the Goth of August, 1si9. just after the con-
ventions had adjourned, in well-nonsidered
article, the atlas referring TO the delegates 10 the
dan cruft. III ..,tT
g Daniel 4. sckes, &c, manning the other gentlemen)
hsGded By Francis p Cutting on erteastre o'c,er and
6,reier cf negroes." =,
[LaughierJ
Yes such was the language applied TO me then,
when the object was, as il IS now, 10 disparage
me; while my colleague reverses the facts, and
declares that was promoter OF The coalition,
Again, the atlas, in its leading article above
mentioned referring TO Mr. Sickles and others
and TO myself, used the following language:
,cas ty sueA ,ci such means, Udt debate in le
bunker convention stacd; that such delegates as Mr.
Brougs ef Orleans pho instructed IN tdcor of
by has constituents ciamorousy interrupted ia SPEECH
aud denounced bdr1trner By such spurious delgdtes as
Cutting and Siclles. toh0 ook their hats and Hrdtsnsd
atRdoT, The conrenti0R II he suffered 10 continue The
treasonoHe Indulgence Of free speech,"
Compare this passage with the denunciaiion of
me yesterday, and it will be perceived how easily
these flexible gentlemen shift their ground They
throw OIL their political principles they do their
coats, or as they reject liberty cap to-day for
the purpose Of waving different one Tomorrow
My colleague was asked yesterday by one of the
committee, whether he and his associates would
vote for the Nebraska bill il the Missouri compro-
mise were repealed by il, and the inhabitants Of
the territory permitted TO introduce slavery
into II. You have heard the hypothetical answer.
do not doubt they will vote for anything which
promises favor and influence with the administra-
tion and for The Nebraska bill in any form in
which the bill may be proposed. They will make
mr. Ia II np1a
y as they went in 1SlS against the constitutional
rights of the south and the people of the Terrific
rss. The elasticity OF freesoil political principles
and consciencas is well appreciated in the State
of New York, and there is no test, however OPP
posed 10 their former principles, that viii not be
cheerfully receiycd and swallowed without gri-
mace. Ihave already observed 10 the committee
that, in consequence Of their articles 10 which
have alluded, addressed a letter 10 the Albany
Atlas. and, in publishing il, the editors accompa
MED with remarks, portion of which will now
read. On the 22d Of August, il says:
In common ,ci many others had heard this epId-
(that Cutting, extensive Of negroes
gren Rome 81 degaes, and others, ef Me extraordinary
Janaticsn, maniteaed by Mr. tt,.iap Hs had heard ne