Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-10-09
The Spy mud the American Party.

The Spy and the American Party
We understand that Mr.. Flagg, at the Amer
lean meeting on Saturday night, with great gus
to, read an extract from the Spy, written some
time ago, commendatory of the position OF the
American party of this State on the subject of
slavery, and seemed to fancy that he had detected
some gross inconsistency between our position
then and our position now. We wish to set our
selves right in this matter.
The American party of last year was a very
different organization from the one which is now
in the field, with Governor Gardner at its head.
Disappointed in their hopes of union in any
other way, thousands of the truest anti-Slavery
men in the State swelled the American ranks in
the last election. The flower of the Wing party
Democrats whose necks chafed under the yoke
of the Custom Housewife twenty-five thou
sand Free Sellers, clasped hands in its Councils
The union of these men resulted in the cleo
ton of Legislature which better represented
the ant-SlaYery sentiment of Massachusetts,
than any which had ever before assembled at the
State House. Whatever might have been the
faults and deficiencies of that Legislature in 9th
ct was SNtl IAuS " eiAS SAN"e
of freedom.
We believe, too, that the Congressman elected
by the American Party, are, without an e1cep-
ton, meu upon whom Massachusetts, safely
rely. What reason was there, then, last year,
that we, believing the question of Slavery to be
paramount to all others, should not have spoken
well of the American party in this respect. But
circumstances have changed.
The Philadelphia Convention proved that
however true the American party of Massachu.
sets might be, the American party of the nation
was the most dangerous Toe to liberty. The rep
resentatiyes of Massachusetts,, in that Conven-
ton and after its dissolution, sustained and in
spired by the lion will of Henry Wilson, took
stand which covered them and their constituents
with honor.
They declared that the only hope of success,
in the great struggle between Freedom and Sla-
very, was in the union of all ant.Slavery men in
great northern party. They came home and
went to work to organize that party in Massa-
chusetts. Their constituents gloriously sustained
them. With a maguanimity, the want of which
ruined the whg party in 1854, they were willing
to give up their own party organization, and go
into Convention upon equal terms with "all
those opposed to the further extension of Slave
ry." Their Governor, their Senator, their State
President and Secretary, all united in the move
ment.
True, in some localities undue exertions were
made to secure the election of delegates, but per-
haps this might be said of others as well as of
Americans, and, on the whole, we believe the
Convention was as fairly consttutedas could have
been expected under the circumstances.
In the Convention, also, those who had before
belonged TO the American party, conducted with
--..------.-1- -------.-7-- -..eJes.s!
Of nearly, if not quite, two to one they in con-
nection with those who had been Wings, Demo-
Gratis, and Free Sellers demanded no introduce
ton of their distinctive principles into the Flat
form, content that they were not required to
abandon them. There, present in that Conven-
tion in compliance with a request contained in a
circular, ISSUED by their State officers, they vir
tually voted to disband the American party of
Massachusetts,, without indeed abandoning its
principles, that they might unite with the great
Republican party of the North
After the adoption of Platform, candidate
for Governor was nominated Many, probably
majority of those protesting Republican princi-
pies, preferred Gov. Gardner yet, when Julius
Rockwell was nominated, they joined in the ap-
plause, and voted, with few exceptions, to make
the nomination unanimous. So stands the record
of the American party of Massachusetts on the
question OF Slavery, and we say, who never be-
longed to it, that no party ever conld showa fair
or record.
But the Gardner party formed in Boston last
week, is entirely different thing from the Amer
lean party of last year The men who gave that
party its Anti-Sayery character are now with the
Republicans. The new party does not represent
the hundred thousand freemen of Massachusetts
but was created, and is engineered by a clique
Of office holders and ofiiceseekers, who are will.
ling to hazard the success of free principles to
advance their own selfish ambitions Towards
these men we declare an uneompromising hostil-
ity. We have marked and intend to remember
the ofice-holders of this city, who were either
members of the Republican Convention, or hon
orably connected with its acts. We know the men
who pledged themselves to the support of Rock
well by open and earnest declarations, who are
now striving to defeat him.
We intend to speak of these men in the com
ing canvass, in the terms which their treacherv
and dishonesty merit, and shall do so without in
tending disrespect or disparagement to the Amer
lean party of last year. Honest Ant-Slayery men
will sustain US in this course, Notwithstanding
the windy destinations of political peddlers and
hucksters
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