Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-04
TFrom The Evening Iost.l
Silent Conventions,

the Friends, hold silent meetings, bat the silence
is never compulsory or preconcerted II any
member of the Society has anything on his
mind he is at full liberty to declare It, We
have. it seems, political sect among us which
goes much further than this it gets up silent
meetings on purpose, and makes the suppression
of opinion a part Of its discipline.
The Albany AH1S, a journal with which we
are always glad to find ourselves acting III
accord, and panied when we happen not to
agree with it, says in its sheet Of yesterday,
Last year, when thirty-thrce members of
Congress were to be elected and vacancy III
Senate filed, the question Of the repeal or
restoration Of The Missouri line came home to
the hearts and interests Of the people of this
State. They acted under the impulse Of public
sentiment and the Democracy being divided
the Wing party carried the Congressional
delegation and a Legislature that reelected
Seward for six years. The Wings like this and
ask for more They want to elect a Canal
Commissioner, a Controller, Treasurer, &c.
on the Nebraska issue ~
Are we to understand by this that, in the
opinion of TIE Atlas, the present is the proper
occasion to be silent on the question to which
that journal refers In Convention OF the
Democrats of our State, called Just before the
nomination, and but little more than year
before the election of a President Of the
United States is this controversy to be treated
as if it had no existence, or is it to be slurred
over with ambiguous words that bear a double
meaning? We are are pretty confident that
the Convention will not be guilty of the madness
Of approving Of the course of the Administration
in the Nebraska affair its members will under
stand that public opinion Will not endure an
outrage of that nature but will a Convention
assembled for political objects fairly represent
the will Of the people, if it separates without
pronouncng an emphatic Judgment on the
question of Slavery in the Territories ? Last
year the question of the Repeal or g ReStora-
ton Of the Missouri Compromise came home"
says TIE atlas, " to the hearts and interests
" of the people" With ten times more truth
may it be said to come to the hearts and
interests of the people now, when we are
considering for whom We shall vote as President,
and when the chivalry of the South, pledged
to consummate the object Of the Nebraska
fraud by still boIder frauds invade Kansas
with armed bands, wrest the elections from the
hands Of the people, and set up a Legislature
Of their own from which they eXpel all who are
fairly elected. The Democratic Convention of
last year failed to express the popular voice on
question which went to the hearts and
interests Of the people," and their party was
beaten. What may be expected to be its fate
if it is equally faithIess TO the popular feeling
now
We hope TIE ATLAS will not give its adhesion
to that class of politicians with whom the time
to speak out on the most important questions
before the country never comes. Last year the
Democratic Convention put OFF the people with
a set Of resolutions on The question of Slavery
in the Territories, which meant nothing. This
year, if we understand the plan Of those who
expect to control It is to be silent. Next year,
when the election Of a President is pending,
the equivocal doubled-faced resolutions will
estt6 wifi BE fEBret Re asv svseial sial lt lttAl9@Niaot AHA tlt Tie
will be nothing to be said and thus we are
to vacilliate from ambiguity to silence, and
from silence to ambiguity; the warm heart of
the country is never allowed to utter the emo
tions with which it is swelling the great
interests Of our country are passed over as if
nobody cared for them, and party conventions
degenerate into devices to suf'ocate the express
sion of public opinion. We put it to Tie atlas
to say whether these are-not worthv-and
honorable, for of that there can be no question
but whether they are safe tactics for anv
political party
The atlas ridicules the Republican Conven-
ton to be held in this State. sometimes called
the Fusion Convention. Such Conventions are
the natural fruit of the policy Of suppression
and silence which the Conventions of the old
parties seek to enforce The people GROW
impatient of the sufIocatng process thev
break away from the old organizations they
come together without regard to former party
connections, and, taking free breath, utter with
one accord the common resentment with which
their minds are inGaned, and the common
purpose which they have in view, and which
they are not allowed the opportunity of pro-
claiming elsewhere. The Fusion Convention
in this State is not in reality got up by those
whose names appear on the call. Its true
authors are those who are laboring to circum-
vent the expression of popular opinion in the
obvious manner-that is to say, by public
assemblies. They stop it at its natural out
let and force it to find passage by other
channels.
If silence on the great question which con
vuIses the country is to be enforced at the
Democratic Convention, we all know how the
thing is to be brought about The Office
holders under the Federal government and
their friends are to pack the Convention and
direct its proceedings. Capt Rynders and his
confederates in the CuStom-House here are to
look to the election Of delegates from this City,
and the Captain goes up at their head as
matter of course to see that all is right
Something of this sort was done at the Con
vention last year, and there is no reason to
suppose that the arrangements for the present
year will he very differently ordered After
an experiment or two of this kind the people
grow dscontented and deamand Convention
of different sort-a Convention which instead
of being governed by handful of men, shall
speak without restraint the sincere voice of the
great majority.
1t would be unjust TO The Atlas to infer, with