Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-07-12
Wing Convention at Portland.

wings at Portland, was rather a more impor-
tant affair than the Morrillites predicted
Nearly four hundred delegates were present
Hon. DAVID BRONSON of this city, presided
Hon. ISAAC REED was re-nomihated for Gov.
ernor with perfect unanimity. The speeches
were truly patriotic and rational in tone; in.
deed we have not read the speeches at whie
gathering for many day that suited us SO well
They came straight up to the mark in opposi.
ton to the proscriptive and sectional measures
of the day. Mr.. Bronson led off in speech as
| follows
-"As long as this country exists as nation,
there must and will exist two great parties
and probably during its existence. from these
parties there will spring up sectional parties
founded on sectional principles; but when
the time shall arrive that no other parties shall
exist but these sectional parties. then will come
at once dissolution of this glorious Union,
and with that dissolution shall lose all the
glorious benefits we had hoped to derive from
the exereions of those fathers who have gone
before us. 1t is no triAing cause We have es-
poused and / trust that others will be-as l
for one am-willing while life lasts to battle for
those principles and never will surrender
them while have the least regard for my
own self respect or the honor and welfare Of
my country. Applause
| Mr.. Bronson asked
" Can man with any self-respect, or who
has drawn his principles from the fountain head
of the revolutionary heroes-f from those men
who have been the leaders in the country for
the last thirty years. say is there man who
has any self-respect. who is willing TO be blind
folded, and by blasphemous oaths to abandon
those principles found in the revolution, and
join himself to party, which, if we know any,
thing about them at all, has nothing in COM
mon with usi [Great applause When
say nothing in common with us, l mean that
they have nothing national-[ap applause MOTH
ing which is derived from the principles which
gave rise and success to the revolution. 1t is
party of day-a party for plander and pow
er, and nothing else.
When You see wings or those who have been
wings. and who have fought with us, going
over in scores and placing themselves under
the leadership of those men who ever fought
against the gallant Clay, and the glorious
Webster, livery great applause] do you think
that we could join them in that crusade -
Hon. GEoRGE EVANS followed in a speech of
like Union sentiments. He came down on
the speckied mongrel concern which now rules
the state as follows;-
!" The party in power in this State. and who
are to appeal to the people again in a very short
time for the approval of their acts,-who are
they: They are the odds and ends, the frag-
ments and fractions of all parties. made up also
of considerable number of those who have
been hanging on the skirts of all other parties,
and who have been brought together by sort
of spasmodic action to do-they hardly know
what but we knoac ,chdt they hare done Now
there are many acts of this dominant party
and which admit is getting to be powerful in
the free states-which do not command my ap
prevail. We know, as have said, what they
have done; and, by what they have done, we
may Judge what they will do when they have
undisputed sway. My objection to it is that in
many of its leading measures, it is entirely
against the spirit and genius Of our constitution
and in some particulars is fagrantly vioiatire Of
the constitution Sir, regard it in that light.
The Legislation of the last winter it to me,
contains many evidences of an entire disregard
of the preservation of our Institutions, and IN our
Union, ,cith tchich most intimately connected
our independence and liberty and euinces a disre-
gard of popular. rights ana degree Of oppression
tchich no other country could endure"
He also remarked of the republican party =
"Now I hold to this opinion-that the acts
of the republican party, if they could be carried
into effect, would utterly abrogate the constitu-
ton of the United States in each particular -
They have wholly disregarded it. Now if it is
whig doctrine to disregard the constitution, i,
is time we knew it,
Mr.. Evans thus shows up such freesoilers as
affect to oe so shocked at the repeal of the Mis-
souri, restriction
"a H., Glands tho in this
So far as the republican party is made up o
aboltionists, freesoilers and men of that stamp
they should not say one word for the reason
that they have been in the habit of denouncing
the Missouri compromise bill: they have de-
clared it 10 be violation of the rights of the
north in surrendering all up to the line of &c
deg. north 10 slavery and on every occasion
where it has been a topic among the heated
members of that portion of the party, it never
was looked upon as being obligatory. 1t seems
to me that these gentlemen who have been Ia
boring so long and so earnestly to have this
Missouri compromise set aside ought to be qui-
ct when it is set aside" Applause.
This is the way he walks into the know
nothings -
alt is slavery and nothing else. That party
which adopts such ideas had better give their
attention to the abolition of a system of slavery
at home which reads them from the ranks of
free Americans. Talk about free Americans
there is not serf under the most despotic gov.
eminent of Europe, not hod-carrier on the
continent who would submit for a moment to be
dictated to in matters of opinion. No sir, here
the true American principle is the right of pri'
vate judgment, the right of forming our own
opinions and acting upon them, and of avowing
them openly. But this party wants to get uI
an intensified American feeling by violating the
first rights of an American citizen-the right tC
vote and think and act as he deems best, in
stead of being driven to the polls by task-mas-
tiers. What. have they the presumption to tel
us that these are wing doctrines and wing
principles, and that they have only gone tc
another party and still retain their principles
Sir, if these are their principles, repudiatt
them, now and forever" [Great applausc.]
The convention resolved to support no mar
for office who favors the administration of Nor.
rill. They also resolved against the present in
tensified liquor law impracticable. unwist
and Unconstitutional, and that-it is theiRsacret
duty to divest it of its insugerable objections
The other resolves were such as northern free
soil wings generally pass against the admins
tration, in regard to Kansas and Nebraska and
slavery. There was also a resolve coming GU
strong against the g secret foe " of know moth
ingism, which was denounced as utterly abhor
rent to freemen. The following is worthy t
he coined entire -