The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-10
CO-oPERATIoN-WHAT DOES IT MEANT


State Sovereignty.
0-0PERATI0N-WHATD DOES IT MEAN!
The Gubernatorial Campaign has been open
ed in Ohio. The Old Line Democracy ha
taken the field, with candidate pledged Il
the Administration, to the Baltimore platform
of 1852, and against Know Nothingism. Coul'
its opponents be rallied on sound principles
they would succeed by even larger vote thai
they obtained last fall but the open antago
nism of the Administration party TO the Native
Americanism and Secresy of the Know Moth
ings has secured it an advantage it did not pos
sess in the last election, as a large portion O
the naturalized citizens who then opposed it
stand ready now to act with it, should Know
Nothingism be sustained or countenanced by
the Opposition.
In the outset of the discussion of the bear
ings of the new Order, we foresaw clearly this
state of things, and the embarrassments il
which the friends of Freedom would be in
volve6 1t was for this reason that we depre
Gated the silence of the Anti-Slavery Press o.
Ohio, and the neutral position it saw proper to
occupy. Its warning voice uttered in season
might have held back our friends from an ALI
ance which is now distracting their counsels
and weakening their forces.
AT last, however, they see the necessity Of
speaking out. The Columbian and the C9ere
land leader have been for some time exposing
the inconsistency of the New Order with the
policy Of the Independent Democracy. The
Ashtabula Sentinel next struck out boldly on
the same track; and now, we believe, all the
leading Independent Democratic papers in
| Ohio with the exception of two or three, are
endeavoring to extricate the Cause of Freedom
from the entanglements Of the new Compro.
mise party. The extracts from their columns,
printed in the Era of this week and last, will
serve to show their tone and policy.
We regret, however, to see difference OF
opinion among them in relation to the particu-
lar course to be adopted in the present can
vass. Some, sincerely and openly hostile to
the Know Nothing party, still, combining their
view to the issue of the present canvass, de-
clare their willingness to cooperate with that
organization. Others, acknowledging the I'M
portance of the canvass, bat extending their
view so as to embrace the interests of the An,
ti-Slavery movement generally and permanent
ly, condemn the policy of co operation with the
| Know Nothings, as party, although willing
| to go into general fusion of the People, with.
out reference to party names or lines. Among
the latter, we rejoice to see the Ashta6ula Sen
tinel, one of the Oldest newspapers in the State,
and which bears the name of JOSHUA r. GID
DINGs, as corresponding editor. The following
editorial, from its issue of the 2Gth of April,
presents, we think, the true policy for Anti
Slavery men in Ohio, in the present canvass.
| If adopted, it would relieve them from all re.
sponsibility for Know Nothingism, and exclude
all obstacles to the reorganization of the indie.
pendent Democracy in that State hereafter,
should it become necessary:
| From the Ashtabula (O) Sentinel, April &C.
| awe continually meet with articles in the
papers advocating the American THAT is, Native)
| Party, expressing the hope that there will be
union and harmony between the Republican
and American organizations-thu conveying
the idea that there are two great parties in this
State, that are nearly allied, that may make
something in union of forces, till one or the
other gets strong enough to go alone. There
was much of this short time since, in the
Cincinnati papers, till the city elections settled
the question of Nativism or Know Nothingism,
pretty satisfactorily. There was an attemp to
convey the idea that the great victory of last
fall was an American victory, at least in
Cincinnati The loss of five thousand votes
corrected this mistake, however; and now the
| importance of uniOn is urged. Against this
| idea we protest, for ourselves and the Repub-
licans of this part of Ohio. Our views of the
Know Nothing movement are well understood
We scorn the idea of a secret political organza-
| ton, and believe it is subversive of the cause
of Liberty, calculated opromote deception, false
dealing among men, and every kind of trickery
and unfarness, to say nothing of universal
distrust, in and out of it. Nativism is unjust,
illiberal, and un-American. Of course, we will
never unite with such party, in any compact
whatever Many good men doubtless differ
with us on these subjects, and We are willing
they should enjoy their opinions.
| "But when the Republican Convention meets
in July, we want none of these party uniOns
or compromises. We want fusion of the
people-we would lay down a fair, open Just
and liberal platform, embracing the eIl-known
Republican issues, and then invite every honest
every true man, to come upon it with us. We
| would ask no man whether he is Free Mason
an Odd Fellow, Son of Temperance, Know
Nothing, Know Something whether he was
born in America, England, Hindostan, or Aus
tralia. All we would ask of him is, whether he
believes and will labor to carry out the prin
ciples Of the Declaration of independence. or
what is the same thing, the Republican plat
form. We would ignore all other party exist
ence. We would seek to organize, for this
campaign, all the true Republicans of the State
in one party, asking no questions as to private
opinions of any man. But above all things we
should recognise no party to be treated with
no compromises in nominations, or any kind
of log-rolling, and every member of the Conyen
ton should act with perfect freedom from party
obligation"
The Columbian (April 25th) thus defines
the cooperation it favors:
"Still, we think cooperation this fall practi
cable and desirable. But it will be needfu
that there be entire fairness between the out
siders and insiders Of the Order. There mus,
be no attempt on either part to exclude the
other from representation On the ticket. There
must be no attempt on either side to dictate
to the other what individuals shall constitute
such representation. And there must be an
unmistakable Anti Nebraska platform. and 3
candidate for Governor, especially, who shall
command the confidence of the outsiders tina,
the platform will be faithfully maintained"
1t thinks that it finds support for its position
in the following remarks from the Neso Yorl
Tribune:
ave are opposed, as we need not say, to Tho
principles and policy of the Know Nothings
but we will not refuse to cooperate with them
or any other party, in aid of the great cause o