The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-30

ton prepared by Governor Gardner, which re-
ceived your approval and the approval of some
OF the most sagacious men of the American
party, to call Convention of the People to or
| ganize an American HApublican party, been
| adopted we should stand this day in proud
and commanding position before the country.
| / retired from that meeting with sad heart,
| but with an unconquered soul. l knew the
| cause of Freedom-aye, of Americanism-would
| be weakened by that days proceedings. Shall
we here and now repeat the fatal mistake of
that day Shall we again "invite the co-opera.
| ton of others? Sir, the proposition is ungen-
erous, unmanly, unworthy of earnest, high
minded men. Let US, who are in the majority.
be liberaffend generous-let us meet men of
other Org nh atoms at Inst half way, and ex-
tend to f6em the grasp hands warm with With the
blood that courses through generous and man
ly hearts.
Sir, the member from Boston Mr.. Morsel
hercely denounced this proposition for the union
of the people He is pleased to pronounce it
a proposition to sell out the American party to
the Know Something's or Free-SoiI8rs. Sir,
see nothing 10 the SFoposition to warrant any
gentleman in the . bof such laseSage, and I
am greatly mist the tone a this assem-
blage, if its members see anything in it to
justify this talk about buying and selling men
In this Commonwealth.
Several gentlemen, Mr. President, have al.
luded to the Know Something's in no very COM
plimentary terms.e Sir, am not member of
that organization, never have been, and never
can be while it continuee.to be secret politi-
cal organization, although / mainly agree in
their principles, and believe their members to
be gentlemen of intelligence and character.
The American party is the only secret political
organization that am or ever have been con-
nd II he 81
last. / have long been convinced that the Sc
crecy should be altogether abandoned, and have
labored and shall continue to labor to induce
the organization to fling away all secrecy, and
stand out in the broad light of MONDAY SO that
the country may see and commend our prin-
ciples and deeds that are worthy of commenda-
ton, and rebuke whatever of fanaticism or folly
it may see in our principles or acts.
believe, Mr., President, that an immense
majority of the people of Massachusetts are this
day hungering and thirsting after that political
union that shall bring together men whose
hearts beat responsive to the tones of Freedom.
Sir, the instructive sagacity of the people, wiser
than the wisdom of political leaders, sees that
by fusion alone can the people of the free
States battle the darling schemes of the Chiefs
of the Black Power. If fusion is defeated in
Massachusetts-in the North-it will not be
the work of the unselfsh masses, but it will be
owing to the selfish ambition and the criminal
folly of political leaders. l warn the political
chiefs of all parties against permitting their
little, petty interests, their unreasoning preju-
dices, to blind them to the great fact that the
people want union, and ,ciH haze 1t, through
your organizations or orer your organizations.
Ny friend from Ipswich Mr.. Carey opposes
FUSION" because some of the political leaders
demand, as a condition, that certain gentlemen
loft h oIo1l L. IL
| hope gentlemen of the American party will
give themselves no anxiety about these condi-
tons. The people are generous-they demand
| no sacrifices. The men who permit their little
| personal prejudices and animosities in this
great crisis to control their actions, are not in
a condition to dictate terms to any body of
living men in this Commonwealth. Sir, l
would say to the politician who asks the ques-
ton, "Where am | to go?" who haggles about
terms, who demands the immolation of oppo-
nents of other days, that the people will settle
in their own good time all these disturbing
questions. In crises like the present. the poll
tican who seeks to save his life may lose it.
| When the Kansas-N ebraska act was forced
| through a reluctant Congress- by the corrupt
appliances of willing instrument of the Black
Power, the people of the free States-Whigs,
| Free-Soilers, Independent Democrats, and Amer
icans-instinctvely rushed together to the ballot
boxes, to rebuke withdrawing dynasty. By
| their united action the Administration of Frank
| lin Pierce was laid PROSTATE, and that dis
| honored Administration lies to-day low in the
| dust at the feet of the betrayed and indignant
| freemen of the North. Do gentlemen believe
that the people Of the free States are now any
the less hostile to the aggressive policy of the
Black Power than when it abrogated the "Or-
| dinance of Freedom ," Do gentlemen believe
| hot III Al L. -
armed Missouri rufhans, have commended the
beauties of "Squatter Sovereignty" to the law
abiding people of Massachusetts, Do gentle
men think they have forgotten their sons,
brothers, neighbors, and friends, whose lives
are perilled this day by the violence of border
rufians, and whose rights are invaded by legis-
| latOrs imposed upon them by armed and inva-
ding hordes of Missourians? Do gentlemen be-
| heve the removal of Governor Reeder will COM
mend President Pierce to the regards of North
ern freemen? Do gentlemen believe that the
alarming assumption and arbitrary decisions OF
Judge Kane, by which he consigned Passmore
Williamson to imitless Imprisonment, for the
| crime of informing a woman-a Native Ameri-
| can woman-that she was free on the soil OF
| Pennsylvania, are calculated to quiet the ap-
prehensions of the people concerning the en-
croachments upon their liberties?
The freemen of Maine, New Hampshire, and
Vermont have combined for Freedom. New
York and Pennsylvania are moving. Ohio,
| under the lead of one of the most accomplished
statesmen of the Republic, is bravely battling
to retain the glorious position by which she
sent an unbroken delegation in Congress, by
| $4,000 majority. l have recently witnessed the
mighty gathering of the freemen of Indiana,
and heard her gallant sons pledge anew their
| combined action for Freedom
The Wing party can oppose no barriers to
| the Black Power, to the Administration. II
| lies broken and powerless. Whenever the AID.
ministration sees a straight-out Wing movement
it hastens to put its shoulder beneath it, in the
hope of being able to raise up that powerless
| organization for it feels sure that if it can
make the issue with that party, it will easily
retain its position. The National American
party has gone over to the Slave Power its
head is in the SoUth-its tail in the North. The
| American organizations of the North cannot
alone carry more than two States against the
| Administration. By the union of the Anti
Nebraska men of all parties alone can the AID
minstration be defeated in 1856. No one
doubts how Massachusetts will vote in 1856
but she owes it to the cause of Freedom to give
the force of her example to her sister States, in
favor of the union of the people.
If the representatives of the American party
reject this proposition for fusion, ] shall go
home once more with sad heart-but l shall
not go home to sulk in my tent-to rail and fret
at the folly of men; shall go home, sir, with
a resolved spirit and iron will, determined to
hope on and to struggle on, until l see the Low.
ers of universal and impartial Freedom banded
together in one organizaton-moved by one
impulse. For seven years, / have labored to
X LII L.