The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-12
GENERAL CONVENTION OF RADICAL ADO
LITIONISTS


a General Convention of Radical Political
Abolitionists was held at Syracuse, on the 26th,
9th, and 18th of June. Gerrit Smith, Lewis
Tappan, William Goodel, and other distin-
guished Anti slavery men, were in attendance,
and letters were read from Arthur Tappau,
John Pierpont, and Judge Hutchinson, of Yer
mont. The following gentlemen were chosen
permanent officers of the Convention:
"For President-Jas. McCune Smith. Vice
Presidents-C. c. Foote, Mich. j. McFarlan.
Pa; c. G. Case, New York. Secretaries-Geo.
W. Clark, New York; and l.. G. Matlack, New
York"
Subsequently, Lewis Tappan, of New York.
and Amos Driver, of Ohio, were added to the
list of Vice Presidents.
"Gerrit Smith. from the Committee on Fl.
nance, reported plan substantially as follows
That monthly contributions of money b: called
for from all parts of the country, to promote
the Anti-Slavery cause; local agencies to be
established to receive the same, a central board
of nine to be established in New York city !:
the contributions to be expended for presses
and lecturers to advocate the sectionality OF
Slavery, and the Anti-Savery character of the
Federal Constitution; closing with the recon
mendation that a National Abolition Conven-
ton be held at Cleveland, Ohio. in September,
to carry ont the plan of operations to be com.
menced here"
This was adopted.
"Gerrit Smith proposed the following.named
gentlemen to constitute the Central Abolition
Board Arthur Tappan, William Goodel, JAS
McCune Smith, Simeon s. Jocelyn, William E
Whiting, Edward V. Clarke, Lewis Tappan,
George Whipple, and Samuel Wilde, all of
whom are residents of New York city and im
mediate vicinity. The Convention concurred
in the motion to constitute these gentlemen
such Board. William E. Whiting is to be the
Treasurer of this Board, and contributions
should be sent to his address"
A.series of resolutions was reported by
Gerrit Smith, and declaration of sentiment
and an address by William Goodell. The
discussion of these documents gave full occu-
patton to the Convention, but they we're adopt
ed and the Convention adjourned. The ad.
dress is a very voluminous document, and is to
be issued in pamphlet form. 1t is impossible
for US to find room for it-nor is it necessary,
as, for the last year, we have yielded portion
of our columns, from week to week, to Mr..
Goodell, its author, to promulgate the senti-
ments embodied in it. AS matter of justice
TO the pure.minded and earnest men engaged
in the Convention, we print the Declaration of
Sentiments and the Resolutions, which define
the Principles, Aims, and Policy, of the New
Party they have organized.
In another place, probably at another time,
10 tn IaHp fba
between their position and our own. Mean.
time, we must regret that 80 radical Conven-
ton, while recurring to the fundamental doc.
trine of Human Rights, did not feel called upon
to show their bearing against every species of
prescription and caste, as we'll against the
policy of disabling the white stranger within
our borders, as against the degradation of the
colored man. The true sentiment of Human
Brotherhood is as comprehensive as the human
family, on whom, without distinction of cline
or color, the Father of All causes his sun to
shine and his rain to descend.
DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS.
The Convention of Radical Political Adolf
tionists," assembled at Syracuse, in the State
of New York, on the Goth, 9th, and 18th DAYS
of June, 1855. improve the opportunity to de-
clare to the nation and the world their convic-
lions concerning American Slavery, its rela-
rions to the American people and Government,
the responsibility resting upon them, and the
measures they morally bound to employ for
The deliverance OF their country and the liberia
ZION of The enslaved.
We believe saveholding to be an unsurpass-
ed crime, and We hold it to be the sacred duty of
Civil Government to suppress crime. We con.
ceve slaveholding to he the annihation of hu-
man rights, and we hold it to be the grand end
and mission of Civil Government to protect hu.
man rights.
We accordingly declare and maintain, that
there can be no legitimate Civil Government,
rightfully claiming support and allegiance as
,uch, that is not authorized nay, that is not NOR
ally and politically bound, to prohibit and to
suppress slaveholding. Nay, more: we hold
that the Government which annihiates instead
of protecting inherent rights, should be known
not as Civil Government but only as a conspr.
acy. a usurpation.
The responsibilities of Civil Govern ment in
this country rest primarily upon the people, by
whom their own forms of government are iusti.
ruted, and who, at the ballot-box, provide for
heir administration in conformity with their
wishes.
If the Federal Government under the Consti-
ution is not competent to this task, then it is
not competent to be Civil Government at all,
1T to secure the objects set forth in the Consti-
rution itself. 1t can neither form a more per
feet Union" nor establish Justice" nor /" in
sure domestic tranquility" nor provide for the
common Defence" nor promote the general
welfare" nor " secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity."
But we deny that our fathers ever ATTEMPTED
such absurdity as that of instituting Civil
Government without power to protect the natu.
raj rights of its subjects Government "to
establish justice }" and Secure the blessings of
liberty" without powers adequate to the suppress
sion of slaveholding. We challenge the proof
hat, when they declared it selfevident that all
men we're created equal, they intended a Dor.
non of them to be slaves; that when they were
'ublicly proclaiming inalienable rights, they
we're secretly plotting unparalleled wrongs !;
hat when they appealed to the Supreme Judge
II the world for the rectitude of their intentions
hey were acting the part of base hypocrites
hat when they proposed to establish Justice,
hey bound themselves TO support the grossest
Justice; that under pretence of securing the
blessings of liberty" they entered into a com
'act for the support of Slavery. Their language
the Constitution indicates nothing Of the
Kind. but the opposite, and there is no proof
nat their Intentions we're in conflict with their
anguage We deem it therefore right and
roper to construe the Constitution as it reads.
md not as the shareholders pretend that it
aeans. And by such construction, the Con.
utution requires the Federal Government to
.bolish Slavery N all the States.
More than all this: we maintain that if it
ould be proved las it cannot be) that our
,thers mentally intended to protect Slavery,
While their words in the Constitution required
Is suppression, we should still hold ourselves
liberty and under obligations to use the Con.