Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-06-29
TO Nh, E,iitor Of the Free Press -

1
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10 N, Editor of the Free Press
SIR Il noticed with great surprise, in your
editorial of tho 10th inst your attack upon tho Yer
mont Delegates to the American Convention recent
~ convened at Philadelphia. Having had the
honor (and as such, ! assure you Sir am proud to
claim i) to be of that number, and consequently
one of the "fre' you bcutc so unsparngly-I
trust you will permit me, through your columns, to
define a,y position, and, as | believe, that of my
colleagues.
Passing the report that " on the second day
one delegate from Vermont voted against the north
very freely" as that is a matter know nothing Of
rot having reached Philadelphia until evening of
that day notice with much establishment that
my cstimable friend Gov. Fletcher, whom 1 respect
very highly-was compelled to leave the Conyen-
tom because h. ,ras d,sgtsid rfh has coieagncs."
lie really never intimatcd anything of that nature
to US and must learn the truth from his own lips,
before | can credit so bare insnuation. That
gentleman, owing to pressing engagements, was
compelled to return home before the convention had
reached final vote, but left his signature to tho
platform of Northern principles, | understood, to
be used, prov idcd could not unite ON the Slavery
question without dishonor to the North believe
thi, to have been the only issue at that time. lie
| left ON the morning of the thirteenth On tho
,rcng of that day, the vote on the Minority Rcso-
| lutions was reached and lost Then came the pro-
| position Of Mr.. Raynor, u gentleman from North
/ Carolina, who LIBERAL and won the esteem of
/ many northern members, and who expressed himself
willing to restore to the North the Missouri prohibi-
ton, and | ask any delegate who was present, if,
with the state Of feeling that then prevailed, there
was even possibility that the resolution would
pass Beside, Raynor's resolution did not ignore the
slavery question: but left it open to free discussion
and agitaton-and out of mere compliment to the
man, voted for his rcsolution--us did many of the
northern and western members besidc the Vermont
Delegates while the South almost to a man oppose,
it, and it lost.
If this be ccnsurablc, Sir, then am l at fault. I'm
mcdately following the last vote the adoption 0
the majority pro-slavcry rcsolution-and the Con
ycntion adjourned until morning. At eight A. NJ
on the following day, the northern and western
| members assembled at the Girard House, and unani
mously passed the resolution Of adherence t.
northern principles.
You ask "why they (the five remaining dele
gatcs) could not have that their errand. if eve
they had one, was done, and be content to leave.
To this | reply, matter of business (thc nature o
which it is not necessary for me to mention here
called me and many other Of the seeding mUniLer
to the council-roOm, Immediately after our meeting
for fer Dp9Aerts,-that while there, took M par
u. the prorsedings-but at once, quietly Withdrew
and most of US took the first conveyance for GU
respective homes l can hardly deem this " pocket
rlg insult"
| n thp Of
mcnt of the protest, drawn by Gov. Johnston, 9
Pennsyvania-a protest designed " 10 be placed 0
the journals Of the couned that IN no future hms II
uuders,gnei may be charged ruth mraeton Of erlres
or impi,cd jarh to their teiioV members fainr
support the majority resolution"
hold the endorsement ofthis protest, Sir, mer
matter Of opinion. Will the Editor of he Ere
Press be gencrou. enough to believe when as
sure him that from the only construction | coul
render of the ritual it has been my honest col
yction that the slavery issue not intended to b
embraced within the purposes and objects of the s
, styled " kaow-nothiag" organization Assum
this point, and again read the protest. Is thcr
so much importance to be attached to the simple a,
= of defining ones position, and explaining til
} that prompt him to act in opposition to til
majority, when he is pledged to submit to their wi
in all cases where it g does not conflict with th
: duties he to his God, his country or himself
II stigma arises from a conscientious expression
: | opiuion-lct constituents reproach Us. / hay
= never yet bartored away my freedom Of opinion
- and by the blessing Of God / ncuer wH The chare
\ that the Vermont delegates were g boi10cd up" b
any party or their action Influenced, is as false as
t is ungenerous, and ungentlemanly. In conclusic
Il Sir can only say that the base attack on tho We
= mont delegation was entirely uncalled for-tha th'
e maintained their position firmly, is well known
- every member of that Conyontion--that they LAHORE
6 unrcmittingy against the adoption Of the pr
= slavery platform-and when it was passed, thu
Y deemed it an infraction of implied iaith-a con1i
tion with the allegiance they owed to their ov
Iovod State-and act of wrong and injustice
" which they submit. Conclusions like the
=, impelled them to tho step they have takcn--and
=, happy consciousness Of having performed tho
l. whole duty to Vermont, will enable them to Ii
' on-when envy and Jealousy shall be hushed in t
IN silence Of death-and vituperaton and calumnio
attacks upon their integrity shall be forever &c
r gotten.
Respectfully,
y X. NJ. GuILFORD.