Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-06-15
The Know.No,hins National Convention.

and perhaps the last national convention of
any party, its proceedings are worthy of
notice Its object was to elect the national
Offices of the order for the year ensuing to
indicate the candidates of the party for the
next Presidency and especially to lay down
the platform of the party.
The sessions and proceedings of the CON
yention arc of course under the strictest seal
OF secrcsy but as usual there are some bad
leaks in the concern. Three journals, the
n. Y. Tribune, N. Y. Herald and Springfield
Republican, have correspondents on the spot
who furnish daily accounts of the proceed
ings. From these journals we obtain the
following intelligence.
The convention isvcry unfairly composed OF
seven members from each state BY this
device and the additional and new feature Of
admitting seven delegates from the district
OF Columbia as from a separate state, the
representation of the South is made to equal
that of the Free States The delegates from
Vermont as given by the n. Y. Herald, are
Ryland Fletcher, s. Wives, +. picrpoint
Horace Linsley, j. 5. Barrett j. u. Hatch
X. NJ. Guiliord. 1t took the Convention
three days to organize. In Louisiana, il
seems the order is composed in good part OF
Catholics, "a funny circumstance Their
delegates, some of them catholics, were, after
considerable discussion, excluded from the
convention. The delegates from Alabama
in which state the order also disrcrards
entirely the Protestant test, ,ccrc dd,uitieo
however. The delegates of bastard organ
ization from Mississippi, where there is no
regular H. N order, were also admitted. The
Massachusetts, delegation were kept out for a
time by President Barker, on some trivial
pretence, but were admitted on the second
day. The attendance has not AVERAGED over
$50, about three fourths of the full number
the absentces being from the North and West
This and the abject doughfaceism of some Of
the northern members, has given the southern
influence complete ascendency in the con-
vcntion.
The slavery question: which many from the
North were willing to ignore, and which
some possibly thought could be prevented
from intrudlng, has been the main subject of
discussion from the start The members
found the phantom in their seats before them
at every session. 1t would down at nobody s
bidding, and it is likely to maintain its place
till the Northern men who have any back
bone are driven from the body or the conycn-
ton breaks up.
There appears to have been quite IL devc-
lopment of back bone in some quarters.
Several members from New England and
Ohio and other Northern States, have fatty
refused to outstrip Pierce, Douglass & Co.
in subseryiency to Slavery, and have received
much of insult and coarse abuse therefor
from the pro-Slavery men. Other Northern
men have truckled shamclessly. 1t is stated
freely that doughtaces were found in the Vt.
delegation, and the Iribune's correspondent
says d" There is an old Wing editor in Yer
mont who does not act here as he would have
his readers believe he acted lie votes
against the North very freely and shows no
disposition to stand up with the rest of the
true North for what is just and right" Who
can that editor be As for the New York
delegation, Gov. Gardner of Mass in
speech on the resolutions, charged them with
deserving the North and with even going so
far in doughfaceism as to complain to the
South that they were conceding too much to
the North.
On Thursday evening grand Union saving
banquet was held. Many delegates from
the North were absent. The speeches
have been reported in full and are
the merest and most contemplate twaddle,
entirely unworthy the trouble Of printing
or reading Liquor was abundant and
drunkenness not scarce. On Friday the cleo
ton of officers took place Barker hoped to
be reelected grand President and had one of
his friends read an address in which he fairly
crawled to the South. This and his incon-
sistent rulings and unitness for the duties of
a presiding officer disguised many and he was
not reelected After six ballots. Mr. Bart
lett of Ky, was elected Grand President.
The other principal Offices were filled as fol-
lows:
l'ce President, c. D. Freeman, of Penn.
Cor. Secretary, c. ID. Deshler, of n. j.
Rec. Secretary, - Stephens, of Maryland
Treasurer - Crane, of Ohio.
For Recording Secretary, II. NJ. Guilford,
of VT, was a candidate. The above Offices
have, it is stated good round salaries
On Monday the Committee on Resolutions
reported the following resolutions
Resolved, That the American party, having arisen
upon the ruins and in spite of the opposition Of the
Wing and Democratic parties, cannot he held in
any manner responsible for the obnoxious acts or
violated pledges Of either that the systematic mi
ation of the Slavery question by those parties has
elevated sectional hostility into positive element of
political power and brought our institutions into
peril 1t has therefore become the imperative duty
Of the American party to interposp for the uurpose
OF giving peace to the country and perpetuity to the
Mon. That as experience has shown it is imposs-
Die to reconcile opinions so extreme those which
separate the disputants and there can be no dis
honor in sub hitting to the laws, the National Coun
ell has deemed it the best guarantee Of common JUS
tco and of future peace to abide and maintain tho
existing laws upon the subject of Slavery a final
and conc usive settlement of that subject in spirit
and in substance.
Resoired, That regarding it the highest duty to
avow these opinions upon subject so important in |
distinct and unequvocal terms it is hereby declared
as the sense of this National Council that Congress
possesses no power under the Constitution to egis-
late upon the subject of Slavery in the States or 10
exclude any State from admission into the Union be-
cause her Constitution does does not recognize the
Institution Of Slavery part of her social system
and expressly pretermitting any expressions of !
opinion upon the power of Congress to establish or
prohibit Slavery in any Territory. It is the sense |
Of this National Council that Congress ought not To
egislate upon the subject of Slavery within the Ter
ritoreS of the United States, and that any inter
ference Of Congress with Slavery as it exists in the
District of Columbia would be violation Of the /
srirt ana intention Of tho compact hy which the .
state of Maryland coded the District TO the United
states, and a breach of the National Faith.
a minority report, urging the restoration
Of the Missouri compromise and the non
admission Of any slave state from territory
affected by the repeal of that compromise,