The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-06-23
AMERICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL.

We find it difficult to select from among the
thousands Of rumors afoat concerning the &C
ton of the American National Council, lately
in session in Philadelphia, q sufficient amount
of reliable information to authorize a general
article. The most mischievous reports have
been circulated by designing men the slightest
difficulties have been magnifed into irremediabIe
quarrels the smallest disparitiest into positive
antagonists the merest technicalities between
members and sections multiplied into violent
disputes, for which there was neither balm nor
healing. The. Abolition press Of the Northhas
poured forth one continued mass Of Speculation.
falsehood, invention, and sheer y%illainy, upop
the public, with the sole view of forestaliing
popular sentiment Of prejudicing the people
against the action of the Council, no matter
how its deliberations might result and of pre-
Judging the intentions and conclusions Of a
grave deliberative body. This, however, was
to have been expected from them. Without
patriotism, honesty, or the smallest respect for
the rules Of fair dealing, they always seek to
strike down their adversaries /; and, if We are
to take the leading organs Of a%bolitionism for
authority. they view the American party as
the only obstacle that stands in the way Of the
realization Of their dearest hopes-the election
Of William Fl. Seward to the Presidency Of the
United States. But, it looks strange-it is a
melancholy spectacle-to see Southern men and
Southern Journals encouraging, indirectly or
by implication, these speculations, not to use a
harsher term, Of hostile Northern Journals. vi.
on the Southern public.
All we know, with any degree Of certainty. is
that the report of the Committee on Slavery
published in the Crescent of Thursday morn
inge-has been adopted, after, it is presumable
to inter, q fierce opposition from the Abolition
lists. This platform takes high national and
constitutional grounds, and secures to the South
all she has ever asked. It assumes and yindi-
Gates the very positions a true American Con-
vention should occupy. There is no shrinking,
no lodging, no ambiguity, about a line, a
sentence, or q principle, embodied in it. All is
fair and above board oil is straight forward
and to the point and all is honest, patriotic.
worthy the warm commentator of every con.
sentative in the Union. Should it meet, as we
hope, trust and we believe it will, the supnort
Of the people generally, the only question which
threatens, or ever has threatened, the nerma-
nency Of this unmatched confederacy. will he
put to rest, at least for this generation-ner-
haps for ever. s .s.li- .-"'~- r.,
On this exciting topic we have had several
compromises, but those were compromises made
by the Government compromises originated
by great and patriotic statesmen compromises
conceived in, and passed by, the Senate and
House Of Representatives, and sanctioned by
the PRESIDENT. That those compromises were
OF a vast amount of good, we are
prepared to deny !; although there are thou
OF the best men in the land who think it
would have been far better had none ever been
known to the national statute book.
but, the compromise this platform proposes
make, is altogether of different character.
Neither the Senate, nor House of Represents.
hes nor even the Chief Magistrate Of the ma
lion, will have any thing to do with it, save in
private capacity as citizens. They car
an individual vote, for or against, just as
.ney 'piease-and that is all they can do. MOL
ives no parliamentary tactics no rules Of or
Ter stormy scenes in the Senate, exciting the
Conscript Fathers to breaches Of decornm