The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-21
THE NATIONAL KNOW NOTHING CoNyEN.
TION-RUPTURE-sEC

We gave some account of the organization
of this Convention last week, and left the Com
mittee ON Platform earnestly engaged in at.
tempting to reconcile contradictions. In the be-
ginning of last week, majority and minority re-
ports in regard to Slavery, were submitted. as
follows
MAJORITY REPORT
I" Resolred, That the American party, having
arisen upon the ruins and in spite of the oppo.
sition of the Wing and Democratic parties, can.
not be held in any manner responsible for the
obnoxious acts and violated pledges of either
that the systematic agitation of the Slavery
question by those parties has elevated sectional
hostility into a positive element of political
power, and brought our institutions into peril.
1t has therefore become the imperative duty of
the American party to interpose for the pur-
pose of giving peace to the country and perpe.
tuity to the Union; that as experience has shown
it is impossible to reconcile opinions so ex-
treme as those which separate the disputants.
and as here can be no dishonor in submitting
to the laws. the National Council has deemed
it the best guarantee of common justice and of
future peace to abide by and maintain the ex.
listing laws upon the subject of Slavery, as a
final and conclusive settlement of that subject
in spirit and in substance.
" Resolred, That regarding it the highest duty
to avow these opinions, upon a subject so i'm
portant, in distinct and unequivocal terms. it is
hereby declared as the sense of this National
Council, that Congress possesses no power un-
der the Constitution to legisate upon the sub
ject of Slavery in the States, or to exclude any
State from admission into the Union because
its Constitution does or does not recognise the
institution of Slavery part of her social
nd Y all
pressiOns of opinion upon the power of Con-
gress to establish or prohibit Slavery in anv
Territory. 1t is the sense of this National
Council, that Congress ought not to legslate
| upon the subject OF Slavery within the Terrific
ries of the United States, and that any interfer.
ence by Congress with Slavery, as it exists in
! the District of Columbia would be a violation
of the spirit and intention of the compact bv
which the State of Maryland coded the District
| to the United States, and breaclfof the Ma.
tional Faith
MINORITY REPORT
"Rssotred, That the repeal of the Missouri
| Compromise was infracton of the nliphted
faith OF the nation, and that it should be restor-
ed and If efforts to that end shall fail. Congress
| should refuse to admit any State tolerstine Sla-
very winch shall be formed out of any portion
of the territory from which that Institution was
excluded by thasscompromise."
hot discussion, it is said, sprang up, and
similar scenes, we suppose, to those we are
all familiar with, were enacted. The cores
pondent Of the Tribune, who says he was never
in the Convention, gives minute reports, found
ed of couse upon what he heard from members
1t would seem, however, that while some of the
Southern men were disposed to be conciliatory,
more were harsh and overbearing, and none
made any concession which the North could
accept, The Northern men fought we'll. but. as
usual, there were doughfaces enough to put
them in minority. Wednesday, at midnight,