New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-02

shine awhile as velvet and gold, but directly
they will be pitched aside along with the rub
bish of all sbam scenic display.
Yet although the Know-Nothings vhs ars 20
assemble at Philadelphia are likely to show
themselves to be cbarlatans we are not without
hope that some among them may exhibit them
selves as mon, treating great and vital subject
as men should treat it. But we expect the con.
clave to reproduce nothing better than the
twaddle and subterfuges and doughfacedress of
our old friends the Silver-Grays. 1t viii prob
ably offer nothing beyond new efflux of that
political dilletantism Of which our National
Know-Nothings are an offspring They all alike
Intentionally make muddle Of the vital ques
ton. They beat about the bush, and dodge and
evade and prevaricate and pettifog, till all Sc
rious men grow sick and weary of their sinuos-
ties and feeblemindedness. We thus expect
nothing better Of the National Know-Nothing
Convention at Philadelphia next week than that
it will do as the Baltimore and Philadelphia
Conventions Of the two great parties into which
the country has been longs divided have done
before it, That is, it will make vain effort to
cover with little ashes the great smodering
volcano Of Northern sentiment. We expect to
see the same contemplate genufexiens at the
new as we have seen so often at the old conven-
ti.ns, bowling to the South and bowling to the
North cheating one by professions and the other
by conduct
Such body of men with such designs we
hold up in advance to public contempt. There
is nothing true, nothing manly, nothing square,
edged and open in their objects. They assemble
for purposes of trickery and legerdemain aud
chicanery over subject of vast magnitude ia
volying the great interests Of liberty aud human
ity, and demanding frank treatment aud instant
solution. If our National Conventions at Phil
adephia and Baltimore in times past, when the
Slave Oligarchy were comparatively passive,
have been condemned and repudiated by the
masses of the North because of their conces-
sions to Slavery, how will the same pusianimity
be met now when that Oligarchy has come
boldly into the field armed aud rampant, aud is
making violent conquest of free territory Is
this time when body of men representing
another great party, and acting in the same d.
rection as their predecessors are to be approved
or tolerated in the North : To proceed upon
such presumption is to assume that the
Northern masses are as stupid as the slaves Of
the South
While we chronicle the meditated follles OF
the Forthcoming conclave, we at the same time
predct failure to accomplish its objects OF
barmoniziDg tho forces of the new party. The
masses of the KnOw-NOthings will refuse to be
scld out to the South-a result which is sure TO
happen if the conclave undertake their transfer
either by open bargain and sale or by willy
utterance of cabaistic plstitudes signifying Just
what tbe Interpreter thereof chOoses-in other
words, saying nothing, or being " neutral On
the Slavery question; for there is no such thing
as neutrality in the case. The moment the new
party begins to act in the domain of National poll
tics il must be on one side or the other. The ip-
slant its representatives leave their respective
States aud appear at Washington, the Slavery
ouestion meets them. 1t stands at the "ery
threshold of every official career. The Know
Notbings orce at Washington, iiSeall other pOlit
ia,ans must declare either .cr or against tne en-
croacbments of Slavery for or against the inso-
lentinvasion of the Slave Oligarcby for against
the surrender ofFree Territory to be cursed with
eternal servitude, for or against the proceed
ings Of the infamous Missouri Bandits aud
Slave drivers headed by Atchison, for or against
the repeal Of the Nebraska Bill, for or against
the admission of Kansas as Slave State. In
one word, they must take stand on one
side or the other OF the only great and absorb
ing national question of our times. They can
not be "neutral" on these questions. Neu-
trality is not possible, and no who seeks 70
make it possible will find the Judgment OF old
inflated upon him: "For that ye are neither
sslot nor cold l will spew you out of my
"mouth."