Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-04-03
AFTERNOON SESSION.

A larger number were present at the Church
than in the morning. After prayer by Rev. Mr..
Seccombe, the Committee appointed to nominate
permanent officers of the Convention, reported the
names of the following gentlemen:
For President-W. r. MARSHALL, of Saint
Paul.
Vice observation-disclosures. North, Mclean, Asa
Keith, A. d. Lane, Porter Nutting, Eli Pettijohn,
r. p. Upton.
Secretaries Mess-s. Pratt and Bradley.
The Report Of the Committee was accepted and
adopted, and the gentlemen elected took their
seats. Mr.. Marshall rendered his acknowledge
ments, and stated that he hoped the Convention
would be governed by harmony, and that notwith-
standing there were diverse views, those views he
trusted would tend to bring about full realiza-
ton of the object for which they mad convened.
The Committee on resolutions made their report
which was accepted, and on motion of Major Nc
Lean, of st. Paul, it was voted that the rcsolu-
tons should be acted upon separately. The first
resolution was then read:
Resolved, That the Constitution of the United
States was designed by the people who adopted
it, to be law of impartial liberty to all.
this resolution, taking the ground, that if the
Constitution was intended to be a law of impair
tial liberty to all, there could be no Compromise.
He cited Madison to show that Slavery could not
exist in a Republican form of Government, and
stated that not until the Missouri Compromise
was taken up, did the people ever think of Com
promises. He advocated the passage of the rcso-
luton, but before voting upon it, he wished the
matter to be distinctly understood. Let us say
just what we say, and say just what VIC mean.
The drift of Mr.. Rabbits remarks was, that
there was nothing in the Constitution justifying
Slavery-that the Constitution did not even re-
cognizc Slavery-and that if it was an instrument
of impartial liberty to ALL there was no necessity
for Comprehensive were not bound by Them
Mr.. Nourse replied that he was not prepared to
go so far as the gentleman on the subject. He
would go as far as the General Government would
permit-no further, as he thought he saw an aw-
full gulf beyond. He did not think the Constitu-
ton made it obligatory on him to sustain Slavery,
but rather that it should be left to the action of
each State. He then occupied considerable time
in showing up the two political parties of the
present day, and demonstrating the necessity for
new party. His remarks were lengthy and in
| teresting.
Mr.. Ames, of the Republican, stated that as
the resolution read, he liked it. 1t left the aues
ton an open one-a good one. Hecculd not vote
for any resolution that stated positively that Con-
gress had or had not right to legislate on the
subject of Slavery, because, in common with 9TH
ers, his mind not fully settled on the subject.
He would vote for the resolution under discus
sion. as .re-ff
Rev. Mr.. Creighton desired to know who were
members of the Convention. He thought this
point should be settled before proceeding any
further. His remarks called out discussion.
but resulted in no definite action on the part of
the Convention.
a Dr.. Fletcher, of Minneapolis, stated that he
came to the Convention to see if new party could
be formed. He went for the resolution He
thought Congress had no right to legislate on the
subject of Slavery, and that the Constitution
guaranteed impartial liberty to ALTO the black
as well as the white. He denounced the Fugitive
Slave Law in strong terms, and hoped the resolu-
tion would pass. vrh.n.s - s,s..tsso-- -.