Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-06-18

NATIONAL new ne1xuo ceHvxNrIoN
I, 10 useless u attempt to deny the fact.
that slavery is tke great political question Of
the day. md that no party can be crgsn-
lied in our union wiihou, pain avowal Of
sentiment on this subject; and whether We
call ourselves Wings Or Democrats, Know
Nothings Or Sag Nichts. il matters net. ala
vesy and IN i-slasery il tie question and 1t
pi1 enter into oil Of or organizations. and
that 70 divide them. AZ anticipated. it hae
beesme the superior question even among
The Know NothinSs; it has actually usurPsd
The great leading idea upon which that or
glnisasisn wss founded, aud now threatens
70 divids them. a. il has already done the
Democrstic and Wing parties. Some have
thsught that Ne attached too msch impor-
tanec 70 this question; that. in connection
With 10 repalsive manifestations in Kansas,
We occupied too much space with subject
Of such minor consideration. The action Of
the Raow Nothing Convention. We trust,
while il undeceives, ~ill prove to our FIJI ends
tbs, this question, like Aa-on's rod. will
swallow up oil the rest.
The resolutions Of party are its senti-
msnts condensed in the least possible space
and require to be wordsd with the greatest
pescision; no matter what. therefore. ito pro-
ceedings in convention, they are not regard
q % lsng a. resolutions expressive Of the
opinions Of the party are proclaimed. At
tie Natiossl Know Nothing cenve n,ion in
session st Philadelphia, the committee on
rssolutisas last Monday reported the fol-
lowing on slavey:-
Resolved, That the American party, having
arisen upon the ruins and in spite Of the OPP
positioa OF the Wing and Democratic parties,
cannot be held in any manner responsible
for the obnoxious acts or violated pledges OF
either; that the systematic agitation Of the
slavery question BY those parties has ele-
vased se ctionai hostility into positive ele-
ment Of political power, and brought our
institutions into peril. I, has therefore be-
come the imperative duty Of the American
party TO inserpose, for the purpose of giving
peace to the country and perpctuity to the
Union. That as exue-iencs has shown IL is
impossible to reconcile inions so extreme
q those which separate the disputants, and
n there can be no dishonor in submitting
20 the lava, the National Council has deem
q il the best guarantee of common justice
and future peace TO abide BY and maintain
the existing laws upon the subject Of slave
~, a. fnal and conclusive settlement Of
tha, subject 10 spirit and in substance.
Resolved, That regarding it The highest
duty to avow these opinions upon subject
90 important, IN distinct and unequivocal
terms, it is hereby declared as r. sense OF
this National Council, that Congress pos
sesses no power under the Constitution to
leeislats npon the subject Of slavery in the
States, OF to exclude any State from ad-
mission into the Union because her consti-
tuition does or does not recognize the insti-
tuition OF slavery ss part Of her social sys-
ten and expressly pretermiitng any ex-
prsssions Of opinion upon the power Of Con-
1ress 10 establish or prohibit slavery in any
Territory. II is the sense Of this N ational
Council that Congress ought not to legis-
late upon the subject Of slavery within the
Territories Of the United States, and that
any interference of Congress with slavery
% il exists in the District Of COlumb is
would be q violation Of the spirit and inten-
ton Of the compact BY which the State of
Usrylsud ceded the District TO the United
States, and a breach Of the national iaith-
The msjori,y reports having been read, ,
We learn from the proceedings, minority
report was Submitted. which was signed by
sAe following members Of the COMMITTEE !:
William r. Johnson, Pa. A. d. Spery,
Conn. Thomas n. Ford. Ohio Anthony
Colby, N. Hamp.; John s Sayward
Maine; John W. Foster. Mass; Naths ME |
Greene. R. l.; Joseph H. Barrett, VI, j;
Schuyler colfax, Ind; D. e. Wood, Wis;
J. cosshal,. Mich; William J Phelps, H.,
twelve in eli; also BY Richard Clement,
Del; and C. u. Dsshisr, n. J., as to frat
clause. New York alone Of the Free States
vent for the majority report. Iowa was not
represented. Minnesota Territory went with
New York, . also the District Of Colum-
bia; and these with the united South carried
the majority report in Committee.
In the Council. Mr. Mallory OF NewYork
thought no discussion was needed. He ask
ed insultingiy if any man there would no,
succumb to the will ofthe majority.
Gov Gardner. of Mass, took up the
gauntlet, and declared that neither he nor
his St..e. nor majority of the Free States
would abide by the resolutions fire. reported
The party could not carry village in Mas
sachusetts upon them. He charged the
Mes York Delegation with deser,ing the
North, and Of even going SO far in dough-
faceism as to complais TO the South tina,
they were conceding 10 much to he North.
Gov. Gardner made bold, earnest speech.
protesting sgsins. HE resolutions Of the ma
jsriiy.
The minority resolution i. as follows:
Resolped, That the repeal ofthe Missouri
Compromise wss an infraction OF the plight.
I'd faith Of the nation, and that il should be
restored, and if efforts TO that end shall fail,
Congress should refuse to admit any State
soisrating slavery which shall be formed
ort Of any per: ion Of the territory from
which that institution wss excluded by that
Compromise.
From the teleprs oh reports we learn that