Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-12-05
Tha couvsntIon Of the American Party at Gin
cianati

| Tha CouvsntIon Of the American Party at Gin
cianad.
! Our readers are aware that convention 0
tins party was held last week, Wednesday an,
Thursday at Cincinnati. Mos, Of the Norther,
States were represented and very strong dc
sire was manifested as We learn from the Cincin
| natl Gazette, to meet their Southern brethren ii
National Convention, and agree upon candi
| dates to be supported for President and Vic,
President. There exists no important iifferenc,
in the party save on the Slavery question. Al
the matter now stands the northern members can
not with safety to their party, respect to them
selves or regard to principle, put this question
out of sight. In fact the Philadelphia Conven
tion is the first national convention in which tn.
Northern delegates stood firmly 10 their integri
ty. The Northern delegates have met the question
in straight forward and manly way. And it i.
much in their favor that they consider principl,
above party--that they think more of their .owr
scli-rcspect than Of party success, and that the,
propose to give up their party organization rath
er than abandon an important point.
The Cincinnati Gazette says: "The people o
the North have had no hand in repeating the
Missouri Compromise. 1t was forced upon them
by Presidential aspirants, and politicians who
were ready and anxious to be subsidized. This
II q live question: one that must be met, and the
convention ofthe American party which has just
adjourned, have met the question in a mani,
form, and yet eonciliatory manner After 8
long, able and interesting debate, they have al
We understand the matter, adopted with grca
unanimity proposition to be submitted to thei,
Southern brethern, which, if adopted by them
will cause harmony and produce unity Of action
This proposition is in substance, that the South
shall agree to restoration Of the Missouri
Compromise. They ask for nothing that is new
and untricd, but demand q restoration Of the ma
tional guarantees given to the Free States moro
than thirty years ago, and Of which they wer.
deprived.
We are given to understand that this is an ul
timatum, if the Southern delegates agree to it
harmony and Union will be effected so far as i
platform is concerned. If the South rejects it
then We may expect a final disruption Of the
whole party, and the formation of a new party
We cannot with any degree of certainty infer
what the South will do in the premises They
may adopt it, and they may reject it; if they re-
ject it, there will be ON end to National Ameri
can organization We learn that some gentle
men were present at the Convention from the
neighboring State of Kentucky, and they admit
ted that the demand made by the Northern del
egatcs was fair and proper demand, and cx
pressed the opinion that the Southern States
would be willing to grantit. -.s
The convention ofthe American party to nomi
nate candidates for President and Vice Prcsi
dent, will assemble in Philadelphia on the 22t
of February next, and before going into the mat
ter Of balloting, the alternative of the Northerr
members will be submitted. If it is accepted
the skies will be cleared, if it is rejected the,
will be obscured. understand that each State
in the convention will be entitled to us man,
votes upon material questions, as it has eectori
al votes in the Presidential College. The North
crn States therefore have the power in their hands
and unless they shall be betrayed by a dough
face minority, they have really nothing to fear.
BURYING VS.. BURNING.-The Editor of tn,
Ozaukee Advertiser thus "dcfnes his position
on this vexcd question:
Greenwood Cemetery is a beautiful argumen
on the side of burying. We 20 decidedly fo
that mode of dsposing of the dead. Give u
six feet of mother earth, rather than sixtee,
cords OF hickory. Save us from roasting, eithc
here or--elsewhere! ...-... ...,- ..-. .
-... .,..g.s From the Chicago Democrat
Sentence of Caldwell.
The Jury in the case of O. T. Caldwell Con.
ductor of the railroad to Burlington, came int,
Court on Monday morning and reported that the,
could not agree. This was generally supposed
for there were two men on the jury from the be
ginning, whom it was said could never be in
duced to find a verdict Of guilty. The jury stooc
from the beginning, accordingly, ten for convic
ton and two against. The Judge remanded tn,
jury, who returned near night with verdict o
guilty, and fixed the sentence Of the prisoner a
one year in the Penitentiary. Ii was currcntl,
reported about that the only conditions upoi
which the two men would acquiescc in the verdic
were, that no person should ever be told thei
names. The conditions were useless as tn,
friends Of Caldwell were betting and bragin,
about all our saloons that these two never woult
consent to his conviction. We know not ant
care not who they are. But we will say this, i
they believe him guilty at first, they should hav,
said SO at once, and saved the time of the court
If they did not believe SO, they should hav,
starved before they consented to have an limo
cent man sent to the Pcnitcntiary
Hereafter, men who recognize the obligation
of any club and fear personal violence, If the,
do not pcUure themselves by bringing in a falls,
verdict, should not 60 upon jurics. No oblig:.
tons to stand by brother, innocent or guilty, 4
| a prejudgmcnt which qualities a man from ser
wing, and he has only to say that he has form,
an opinion to be in stantaneously set aside =
The writer of this never saw Mr. Caldwell t,
his remembrance, nor has he been in the court
room during the trial. He has seen men VIII,
stands morally and pecuniarily as high as any il
this city who speak of his fall as clear case o
the evil effects Of bad company. He had bu
seven hundred and twenty dollars per year, an,
no property ofhis own. He is said to have live
far beyond this sum. But he had good habits
and character for honesty above all price
| Whether he ever lost any money personally b
gaming or not, our business men know not
But gamblers are cxtravagant in dress in eating
drinking, and everything else. 1t may be notl
ing more than to keep up his share OF expense
with the company he kept that caused him to d
as nc did. Let other young men who have
! good character and nothing else to support then
let other conductors, let merchants clerks an
bankers clerks, some Of them more guilty nov
perhaps than Caldwell, take warning Let thel
keep out Of gambling houses. Let them see
other society than gamblers, Iftley must drin
liquors, let them go to no saloon where there
| gambling If they must play billiards and mini
| pins, let them do it on the ground floor and
broad day light, where their employers can SC
! all they do! Although these in too many instar
ccs are fatal steps, yet they do not always driy
man to entire ruin. But, when any young Ma
once sits down to play with men who make gan
bling their business professed black-legs-
they will take his salary, they will make him 70
his employers money drawer, and follow him u
until, like poor Caldwell, ajury convic,s and sci
tences him.
We have been informed by the highest possb
authority that what we said about the outraC
Gus course ofblacklegs was more than true An
we are panied to say that, last night. we hear
it currently reported that they went to the Jude
and threatened him if he did not grant ne
trial, if he did not recommend him to the mere
of the Governor, &C.; that he should never i
taken to Alton, &c., &c. As we take it f
granted that the judge win do his duty, we hor
our business men who have children growing Vi
men who have clerks in thar ap,rln,, orj -