Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-06-19
JUNE 10, 1855.


PHIA CONVENTION Its DISsOLU-
TION AND SLAVERY THE PLAT
FORM AN ABORTION.
Whatever the sins of the Know -nothings-
and they are crying sns--ther name is legion;
ingratitude cannot be reckoned among them.
They take fortunes bullets and rewards with
equal favor. They take encouragement alike
from victory and defeat. They thank Providence
for triumph and they thank Providence for dis
aster.
Before the Virginia election they walked the
streets with an easy jaunty and assured air, as if
the Old Commonwe wealth had already declared her
allegiance to the "invincible invisible They
betted with as much don't care assurance, as
jockey would bet on "Red Eye" against
spawned courser. They pulled cigar smoke and
blasphemies in the most defiant and deyil-me care
manner, and swore by the Eternal that Virginia
Democracy was good as dead The elections
came The Democrats elected their State
ticket by about ten thousand majority, and Sc
cured joint majority of fifty in the two branches
of the legislature.
With commendable piety the Know nothings
resigned themselves to their fate. The first shock
of disappointment over, they came from their
haunts and their hiding places looking subdued
and sorrowful. They did not swear, they did not
grumble. They vowed that defeat was the best
thing that could have befallen them. Before the
election they thought that the dearest and most
delightful of all things was triumph. But they
suddenly changed their minds. ''Defeat. oh!
(said they it has Christening and purifying
effect. 1t will make US better and, when we grow
better, we will conquer and crush Democracy.
And Just to think of our vote! Ten thousand
more and victory would have been ours!" Sweet
solace of afiiiction-he would indeed be cruel who
would rudely snatch you from the pious sons of
Sam.
The time for holding the great Know-nothing
National Convention approached. This was to
be the great king cure-all." All breaches were
to be healed, all heart-burnings to be aleviated,
and all distractions to their triumphant progress
to be removed The North was to be bound to
the South, the East was fraternally to embrace
the West. The lion and the lamb were to lie
down together, and that youthful and innocent
urchin, Sam, was to lead them both. A plat
forra, that great panacea, that balm of Gilead,
hope and e1ultant pride! Armed with that
mighty chart, they
: Would bid farewell 10 every fear,
And wipe their weeI ing eyes"
They would defy Democracy, though clothed
with thunder With such chart, by which
ND hnGt nd
Know-nothings would be cemented into one
brotherhood, they would achieve successes that
would astonish the natives, and frighten the
foreigners. The convention met. All eyes were
turned to Philadelphia. To organize seemed inn
possible. Several days were spent in fruitless
efforts to affect an organization. Feuds broke
out, and jealousies developed themselves. Final
ly, gentleman who halls from Kentucky but
who is said to be regular Yankee, by birth,
was elected President. The proceedings, accord
ing to the rules of the Order, were TO be kept
profoundly secret. But there were frail men,
there were leaky vessels in that convention, and
by their aid, and we presume for a reasonable COM
pensation, the Tribune and Herald were enabled
to spread before their readers, every morning,
the "tug of war" A committee was appointed
to construct platform, that marvellous and
medicinal agent winch was most raculously TO
heal all the " wounds, bruises, and purifying
sores" which afflicted the carcass Of that profit
gate urchin-Sam. In that committee, North
and South hung in fearful encounter. The con-
test lasted for some time. So hard and firm were
tha oil &c Mas acbn th,t he, b~t -,
the Carolinas could not subdue and melt them.
Indeed il was some time doubtful if the ice would
not overcome the fire. Finally, wiseacres, pru-
dent men who love cancellation, and who adore
compromise, interposed A platform was the
consequence of the man9uvre. II essayed TO
pluck the teeth from Abolitionism, and the sting
from slavery Like all compromises, it was
lame, feeble, and impotent. 1t passed the COM
mittee. 1t was called the majority report The
minority got up, and presented counter report,
rankly Freesoil in its character. The struggle
came on in the convention between these two re-
ports. The North howled, and the South
fumed. Finally, the majority report was adopted
whereupon fJty-thret Of the delegates from the non
slapehoIding States retired from the contention
notorious. Massachusetts, Abolitionist, Senator
Wilson, their chairman, and issued an "appeal
to the people" in the following words:
APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE.
To The People Of the United States:
The undersigned, citizens Of various States,
assembled at Philadelphia on the l4th day OF
June, 1855, feel constrained under the existing
state Of affairs TO affirm the following principles
First. The unconditional restoration of tina,
time-honored Compromise, known as the Mis-.
sour Prohibition, which was DESTROYED in utter
disregard of the popular villa wrong which nc
lapse Of time palliate, and no plea for its con
tinuance can justify. And that we will use al
constitutional means TO maintain the positive
guarantee Of that compact, until the object fol
which il enacted has been consummated BY
the admission OF Kansas and Nebraska as Fret
States.
Second That the rights Of the settlers in Ter
ritories TO the free and undisturbed exercise o
the elective franchise guaranteed TO them by tn,
laws under which they are organized, should b,
promptly protected by the National Executiv,
whenever violated or threatened. And that W,
cannot conscientiously act with those who viii
not aid us in the correction Of these natona
L. IL a.