The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-23

| maintained al every hazard.
" AMERICANS" AND REPUBLlCANs.-THE lGSo-
RING PROPOSITION.
| The late movement on the part of certain southern
know-nohngs in which it is laid down the duty of the
American party to ignore or pretermit the slavery aues
ton entirely in all political contests is not only one OF
the most remarkable but also of the most alarming OF
"the signs of the times N#
The rise and progress of the knownothing party is so
fresh in the memory of every that we need only refer
to It, and also need but mention the cause which gave
rise to the first Philadelphia convention in June last Our
readers will remember how, at its first enuncaton, we
branded the platform laid down by that convention as
betrayal of the rights and interests of the South We
have continued to denounce that platform as mere make
shift gotten up for the purpose of deceving the South de-
signed ouy for the South and adopted only by the south
ern councils The twelfth section slavery plank has long
since utterly repudated by ALL very nearly ALL othe
very few reeSe councils which at time ieigned to
acquiesce it, The majority of the eeSate councils re-
pudaed and spa upon from the beginning The south
ern councils have ALL up recent date made show of
adherence to it, and have been remarkably boserous in
praise of its naonality but they for whose
special benefit ii framed beginning to repudiate
it. and to ignore the whole slavery question.
We are astonished that any southern could have
the efronery to offer such proposition to the south
ern people and not only to propose 1t to them, but
to dare 10 tell them that it their duty TO adopt it.
The South plainly aud explicitly told that the North
pH not recognise her constitutional rights in rgard TO STA
very and because the North will not do this Of sim
pie justice the South must say nothing about her rights
Now to our minds while there must be something of de-
6ance and exuaon in the feelings with which the north
ern wing order view this action there is at the
something humatng in the truculent subserviency
with which this dicaton is submitted to- The
and speaks with all the naughty insoeuce of eonqueror
the other obeys with the abject humility of a slave
Not only is the aim of this base proposition apparent TO
ALL but the prompers Of Il easily smoked out Exam
the practical working of this ignoring theory and the
authors are discovered beyond doubt Hon Lewis D.
Campbell is good American and II the slavery ques-
ton Is ignored may with the consistency claim
the vote Of southern know-notbng for any Office what
ever and so Of Speaker Banks But how is it when the
slavery question being ignored, Mr.. Campbell Is nonna-
ted for the presidency and in compliance with their ob
cations the whole knownohng order for and elects
him7 lie is inaugurated BY the Ignoring process
Mr Banks and majority OF his Tx elected TO both
branches OF Congress To this Congress Kansas any
other Territory applies for admission into the Union
State with constitution recognising slavery and the
slavery question is brought directly before the House in
such manner that be ignored what would N.
p Banks and company do The answer need not be
made All know what II is
But what is the South TO gain by thus ignoring her
constitutional rights All tho benefit nures TO par
~; and the inevitable inference that that party which
Is most 10 be benefited by it originated the plan. To
minds the proposition boars upon lie face unmistakabe
evidence Of its abolition origin.
But have stronger evidence than inference We
might quote any number OF from eeso nAmcr-
lean" journals urging the Philadelphia convention TO ig-
the slavery question but content ourselves with
the following from the knownothng organ Of Connecticut
published at Hartford @
Two national conventions are 10 be held IN Phladol
phia the 18TH phicl called by he .eeediag or
norhrn delegates the other the 22d instant which was
called for the purpose OF nominating candidates for Pres
dent and Vice President. Al the frs eorf
% Be made 70 strike out from The national platform The o.
Rorious section regard slavery II that fails there will
be split which surgical skill Bat the election
OF Banks Speaker leads to the hope Of similar result in
the convention called strike the pro slavery section
Then will follow the convention 10 nominate candidates
Such action will however be opposed premature II the
majority concur the northern delegates viii feel that they
have victory"
Here the originstors OF this movement distinctly
avowed to be the seceders from the first Philadelphia con-
venon This butpa ofhe scheme There are 70 be other
in the drama The republicans the Seward school
have so part play should this ignoring process succeed
Already the way being paved for this movement Horace
Gree-f ID late letter to The Tribune Is evidently pre-
pairing himself acquiesce in the American" movement
should the seceder succeed in their attempt The repub
cans win ignore the Catholic and foreign questions the
kpOwnothIngs viii ignore the slavery question and thus