True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-03-12
S1fEisfEIlaap.

* -.
The iol|ouing remarks were made by
Mf Perkins of Connecticut, in the Amer.
icau National Convention a, Philadelphis,
aponihe occasion Of the Nomination of
esndidatss for President and Vice Presi-
dent Of the United Staies, @
The Gentlemen of the South had before
stated lheir, r,posiliOm he would now state
that Of the minority, Itw generally
conceded that if men participate in nom-
inatioh, whether principle is involved or
not, all who joiued in making nominal
tiOn were bohnd by it. Now, that there
may be no misunderstanding, will, as a
deputy by my friends of the minority,
s;sie our decision. We have come at last
to test question. There are two great
questions before the minds of the people
of this country one is the issue of Amer
icauism, whichis simply the reform of
Naturalization Laws; that we are agreed
in. But sir there is another question
which must be an element in the coming
canvass, in which the people are deeply
interested that is, the question Of what
shall be done about the restoration OF
Freedom 10 Kansas; what shall be done
TO compensate the North for the loss OF
shat guaranty Of freedom which has been
stolen from them. The South admits
that the Kansas. Nebraska act was faud;
they cannot and dare not deny it. This
Question cannot be ignored it must be
met; no candidate can be nominated
whose position on that question is doubt.
full You must declare yourselves in this
issue. The South would have seeded
from this convention had The Twelfth Sec
tion besn repealed purely and simply !;
they owned it; and now will they expect
us 10 do less Than they would have done?
The free territory was ours by compact,
by argument, by the most solemn sane
ton. You have stolen il from us BY the
treachery OF Northern men; you admit
thatyou ought 10 restore TO us our own,
but,you refuse TO do it. This is a prdc
teal question: is no abstraction. Now
what is your chance on your platform
which means nothing, or is a Pro-Slavery
one! You cannot carry the South-not
x .ngle Stale, in any event. We could
sweep the whole North on our platform,
and you do your best to defeat us you
commit suicide. You pretend that we
are to be sold out 10 the Black Republi-
cans; ! know no such. But we shall
those ofus who are driven away from you
-go for our principles, our American
ism, our freedom; and the Republicans
of the country will join with US. Mr..
Perkins derided the idea OF danger TO the
Union. No man on this floor believes q
dissolution Of the Union is possible i
is an idle dream-a silly fantasy. The
Union is in no danger, and no man think:
Ills. If you won't give us what we de-
mand, we will take it ourselves, and The
Union will not be dissolved. Every
President from Washington 10 James K
Polk has done all we claim shall be done
now; and yet the Union has not suffered
You cannot carry lhis Union on stars and
stripes and the American eagle without
something reliable to stand upon. We
can save Aniericanism and secure free.
dom TO the territories together, and VIC
viii do it. We are not going to f izze
and fade out; we are going out as the
american party Of the Union, standing
upon the platform we have presented thi,
morning, aud calling a Convention fo
the whole Union upon our platform.
We have got Fugitive Slave Law; W.
obey y'it; but we will not hunt niggers-
there is iio-gentleman OH this floor, Nortl
or Sodlh, who will engage in this bust
ness of hunting niggers-not one OF you
We in Connecticut don't think much O
Tins silw==we don't think it Constitution
n, but we do not intend TO dissolve th
Union because Of it. 1t was passed NOR
as an Illustration Of favor, than as a prac
tical lmeasure--just TO see how far yo
could crowd the North. Mr.. Perkin
concluded his most admirable and elC
quent speech with the announcement thu
allthe delegates of Connecticut, and oil
ars from the Free States who agree wit
them, would now retire from the Cor
.ventfon!. g.
-SsusS-
WELL SAID.--The Indian, in his n;
tIQae cni,Iifion IL M Col =. ,Lo c,Iia.,;,,