Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-07-18
THR "oLD LINE" WING CONVENTION.

self with, and we feared had merged itself into the
Know Nothing organization. 1t did So, because u
this State it has always been obvious that but for
| foreign influences aud connexions, party formed
from this combination OF Wings and Americans
would differ little, If at all in its policy and its mea
sures from mers Wing party. There is little jca
ousy of foreigners amongst Vrgnans, and none what
ever Of Catholics. Every Know Nothing meeting or
Convention III the State, outside Of Richmond, has
shown that the party nothing more than the
revival Of the old party under new name, excep,
that the combined party represented very little prin
cipe Of any SORT, and looking chiefly to popular
| ity and e1pedency-is amours having impaired
| irs virtue. The secret organization Of tho party
was distasteful, nay, moriiyng TO all true bearted
V,rginans and submitted to as a mere tempora.
| ry nec-ssy The Staunton Convention pretended to
purge this combined party OF every vestige Of Know
NothGgism, except it's nam. and lts party affiliations
and connexions. But outside Of Virginia Know. No.
thingsm retained it's secret organization and its
row proscr ptve doctrines and prac,ises. The party
outside would control the conduct and the destiny OF
the party within the State; and Virginia Wings and
Know Nothngs, after setting their own house in or
der, found that it's fate WAS involved with that OF
others over whose conduct they had no control, and
whose principles they affected to dsapprove Hence
it became necessary to reorganize the Old Wh@ pnr
ty In order to cut loose from foreign Know. Nothing
ism. For this purpose the present Convention was
called by Wings as well as by few OF the moderate
country Know Nohngs. The objects oi this move
,nent we're threefold: To take distinct conservative
ground. in defence Of Southern equality and OF South
ern s!avery; repudate at least the prescription OF
Catholics and to dispense with all secret organiza-
tion In these objects tho best OF the Know
Nothings concurred with the Wings.
Not one If them could possibly be attnincd 90! long
ns the control of tho party was welded at the North
This Convention was called, if not to break OF all
counexion with Northern Know Nothingism, at less
to take such steps as should cGecuaiy prevent the
party in Virginia from becoming the mere tools and
instruments of tho party at III. North HIS any
thug occurred since this movement was made in Viz
ginia, land generally in the Suuth,) to render this
alliance with the party o, the North less mpolItic or
less dangerous' Will the Convention couf!rm and
raty an alliance which il was convoked to sever =
Will it renew that caty and allegiance TO the North,
which, bu, the other day, all Southerners Indignantly
refused and spurnedl Win it persecute men for con-
science sake at the bidding OF the North or will Ii
aid others to do so, BY bringing in an administration
sworn to persecute thcm!-for prescription, and de.
nial Of equal and vested rights, is persecution. Catho.
lies have under the constitution equal right to office
with other citizens. To deny them such right, by dl
rection or indrcctiou is fraud and On injustice.
Will thi. Convention assert and maintain the doc.
rine OF Southern inferorty by condening the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise, which repeal was e'.
| al unfra rnuS =
Will i, approved Compromise which robbed, dishon
ored and degraded the South Will it hold that
slavery is so bad an institution that it should not be
admitted into territories North Of thirysiy thirty .
VIII they. by thus condemning slavery sectionally,
endorse abolition, which, with equal justice ana more
consistency, proposes 10 exclude or remove IL Roh oil
States and Territories ! Nay, will this Convention
fail or hesitate, now ,ha, abolition has uIfurled its
banner in the canvass, to distinctly approve Tue re-
peal OF a Compromise which assumed that slavery
was wrong, that Souherners were evil doers' ard IN
feriors in rights we'll as morals!
When large party at the North makes the issue
Of Southern inequality aud iDferiority. it is sreaccry
not treason the South to omit to meet tho issue
and deny and repel the insulting and degrading
charges. The ingenuity Of man can devise no nleHns
Of doing this fully boldly and fairly, except by dis
approval of the Missouri Compromise and approval
Of ,s r.peal for that compromise aud that repca!
as distinctly in issue u. are the principles which
they are founded. II is impossible to evade these
subjects and be true to the South to the na,;on-
An attempt at neutral or non-comralt'a: course will
show clearly that the love Of s2os and not OF coun-
try animate the Convention. II will then appear that
the Convention does not represent the spirit and the
wishes of the leading old line Wings OF the country
who ft suggested it, but is the mere tool o trim.
mers wire pullers, Office seekerc and COW boys who
are intent only OIL pluEdvr, whilst battIe is raging
that involves the dearest rights OF the South and the
perpe,ui.y Of the Uuion. An evasive or non. com.
initial course, will betray compound treachery-
tr.achery TO the South, treachery to the Uuion aud
treachery to those few honest spirits aong Southern
Wings aud Know Nutbings, who fist suggested this
Convention. Suggested it, not 20 satisfy and confirm
the all ance with Northern Know NothipgisE OF
Southern Know. Nohngisn; but in order TO Gu,
off from one aud to modify; and, failing in that
to cut of al.o from the other; suggested it, not
to slur over or evade the question OF Southern
rights aud Southern equality, bat to give to them
d stinctive prominence, and to throw into the
back ground or to repudutc the petty objects ui
Know -Nolhingsm. We shall not be- surprised It h,
Convention be,rayS It's trust, and Uses its whole rau
ence TO defeat the very objects which induced the
old line Wing. to draw oft froEa tho know-Nohnss
and to call Conventions. That object certainly was
to discrrnect themselves from know-N NOthugisl
as then existing in the Union at large.
Now, that parry, retaining all it's objectionable doc
trnea presents candidate, sworn to carry out those
doctrines. To vote for him, s to approve, and aid
in carrying into actual practice the very measures
organization and doctrines, dsapproval OF which,
was the avowed cause of calling thia Convention
for, to draw of from an existing alliance, and call a
separate Convention, is practical assertion Of dis.
satisfaction and disagreement with those from whom
such Withdrawals is made. But to sustain Mr. Fill
more, Thorough Know.Nothlng, is no: mercy tn.
assertion that the call of the Convention was wrong,
(or TO sustain him is fully TO endorse his purty,l but
it is also an admission that the kich!noud Tail ard
Northern Americans, were right in repeating the ia.
mou. 18th section, which was intended to maintain
Southern Equality. Mr.. Fillmore occupies the iden.
,icsl ground op the Kansas Nebraska bill that has ali
along been occupied BY the dSer'can otRichmond, the
Washington Orgaa and Mr., Bolts little faction. The
welkin rang last winter with denunciutons ofthose pa
p.rs aud that faction Abotonsts and traitorst to the
South" were terms freely applied to them by Wing.
and Southern Know-Nuthngs. Nov, we venture
the prediction that this Cf fven,iou will approve in
Mr.. Fillmore what it drnoSn in them. 1t will en-
dorse Know. Nothingisn cut and out, which it was
convened to condemn, and it will endorse doctrines
held by Mr.. Fillmore, which five months ago it de-
nouncrd as Black Republican, when protested by Mr.
Bolts. This convention or rather the men, whom it
processes to represent wers honest aud candid, and
spoke the truth. The condemnation of the Kansas
Nebraska bill Is the very essence and distinctive fea.
| tnrs RlecL P.,,hI;os,,a,, Mr. Eillmora ennhs