Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-09-16


some way publicly declare his appreciation of
the objects OF the convention, and his willing
ness to abide by the proceedings, he said EN-.
phaiically to the same gentleman you may
rely upon 1t. SIR, that If I should not be MONT
mated By the Republican contention. neUer
should accept The nomination of any Other
1t as at this time that he wrote from
Springfield his famous letter to his friend, the
sheriff of Suffolk County, John NJ. Clark,
and which was produced and partly read by
Mr.. Clark, at the Republican Convention, in
in which he said:-
cit is earnestly urged upon me to write a
letter that, II in good faith should allow nv
friends to propose my name as a candidate for
governor by the Republican Convention, l
Will never consent that my name be used
against its nominee. That is the honest coarse,
and I faror 1t. Sti3l I ,gU not mooe until /
a60tse at home
The convention assembled on September 20.
Governor GARDENERS personal and private
friends were there as delegates, in great num-
bers, constituting altogether the most active
and confident members of the body. The as
selnbly was organized, and many of his es.
pecla friends were appointed either officers of,
CT upon committees of, the convention. Be-
tore any nominations were made, the conven-
ton passed a series of resolutions with a
unanimous and laundering aye, of which the
following was one =
"ResolUed, That we accept the name of the
REPUBLICAN PARTY, which has been adopted
by our friends ahd fellow laborers in other
States. We unite in that party to assert the
great principles for which we contend and to
carry them to triumphant. issue"
The next step was to nominate candidate
for governor, representing this new party and
Its objects. Governor Gardeners friends dis"
played great activity in the ballot, and, upon
the informal ballot, they poiled for him plu-
rality OF all the votes cast. But circumstan-
ces had transpired which excited in the minds
of some, strong suspicious that Gov. Gardner
was not acting fairly and in good faith tow ard
the convention; and before proceeding to a
final vote, Gov. GARDENERS supporters were
publicly called upon to define his position, and
views and purposes in relation to this Repub
lican movement. Thereupou most excited
debate ensned, and two of Governor Gard
ner's most intimate personal and political
friends urged his nomination, with entreaties
and threats, and endeavored to conlince the
contention that he was wort of its conf
dence. Buttbs debate damaged the governor
badly, and, on the final ballot Mr.. Rock vel
received majority of the votes, and was nom
mated. Before the convention separated,
there was an interchange OF congratulations
and a general good feeling, when Mr.. John
NJ. Clark of Boston, one of Governor Gard
ner's leading friends, said he should stand by
the nominations, and believed Governor Gard
aer would do 50, too.
The convention, held, as our readers will
remember, on September 20, dispersed, and,
on October 2, less than a fortnight aiterward
Governor Gardeners friends held a conven
ton at Faneuil Hall, composed largely of the
same persons, who had participated III the
Republican Convention and renommated MIN
for governor. Governor Gardner attended
this meeting. and made an elaborate speech,
attempting to explain and defend his extra
ordinary course in accepting this second ncm-
ination. And, as if bent upon making the
contrast between his then position and views,
and those indicated in his Springfield letter to
his friend Clark, some three weeks previous,
as striking as possible, he made, in the course
OF his speech, the following emphatic declar-
atoms =
"Mr. Dana is right gentlemen. 1 can hon
orably accept the nomination of another con-
vention, tor L am in no manner pledged, or
cester CONVENTION" B 9%tho aGtsyet bas. WJpr:
thought.
= wish NY vice might reach every honest
Voier IN MaSsachusetts--andpe perhaps beJw cen
now and the day OF election it may reach a
large portion of them 10 say 10 them that
the action of that cen ention is utterly pow
erless, and without binding force.
Eyes, gentlemen, if / would have consent
ed to become untrue to my conscience, untrue
to my duty, and untrue to you, 1 might have
received the nomination of the Worcester
convention
He would have dono violence to his duty
and his conscience, and have BETRAYED his
friends had he accepted nomination for
which he and his friends had been struggling
LOT more than two months And that there
might be no possible mistake as to his double
deanng and dishonesty towards the Repubi-
cans, so far as he could furnish any evidence
OF it, Gov. Gardner, on December %, 1855,
at congratula'ory supper to his friends, at
the Parker House, declared, according to the
Boston Bee Of December 20, that
"Lf the Worcester convention had aorafnated
hl'n as candidate for governor, he ,oould haze
Improved the quickest opportunity to haze sent
1t back to the conUentioa."
To which the Bee adds, "tbis remark also
brought down the house."
But these facts do not quite close the rec-
ora OF Gov. Gadner's relations to the repub-
llean party of Massachusetts. In February
last, Fillmore and Donelson we're nominated
at Philadelphia, at a national American con-
Venuon; and they were nominated upon
plato m OF principles, which had been previ-
ously adopted by national council of AAmer-
leans on February 81, 1856, and upon aohicb
tAey "oao stand and are asked to be elected.
On the evening of February %, 1866, Gov.
Gardner said TO the Americans at FanueL
Hall, as reported in the Boston journal -
lie thought the omeus of TO day are aus.
plcious and the ness borne here day from
another city OF the Union, of the American
party OF the nation, on platform OF prnc
pies on which they could all stand--whch
required no one to give their preferences and
no one to assent to those they do not ap-
prove--was happy augury Tor the future.
On Hts platform he did not hesitate to san the
american party Of the nation loo,sld 90 foySoard
t'@ ats foes shake as BeiShazzay hid at the vis
ioa."
Gov. Gardner then endorsed the Fillmore
and Donelson platform.
Inese are are incontrovertble facts, taken
from Gov. Gardeners political record for
twelYe-month How far they enttle him to
the countenance and support of the republican
party or render it possible for tnqt party to
ADOPT him, we leave our readers to Judge.
SENATOR CLAYToN's PosI1IoN. - Senator
Clayton publishes letter, in Saturdays National
Inteiftgeneer, at Washington, declaring his in
tention to express no prejudice and take no part
in the Presidential contest.
Senator Clayton voted for the Wilmot Proviso
in the Oregon Territorial BILL in ls4s. wbv.
then, can he do less, than support the same prin
ciple, by going for Fremont in 1856.