Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-06-06
The American State Council Nominations,
MR.. FLETCHER DECLINES.

'''S N'Nh ~ 49, - ~ VI 'N''io' ''t
President; VIM. s. Lane of Middlebury,
Sec. and Treas; Josiah futile Of Essex,
Marshal. The committee On resolutions was
composed of j. IL. Barrett, Middlebury L.
H.. Pennlman, Winooski Abr ah Keith,
Montpelier Jeptha Bradley, St. Adams A.
II. Hill, Groton |. n. Thorn. Brattleboro
W. S. Martindale, Wallingford. The coun-
ell " determined to nominate a State ticket
for the support of the American Party Of the
State of Vermont" The nominations made
we gave to our readers last week. We shall
speak of them presently.
The following gentlemen were appointed a
Committee for revising the Constitution, viz
j. Bradley, St. Adams j. ii. Barrett, Mid
dlebury | n. Thorn, Brattleboro.
Said Committee reported the following re-
solution
Re,oiued, That all the Obligations and injunctions
of secrecy imposed upon the members of the Amer
lean Party by the Constitution and Ritual Of the
State or Subordinate Councils, be removed, and the
doors Oi our Council Chambers opened to all who
believe in and support our principles; and that the
only qualification for membership of the Party, be
a full and unqualified approval Of its avowed prin-
ciples, as laid down in the Platform this day adopt
ed and that in addition to President Vice Presi-
dent, Secretary and Treasurer, there be an Executive
It tie Committee consisting of one in each county,
with full power, with the concurrence OF the Presi-
dent, to perfect and complete such further organiza-
ton as they may deem necessary to carry out the
principles of the Party. Adopted.
And the proposed Executive Committee
was thereupon appointed.
On Motion, Resolved, That the President of the
state Council be, ~er-gtic,o, President of the Execu-
tive Committee.
The Committee on resolutions reported the
following;
RoSoiutd, That we re-afirm the following princi.
piles, adopted as our Platform in july
Of the resolutions so reported and adopted.
the first nine, with three or four unimportan'
verbal alterations, are the same as those
adopted at the July meeting of the Council
held at Burlington in 1855. We published
them at length in the Free Press at that
time, and need not repeat them. As we SAID
then, so we say now. The general doctrines
contained in them are all we'll enough. They
accord with public sentiment us it has been
in New England ever so long but there is
nothing in them distinctive, and there is no
more call for a political organization to uphold
ticIl III NtIulpnl, ulsllHCI from lne eTedb
party Of the nation now battling for freedom
under the name Of Republican, than there
Is for one in favor of good air and water. The
great mass Of those who, for one reason and
another, have joined the Know Nothing or
American organization, have felt SO from the
moment that platform was put forth, last
year, and they have acted accordingly. As a
whole the order has been left to tumble down
of itself, throughout the State. A few man
ayers have kept it alive, IN spots, not as an
agent for strengthening any peculiar faith or
spreading any peculiar doctrine, but because
they believed it a machine which could be
worked to get individuals into Office.
Three other resolutions follow, one on Kan
sas Affairs, one on the Assault on Mr.. sum
ner, and one on what must be expected of the
men whom they will support for President
and Vice President Of the United States
viz. that they must be pledged 4" to oppose
the aggressions Of the slave power, and to
favor the immediate admission of Kansas as a
free State"
There is nothing remarkable in the SEN
timent or wording of those resolutions, and
we omit them also. Though they have not
the full breadth which the platform of the
republicans has, they are well enough, as far
rs they 60. Three others then follow. and
as we have something to say on them we give
them at length.
"Re,olued, That we are ready to cooperate with all
who are opposed to the present Ada inistration in
the next Presidential and Congressional elections,
provided we can be met on a fair basis, and without
any sacrifice Of American Principles.
R'Soir'd, That the State Executive Committee be
authorized TO fill any vacancies that may occur in
the state Ticket this day nominated prouided that
if Hon. Ryiand Fletcher declines to accept the NOM
ination .cndered him, the Committee are instructed
10 put the name Of James NJ. Slade in his place on
the ticket
Resotted, That the American Party of Vermont,
assembled in State Council, believing themselves, by
general consent, entitled to their choice of Candi-
da es for tate officers for the year ensuinr, and
af.er careful consideration Of the ~propriety Of now
making that nomination, having concluded to make
such nomination, do announce to the great body of
the voters Of this State, the names Of Ryland
Fletcher. Jane. NJ. Slade, and Henry NJ. Bates a.
their candidates hoping and believing that they will
recommend themselves, not only to the American
party proper, but to the great body Of voters who
love free speech and free principles in Vermont"
First then, on the last of the above three
resolutions, We say the assumptions in it are
arrogant to a ridiculous extreme. We do
not believe such preposterous claims were
ever before put forth by any body in this
State. Entitled to their choice of candi-
dates for State officers for the year ensuing"
The State Council was called for specified
purposes. Not a hint even was there in the
call, tlat the nomination of State officers was
t. be considered About one hundrcd and
JHY CouHdis have been formed in Vermont.
Only forty tour delegates were presented
whom nine We're emphatic in their opposition
to the whole proceeding. who gave the
thirty-tive authority to speak in that way
for all who have joined the one hundred and
fifty councils that have been formed in Yer
mont and not only for them but for the great
body Of the voters of the State. who love free
speech and free principles in Vermont
The proceeding looks maryellously unlike
either " free speech or free principles but
very like the act of a SELF constituted oligar-
chy, working not for the good Of the people
but to promote the private ends of the few.
We regard it as the result of an intrigue and
else.
In the second place, what is the meaning
OF that proriso in the first OF the three resolu-
tons just quoted Does it mean that the
votes they shall give for President and for
Congress men are to depend on whether they
are allowed to have their own way or not in
the matter of State officers, and perhaps of
officers That is the only
meaning we can get out of it. If
there is a different one, we shall like to have
it dug out by some one who can do it.
We 20 now to the second resolution. 1t
to be presumed that those who nomi-
mated tho three gentlemen there spoken of,
had a right to believe the nomination would