Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-06-20
THE LOW CUNNING OF FANATICISM.

Black Rcpubicansm, and in Missouri to effect the
same end through the assistance of Southern Know
Nothings-al! looking to grand fusion for the over.
throw uf The Democratic party. In the South it has
long been manifest that the Fillmore organization
could have bu one result: the betrayal of the slave
holding States into the hands of aboitonlsm. The
design Of the Blnrs, Banks Sew ards. Bentons, Gree
leys, &c. is to unite all factions North in one great
sectional party, under the lead of Banks, Fremont, or
Mclean, and if they cannot procure majority IN tile
eiecural colleges, to devolve the election upon the
present House OF Representatives. The New York
Tribune aud the New York HraM OF the llh con.
tain the proceedings Of the Fillmore Presiden-
tial Convention, to which the Black Republican Ma
tionul Committee made direct overtures for union
with the Philadelphia Convention, OH common
candidates Both of those journals declared IN favor
of the movement, and SO did all the principal speak.
ers in the Know Nothing Convention. A commit
tee had waited upon Fremont, and he had pledged
himself 10 the KnowNuthing- Black Republican cru
sade The Fillmore committee had also been in con-
sultation with the intrguers. The only difficulty
presented was that suggested by Greeley, viz: that
the prior nomination by the Know. Nuthngs might
publicans in sentiment. He and Bennett therefore,
advised the consumption Of time in the hnow'No'h'
ing Convention, By speeches, reports, &c, until
| Tuesday or Wednesday, when the Black Repuolican
Convention, which met at Philadelphia Tuesday,
could communicate with lis allies, in session at New
York by telegraph, and BANKS or Fremont be numi-
mated simultaneously by both bodies.
This corrupt bargain is undoubtedly the work of
Greeley, Weed, Seward, Blair, Banks and Benton. 1t
was probably concocted in Washington during the
winter We are led to this conclusion by the course
taken by the Benton and Seward organs. as early as
last December. In an article which first announced
that a convention would be held at Pittsburgh, the
proceedings of that gathering were accurately fore
shadowed even to the deails"f the part Missouri and
MARYLAND were to be made TO play. Mr. B!air under
took to speak for the latter State, and Mr. Redpath
uhe correspondent OF Bentons confidential organ for
the former. About tho same time, the New York
Erening P0st the eulogist of Benton and BLAIR, on
all occasiuns, denounced the Democratic party, and
insisted on fusion. The Jefferson Inquirer, (Alssou-
ri contained an elaborate article, we'll known to have
been written by Renton assailing the Democratic Ma
tiuua Convention, in advance; and the st. Louis
ItWOCTW
! mont's prctersions for the Presidency. Under the
| auspices Of Mr.. Blairs son in Missouri, coalition
had been effected between the Know Nothngs and
Benton men in that State of which both the Demo-
cratic and Wing papers there have published full
particulars.
As long ago as lSJ0-'5l, Col. Benton and Mr.. Blair
resortvd to carefully prepared plan TO divide and
| Darty-tukDn their
ralyinG cry, hostility to all conventions. -
Hence, every psper i'll their interest worked zeal
ou,ly TO bring the whole convention system
| into disreputc. Failing 10 complete their schemes
| iu time for the National Convention OF lSo2, they
semtugiy acquesced in its nominations, but assalled
| il. pu,furm, Col. Benton declaring in his speeches
that platforms were gull traps" and "dead tnIls'
mud Conventions mere ..horse markets" An elabo
raft, ,r,c,s in the Washington Union Of last Thurs
day, gives full extracts from Col. Bcnton's speeches
and letters from 1852 down tn the middle OF May lust
showing that he has been untiring and persistent II
his labors to destroy the moral force, If he could no
break up, the Democratic National Convention. Hi
friends in Missouri refused to unite with the Democ
racy or to agree to support the Cincinnati nominees
His confidential organ in ST. Louis, on the 18th o
| April last announced that the Benton faction in Mis
souri, would present separate Stale ticket and I
separate electoral ticket and that the latter shouC
be put before the people, pledged to vote Tor those
persons for President and Vice PRESIDENT VINO
might be designated by n Benton State COnven
! ton, to bs called therefor after the Presidential
| election. 1t was we'll known that, as that tcke
| could never be elected, such final resort would
be needed but that, by having such ticket before
the State unpledged all the sore headed and tender
footed politicians we'll as all the adherentS OF Ere
| mont and of Black Repubcansm, might be induced
To throw away their votes upon it, and thus, possibly
give the electoral vote Of Missouri to Fillmore. o.
course, in Missouri, avowed Black Republican
ticket would receive support outside of st. Louis
which is cosmopolitan in its population.
Hence, when the Know Nothing State Convention
! of Missouri met in ST. Louis last April young Blai
| had full consultation with the President OF tina
body, for the purpose Of maturing complete fusion
or perfecting full understanding This has beer
charged and clearly proved in Missouri. The resul
was, that the Know Nothngs nominated State tick
ct with Benton men on it for Governor, Lieut.. Gov
ernor. Register, Attorney. General and COMMISSIONS
Of Public Works. The Benton and know-Nothine
| u
mocracy-the identity of the assaults showing thai
they were coined in a common mint.
Col. Benton, late in the winter, had published
letter in the ~. Eous Gmocrat, announcing hiinsel
in favor of "a sew aAS' for the Presidency, ant
stating that he should return to Missouri to canvass
| it for "his friends" He had previously denounc
ed, through his journals there, "Mr. Buchanan
MIR. Douglas, Mr.. Pierce, Mr.. Wise, MIR. Hun
ter" &c., rs "nsHiGcrs," and urged his adherent
to oppuse them. HIS confidential organ had declared
for FREMnyr. On the 18th oi last April, the ~
! Louis Democr0. contained :. programme OF TIT
| Benton faction, to which We :. 'eterred. On TIT
2lst of April the Benton State Con- "ention met, com
posed of delegates, mainly from two counties, ant
carried out that programme ~ nearly as could o'
DONE under the restiveness Of few men from the in
terror, who insisted upon not cutting entirety loos'
| 40 soon from the National Democratic party. Unles
those men were appeased, Bentonism, 1t was obvious
would be reduced to his followers in ST. Louis alone
| I'm that Convention the most unIneasured abuse was
| haped upon Pierce Douglas and Buchanan; and
resolution in favor Of supporting Buchanan, wa
voted down promptly and Indignantly AS late as II
DAYS before the meeting Of the Cincinnati Conven
| tion the correspondent ot the 81. i0"" Demo
cras, writing from Washington under the eyes, if no
direct supervision Of Benton, assailed Mr. buchanan
| in the most insidous manner, and openly vil.fie
Pierce aud Douglas. On the 9th of May, the Thur,
day before the Cincinnati Convention met, the sam
correspondent forwarded another elaborate article
of the same character, which was published IN tn
Democrat whilst the Cincinnati Convention was II
session. Col. Benton went to Cincinnati himself u
take into his own hands the management OF III
cause and how, aud to what end he conducted H. IN
violence and teroc,y of his spurious delegates nav
| made known to the whole country.
On consulting with his managers from missouri
after he reached Cincinnati, he suddenly changed h'
tacf,cs Instead OF continuing to Witty Mr. bucnan
an, he wheeled suddenly around and proessed 10 OF