Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-07-09
MIR. Giddings and lhe PhiIndeIphia Com


VentiOns Il Fl
To-the Editor of the N. 7. 1ribuae.-Dear
Sir: While l adhere to my own political
faith as steadily as other men, would desire
that my political acts should be understood.
In making that motion in our Philadelphia
Convention to lay on the table the commune
cation from the Committee of Americans as
sembled in New York, was governed by no
hostility to any man or body of men nor
was it my intention to offend any one. The
proposition was to enter into an arrangement,
an understanding with the American organ
izatiOn in regard to candidates for President
and Vice President.
That policy, if carried out, felt conscious
would prove fatal to our organization. There
were in our Convention many naturalzed cti-
zens, representing hundreds of thousands of
like character, whose hearts beat as truly for
Freedom, for our Constitution, fer all our
principles, as do those of any class of men.
Between them and the American organ
lzation exist strong feelings of hostility. In
dividuals from the Democrat party, the Wing
party, the American party, the Free Soil par
ty, and the old Liberty Eparty, make up and
constitute the Republican party. Upon the
principles avowed at Philadelphia we all
agree, To carry them out we pledged our
political efforts. In doing this the Wing the
American, the Democrat. the foreign born
citizen, retains his own views on all other
matters. We respect them equally. Their
happiness is equally dear to us. We vote for
and confde in them, Just IL, proportion to
their virtue and intelligence, without inquir-
| ing from what organization they came. But
were we to coalesce with the Democrats, with
! the Wings, or with our foreign born citizens,
| we should become in degree pledged to
maintain their views, and our American
| friends now acting with us might see the very
| party to which they are contributing their in
| huence welding their power against their
own views. We can therefore only hope to
| maintain our organization by adheuug to our
! doctrines, and permitting no outside issues to
disturb our harmony. Our members OF lon-
! gress and Of our State Legislatures will be
free to act on any and all questions which
come before them as their judgments and
consciences may dictate.
These, Sir are the views which dictated
my motion at Philadelphia. They are the
| views which have controlled our action in
| Ohio, where think we present as united a
| front as in any other State These views con-
trolled our action during the unprecedented
/ contest for Speaker in the House of Represen-
tatives of Congress at the commencement OF
tie present session, and the Committee al
! Philadelphia appear to have conceded with
them in their report on this subject. Those
views led me to oppose the adoption in com
mittee OF the latt,r clause to the last resolu-
ton of our platform, which feared would be
construed as rejecting upon the American
| Order. have been constantly guided by
| these principles of action Many Of our can
| didates for State officers in Ohio in 1854 were
! members of the Order; but they met with us
| in Convention, acted with us, and sustained
our other candidates, and we sustained them
Lieut.. Governor Ford, member OF the New
York Convention, was voted for by nearly
every Republican of our State. 1t was OF
these principles also that we so steadily and
firmly sustained Mr.. Banks for Speaker in the
House of Representatives during nine weeks
balloting. He was member of the Order
but had acted with the Republicans, and sus.
tanned the doctrines which we upheld. This
steady and undertaking adherence to our
principles will secure victory i'll our coming
contest, if followed. Very respectfully,
j. r. GIDDINGs.
! Washington CITY, June 81, 1856.