The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-01-28
The Princeton Convention.


The Princeton Clarion (Democrat) thus al
ludes to the spirit and resolutions of the Amer
lean Convention held at Princeton last week:
We were pleased to observe the frankness
and manliness evinced by the convention in
standing square ed in an Open-and- above
board manner, to their Native American prin-
ciples.
The Resolutions passed embody their sem
timents fully and squarely upon those questions
and are not liable to misconstruction They
declare emphaticaly that none but native
Americans shall hold Office, they recognize
the Christian religion as the religion OF the coun-
try and the Bible as It's embodiment, IN contra
distinction to popery. Their delegate to the
National Convention, Mr.. Phelps of Warrick
County, was unanimously instructed in favor of
Fillmore for the Presidency.
The resolution of. the Convention had moth
ing to say on the subject of religion and the
Bible, except in speaking Of the public schools
to declare that they should be common to all
citizens, without distinction of creed, and to
that end should be free from all influence or
direction of religious zeal. And as we believe
the Holy Bible to be the fountain and deposi-
tory of the universal religious doctrine of our
country, and the teacher of the profoundest
wisdom to all men, we express our firm dis
sent and reproof against any and every at
tempt to exclude it from the course of school
institution
The Clarion speaks of the Convention in that
open and manly spirit, which must secure for
its editor the respect Of his political opponents.
The Convention was marked by at least one
characteristic which is rarely found in any po-
litical Convention of these days-there was
notan office holder nor office seeker in its body.
This fact should entitle it to the respectful no
tice of those who are opposed to the principles
it promulgated, or at all events secure its mem
bers from such indecent personal structures, ut
terly uncalled for by even bitter party feeling,
and in one case, as we know most grossly I'M
kind and unwarrantable by facts, as have been
uttered against them.
The only criticism of the proceedings OIL
this Convention which is worthy of notice, is
the objection that it had nothing to say in its
resolutions relative to slavery. 1t had not di.
rectly, nor do we recollect word said in the
Convention on that subject. 1t is known that
this Convention was composed Of National
Americans who are opposed to the further
agitation Of the slavery question. Occupying
this position as body and as individual Dele
gates, it was tacitly understood this Conven-
lion should in its proceedings and in its reso.
buttons, in no manner contribute to that agita'
ton which they opposed. If the Convention
had been pro-slavery, like Old Line Democracy
at this time and in certain places it would doubt
less have said so in its resolutions, and en-,
dorsed the Nebraska swindle and all Northern
doughfaces If it had been Republican" il
would undoubtedly have expressed itself il
an equally striking manner on the opposite
side. But as it aCas National American" il
had neither pro-slavery nor anti-slavery Senti
ments to express, and it kept silence on &
question the agitation of which we think il
becomes all true patriots to shun.