Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-06-26

several County officers, and the transaction of
any other business deemed necessary.
VIM. wEsToN,l County
J.s ADAMS. 5 Committee.
Burlington, Vt. June "a, 1857. dtw2v
Republican State Convention.-Mass
Conventions.
The State Convention called by the Re-
publican State Commute to meet in
Burlington on the first of July, to nominate
State officers for the coming year, ought to
be largely attended, though we hardly dare
hope that it will be. No national election
is impending to arouse the interest of the
people to political matters generally, and
there is no spirit of contention abroad in
the State about men or measures that we
are aware of. The denomination of the
present state officers we consider to be q
ioregone conclusion. We have heard no
wish expressed for change, and the senti
ments of the great body of the people of this
State are so clearly defined on the great
national issue of the day that few will give
themselves much trouble about their express
sion, when there is nothing Immediately to
be done. There is reason to fear therefore
that the convention will consist Of but few,
save those from near by. If it shall prove
to be otherwise we shall be happily disap-
pointed
Yet there ought to be q large convention.
The duty of making state nominations
ought to be held sacred one in the com.
munity, not TO be shuied off on those who
live near the place of meeting or left to the
management of intriguers, as it is liable to
be, unless there is a fair representation
from all parts of the State, and here we will
say what we believe to be felt by an increas-
ing number in the State, that mass conven-
tions' for the purpose of nominations are
not so well adapted to the purpose as fairly
constituted delegate conventions In the
highest excitement of the public mind hut
q small portion Of the voters will be or can
be present. There is frequently talk about
the people acting themselves on such oc-
assions but the fact is the people often
have very little to do with the matter, under
such an arrangement. An overwhelming pre-
ponderance of persons from the nearer pla-
ces,--a complete absence of members from
large portions of the State, District or
County, and the necessary reference of all
the business to committees, is the conse.
quence, One place may be represented by
one man, another place by ten or twelve.
and in making up the committees, the one
mamie perhaps Il self appointed member
has as much power as the ten or twelve.
Nominally, all are called to the convention
and there is no responsibility on any one to
60 The great body Of the voters of course
do not go They leave the business to luck,
reserving to themselves the easy privilege Of
finding fault with what is done after all is
over. Ii all were to go, it would hardly
mend the matter. Agreat assembly may offer
good opportunity for harangue, but COM
monty affords no possibility of any fair deli
beration or discussion. The committees re-
port, almost from necessity,a lat very lateho
No time is left for examination of what they
have done. The only resource is to adopt
their doings in the gross, to hurry away,
ard grumble afterwards.
A Mass Convention may indeed meet
the general wishes of the voters, who are to
voteaccordlng to its doings, especially in those
instances where there has been previously
such clear exhibition Of the public senti-
ment in other modes, that no convention can
mistake it or dares to contravene it-and
it may 60 very WIDE of doing so. The
chances for the last are quite equal
TO those for the first
But let the people who substantially
agree on the main issues of the day, meet
in their several primary eeeeubIioe Gree
dom can never be maintained where the
primary assemblies are neglected by the
voters) under a public and fair call, and
there express their preference as to candi
dates, IT they have any, and choose delegates
to convention IN lair proportion to their
votes, as given at the next preceding State
or Presidential election, according to some
well understood rule let the delegates be
men of candOr and fairness, who will truly
make known the opinions of their
constituents, and candidly regard the
opinions Of those from other
parts OF the community ready also to
yield their own preferences if the general
sentiment calls for it--let them be men who
will be compelled by sense of duty to 90 =,
and let the acting convention consist of the
men so sent, and no others, and there will
be a result, inevitably, which will secure
the highest respect of their constitu ents at
home and do most to give strength to
the principles which they maintain.
We mean no reproach to present or past
committees, nor do we intend our remarks
as an application to the doings Of any past
conventions but we should have been glad
to see return to the practice of delegate
conventions this year-the more so, because
1T could have been done without any fear of
injurious suspicious on the subject As the
condition of the public mind is among the
friends Of freedom IN this State, the result
30 far as State nominations arc concerned
would nquestionably be the same with a
mass or delegate convention, and the people
would TINS in q time of qulet return To