Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-03-13
EDITORIAL RREsPoNDENCE

MuTCu y, lCJO.
The Convention which met here on the
4th inst. was, in many respects, the most
important, and certainly one of the most
exciting that ever assembled in Harrisburg.
Tho nomination of candidates for Judge Of
the Supreme Court and Canal Commissioner
we're matters Of secondary consideration.
The great question to be discussed and deci-
ded was Kansas and the Lecompton Consti-
tuition. Every other issue was absorbed and
resolved into this. The mandate had gone
forth from, Washington, that the Convention
must endorse the policy Of tho President OH
the Kansas question, and weeks before the
Convention assembled it was painfully oYi
dent that the power Of patronage was still
omnipoteut when men of intelligence and
the highest standing were willing
TO crook the pregnant hinges Of the knee,
That iLsf might folyw fawning.
The proceedings of the Convention, so far
as the nominations Of candidates is concerned.
will meet with general approval, but as
regards the adoption of resolutions in favor
Of the Lecompton Constitution, it was the
merest farce that ever was enacted by any
body possessing ordinary intelligence. 1t
was, in fact, in many respects, second edition
Of The LecomPtcn Convention, in which the
opinions Of the Democracy Of Pennsylvania
was about os fairly represented as the people
of Kansas were in the LecomptOn swindle.
The Convention was made up Of many Of the
ab!est men in tie party-many Of them hav-
ing been substituted for the suprrnumeTaries
used on ordinary occasions. Nearly all @!
these were expeetants for place and station.
To sec such counties as Warren, Potter,
Bradford, and others represented by I.ecomp.
ton delegates was SO excessively absurd that
the delegates did not pretend that they were
representing the prssen. opinions Of the peo-
pie.
Judge Ives, for instance, OF Potter, was
not instructed, and went strong for Lecomp'
ton. The Judge admits that the people ol
Potter are the other way, and one OF bis
friends remarked that the Judge was about
the only man in the county in favor Of Le'
compton. Mr.. Parmalse, the delegate from
Warren, is in the same predicament. Judge
ellis, the member Of Congress from Elk
came on from Washington to sustain lie
compton. The Judge, who is always ready
", joke or pinch from his big snuff box
is reported to have said to Mr.. Buchanan,
few days since, that be (the Judge) wa
| hnunI IN Ia lpfaot al u-ha Ia mani e., -
against I.eccnpton. If be opposed Lecomp
ton the poiilicians would prevent his nomina
tion. ii be supported Lecompton then th
people would yote against him. The trutl
} is, if o fair representation had been presen,
= there would not have been ten Lecompto
men in the Convention. 1t was truly humi
iating TO End men of intelligence and charac
, ter stooping so low to serve any master
Hon. John l.. Dawson. the President of til
Convention. was himself opposed to the lie
compton policy only few weeks since, an
as these opinions were in some instance
committed to writing they may became an
noying hereafter. His conduct in appointing
all Lecompton men on the committee of /
on resolutions, after his solemn pledge tha
the minority should be fairly represented,
condemned even by many Of his own friends
The rebuke administered to him by Wm. A
Stokes, ESQ.,, from Westmoreland, was one
, the severest aud most scathiug speeches
ever listened to. The whole speech abounde
with pass sges Of thrilling eloqaence. Whe
= be pointed 10 Mr. Dawson and said, "Dd
b ever occur to you., Mr.. President. that 20
= now occupy the chair ONE occupied by Joh
IS Hancock. and from which MAS announce
6 that great principle, which declares that th
;. just powers OF all government Ia derived frol
It the consent Of the governed. and that 80
sss nov promulgating from that same chsi