Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-05-01

We belong to neitherso of these parties; they
are both sectional; we occupy middle ground
between them; but it may be that those who
occupy that ground are too few to keep the two
antagonist;c powers asunder, and may be crush
ed between them as between the upper and
neither milestone This is the ground occu-
pied by such statesmen in the Senate and
House, as we could name, were it not invidious
to do so, as well as hundreds of distinguished
men who have not, perhaps, been SO long, or at
all, upon the stage of public action we might
say thousands, instead of hundreds, and, we
would fain hope, hundreds of thousands.
Is'it not timefof such men to band togetherg
will they wait until all the people are enlisted
ineoBe or the otherof the extreme partiese IL
they do, there will be no use in acting at all
They should come together, in a National
C0nventi0n--not to nominate candidates mot
perhaps, to form party, but to take counsel
together, and ut least form an ASSOCIATION
whose members shall be pledged to'each other
and to the nation, TO use their utmost efforts,
individually and collectively, to assuage Sec
tional hostilites and iritations, prevent sectional
parties and sectional discussions in Congress,
and restore the old fraternal and national feel
ing that carried oureountry successfully through
the trying scenes oftle Revolution, of the Con-
Jederacy, and Of the formation and adoption
Of the Federal Constitution. aslsi7q ID
The Union then proceeds:
"The American party of this country is the
nucleus around which to gather these conserva-
tive men, many of whom have joined no politi-
cal organization since the days of the old Wing
party, and many of whom, too, have unfortu-
nately been led off into these sectional parties
where they remained until they have become
thoroughly convinced Of the great wrongs that
must follow their support There are thou
sands of these men now ready and anxious to
join national, conservative party, that will
entirely ignore this party strife and sectional
agitation and restore the country to something
like the dignity and security ofother days.
"There is much sense in the proposition
to bring these men together in a National Con-
yention and there take such course as may be
deemed best in relation to forming apermanent
party organization and selecting ticket for the
next Presidential contest The American party
Of this county have taken the first step towards
such q movement in this State, in recommend
ing State Convention in July next We have
every confidence in the prediction that State
Conventions will be held all over the country,
where the truly conservative men Of all parties
will meet, and that great National Convention
will hold its session before another Presidential
contest is commenced" 'H 81
1t is very true that the American party is
the nucleus around which to gather the con-
SENTATIVE men of the whole nation; but we did
not propose the holding of a national convcn-
ton for the purpose of nominating a candidate
for the Presidency; but to enable conservative,
Union:men 'sto take counsel together, and to
form an ASSOCIATION whose members shall be
pledged to each other and the nation, to use
their utmost efforts, individually and collec-
lively, to assuage sectional hostilities and irri.
tationss prevent sectional parties and sectional
discussions in Congress, and restore the old
fraternal and national feeling that carried our
country successfully through the trying scenes
of the Revolution, of the Confederacy, and o.
the formation and adoption of the Federal Con.
| stitution."