The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-14
TUE WEST And THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION FOR 1860.
EJ;,or offhe Nati0naL Era :

n, The Editor Of the National Era:
A Western man, l feel, in common with
I'll Republicans with whose views ! am familiar,
M small degree of interest in knowing upon
what basis and how the delegates to the Re-
,,oblican National Convention for 1860 shall
- elected. where the Convention shall meet,
and whether the National Committee will at
tempt to issue call, inviting fusion of all
The discordant elements opposed to the present
dominant party, or whether they will simply
discharge the duties assigned them by the Re-
nnbcans at Philadelphia in 1856, and call
Republican Conventions These questions are
IF vast importance to the Republican party
Of the Union, but particularly of the Western
States. where any attempt at fusion with Know
Notbingism or Pro-Slaveryism would be GER
tain defeat.
That the Convention will be simply Repub-
Ecan. and meet in one of the cities west Of the
Allegheny mountains, is settled question, if
Tho Committee regard the wishes of large
-,o;ority of those who intrusted them with their
present duties And while Ohio would prefer
- have the Convention in Cincinnati or Cleve
land she will be satisfied, as | doubt not the
Western States will be, to go either to Pitts
b,rgh. indianapolis, Chicago, or perhaps to
Wheeling, Va, the last place as central as
any other, besides being In a slave State but
=, no event will the West feel like again going
70 one of the Eastern cities, and our Eastern
friends ought not in fairness to ask it.
The feeling throughout the entire West
cannot be mistaken on these points. All ex-
,pct. when the Committee issue their call
for the Convention, that it will be Repub-
Tcan. but they desire to see not only the Re-
,rhlicaus of the United States notified to meet
IN their respective States and Congressional dis
7r;cts. but that all shall be invited to cooperate
with ms in the election of delegates, who are
opposed to the reopening of either the African
or any other slave trade to the spread of Slavery
oyer our National Territories, to the domino
ton of the slave power in this Government, to
the reckless and eXtravagant expenditure of
the peoples money, to the shameless abandon
mcnt of the rights Of naturalized citizens, and
the general policy of the present Administra-
ton and In favor of reform in all the Depart
ments of the Government, of protecting alike
the rights of native and naturalized citizens.
and especially of recognizing the Supreme
Court of the United States, so as to equalize
the duties of the Judges, and give the free
States such proportionate representation on
the bench as they are Justly entitled to by pop
ulation. and the amount of business they furnish
for adjudication In that court.
But while We are first Of all interested in
preserving the Republican organization free
from the corrupting influences of compromises,
W. are by no means unmindful of the import
ance and necessity of electing delegates to the
Convention on proper and fair basis, so as
truly to represent the electors who give the Or
sanlzatiOn its vitality, and without whose sup
port defeat is inevitable. In order fairly to Sc
cure this representation, the plan sought to
have adopted at the Pittsburgh Convention,
where the first National Committee were APP
pointed, is, | believe, the safest and best one
and certainly fair expression of the popular
will and the voice the minority can be heard in
no other way so well as by electing the num-
Der of delegates to which each Congressional
district is entitled, by ballot, ia District Con
gTessioAat COnDentioHS because larger mum
Der of Republicans would be in attendance at all
Congressional Conventions than could possibly
be got together from each Congressional district
in any State Convention. But few can leave
nome the length of time required, or afford the
expenses Of attending State Conventions. And
Il the State Conventions assumed to appoint al
the delegates to which the State would be en-
titled, as the old parties used to do, as often as
otherwise we should have delegates selected
who would not properly reflect the will of the
people they assumed to represent, while the
minority in many localities in the State would
be without a representative. But if the del
egates are elected in Congressional districts
q larger number of Republicans can and will
attend, than could go to State Conventions, and
they would make such selections Of delegates
as will fairly represent the sentiments of the
party in all localities in the State, which is Ger
iainly very desirable.
In view of the importance OF this matter
would it not be good policy for the Era and al
earnest Republican journals to take up TIN;
question, and present it in all its bearings and
above all, to urge the National Committee, wher
they issue their call, to apportion the number o
delegates to which the several COngresslona
districts shall be entitled in each State, taking
as the basis of representation the Republican
vote at the last general election and wherever
tie Republican and Opposition elements
whether Americans or AntiLecompton Demo
Gratis, we're united in any state in support o
oae ticket, on platform which recognised the
fundamental principles of the Republican par
~ as adopted at Philadelphia, let the basis fo
said States be the united vote of that OPPOSE
lion. Say that each Congressional district il
every State of the Union shall be entitled Il
elect one delegate, no matter how few Repubh
can votes they may have, or whether they have
heretofore cast any, and one additional dele
gate for every 5000 Republican or Republican
and Opposition votes they may have giveI
dnitedly for one ticket at the last general State
election in said district, and for every Fraction
ot five thousand such votes an additional dele
gate: so that a district casting large Repub
licaR and Opposition vote, and contributing, a:
some districts do, more than ten times the mum
Der of votes for the success of the ticket nomi
mated than districts even In the same States
should have something like a proportionat'
number Of votes i'm Convention to determine
who the nominee should be. | suggest eigh
thousand Republican and Opposition votes
where united on a State ticket, as the numbe
that should entitle a district to an additlona
delegate, and fraction OF hve Thousand
another delegate, because the average humble
Of votes cast by us in each district IN MAJOR
a. of the States in which we elect cur Congress
men is between FIVE and eight thousand. Thu
plan must either be adopted, or else no Stat
should be permitted TO send delegates unles
they had am efficient Republican organization
and no district should be permitted to sen,
delegates from any Congressional district il
any State, unless they cast at least five thou
sand Republican or Republican and unite'
Opposition votes. If the above or some SINH
lar plan is not adopted by the Committee whel
they issue their cali, and all the Opposition ele
ments, North and South, are invited to sent
delegates TO National Convention, withou
any regard to the principles of representation
the Republican organization will probably b.
found when the Convention meets to be in the
hands of those whose first and best efforts would
oe put forth to destroy it.
That the principle of representation is thu