The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-12
From he paidmore pa.rlo. Of DsesmOsr ~ !.
OPPOSITION CONVENTION.

cling Republicans, members OF the recipes
! Party of Pennsylvania members OF the Up
position Party of New Jersey, and all others
| who are willing to cooperate in support OF the
| candidates then and there to be nominated Tor
President and Vice President, has been OH
cially called to assemble at Chicago, on the
| 18th of June, 1860. Two delegates from each
| Congressional district, and four from the State
at large, are to constitute the representation.
The basis on which this Convention is called,
according to the terms of the notification, Is
Opposition
al. To the policy of the present Admins
| tration
%. To Federal corruption and usurpaton;
"3. To the extension of Slavery in the Ter
ritories;
"a. To the new and dangerous political doc
| trine, that the Constitution, of its own force,
carries Slavery into all the Territories Of the
| United States;
,"5. To the reopening Of the African slave
trade;
90 To any inequality of rights among citi-
zens
al And who are in favor of the Immediate
admission of Kansas under the Constitution re-
Gently adopted by its people;
"8. Ofrestoring the Federal Administration
to system of rigid economy, and to the prin-
ciples of Washington and Jefferson;
"9. OF maintaining inviolate the rights of
the States, and defending the soil of every State
and Territory from lawless invasion;
$40. And of preserving the integrity of the
Union, and the supremacy of the Constitution,
and laws passed in pursuance thereof, against
the conspiracy of the leaders of sectional
party to resist the majority principle as estab-
lished by this Government even at the expense
of its existence"
Tho FIRST ryroupA Of orYOoif;OD 10
us, would have been all-sufficient and had
we had the authority, we would have limited the
call to this comprehensive proposition, for it
is broad enough to combine all the elements
of hostility to the ruling dynasty, which is little
more than an expression In itself of every con-
ceivable sort Of INSTRUMENTATION and heresy
against the Constitution and our institutions as
established by the fathers. But as the authors
of the call have deemed it wise to amplify some
what, let us look into these specifications, and
see what they really mean.
Everybody will understand the first and sec
ond specifications. Open and unblushing cor
ruptions and usurpations constitute the very
existence of the Administration policy and the
only way to save our institutions from positive
and final destruction is to drive the dynasty
out of power with universal shout of indigna-
ton. 1t has earned the wages of political sin,
and nothing remains but to discharge the obi
CATION Let it be consigned speedily to the
political death that it merits
The third and fourth proposition, it will be
seen, embrace good old Henry Clay Wing doc
trines on this subject He was utterly opposed
to the extension Of Slavery into free Territories,
and said he would see his right arm drop from
his shoulder before he would lift it in support
of any such policy. And though the black
heresy that the Constitution plants Slavery by
its own inherent power in the Territories had
not yet reared its black head distinctly above
the horizon, yet Mr.. Clay foresaw it, and met it
on hundred occasions, in his public speeches,
directly and indirectly, with whitening denunci-
atoms and irresistible demonstrations of its I'M
soundness. But we are content to rest the fall
lacy of this outrageous doctrine upon the Hon.
Reverdy Johnson's recent arguments against it.
Inspired with the principles of the great Amer
lean master Of political economy, at whose feet
| he sat for so many years, with such eminent
distinction to himself and his teacher he leaves
the hereto at the head of the Government, and
his Attorney Black, not an inch of ground to
stand upon. Well may the Chicago Opposition
lists call for union, in support of these indie
structble principles We know of no 0pposi.
ton man, in the whole country, who will refuse
to sustain these propositions.
The sixth specification is one that every
American citizen ought to approve by his vote
and his acts 1t is timely assertion Of the
right of every foreign-born citizen to be pro-
tected by the whole power of the Government,
should he chance to return TO the country of
his birth, or when he is travelling abroad. He
is entitled to as much protection as the native
born citizen, for he has been made citizen
without reservation. No more shameful LIE
Clerc letters, we hope, will ever emanate from
the State Department, let the Secretary be who
he may. There must be no more inequality in
the rights Of citizens, when they are in foreign
countries. We must either assert the entire
right of foreigner to absolve himself from mil
itary allegiance, which is political duty, or
surrender 1T at once. Justice to our naturaized
citizens demands action on this subject and
this issue should be broadly made next fall
No man in the opposition to the corrupt dy-
nasty at Washington can be so perverse as to
disagree to the proposition against reviving the
African slave trade, or that in favor of admitting
Kansas, and getting her out of the way or that
for bringing back the Government to a system
of honesty and rigid economy. If there be any
such man, he ought to go over to the enemy at
once.
The ninth specification is bold assertion of
Gov. Wise's extreme doctrine on this subject, |
and the party or parties that will stand by this
resolution cannot fail to win the respect, if not
is marching straight up to the requirements
which from day 10 day we have been pointing
out as necessary to the preservation of our in |
ter-State relations. Mr.. Buchanan can see no |
power in the Constitution to authorize him to
put stop to lawess invasions of the States and |
Territories, except upon terms, the execution of
which is almost impossible. The Chicago OPP |
positionists propose to inaugurate the exercise |
of this power as constitutional one, which it |
is the duty of the President to resort to when
ever the occasion arises, let the invasion come
from what quarter it may. We are glad to see |
that our Northern brethren stand upon no idle |
distinctions.
The tenth proposition is well taken. 1t meets
a new state of things. 1t strikes right at the |
root of Abolitionism, that spits upon the Con-
stitution and refuses to bow to the will of ma
iorities. 1t deals a stunning blow to the con-
spiracies of that disunionisin which has found
some forty advocates on the floor of Congress
within the present month Every Unionist
everywhere will not fail to welcome this ex.
preston of hostility to such revolutionary
spirit from the Northern and Western Opposi-
ton parties. 1t can be responded to by the
whole Southern Opposition as sound doctrine.
Though the call of this Convention was made
by the Republican National Committee, it must
not be forgotten that the extension of the invi-
tation to the other two parties mentioned by
name, was made at the express desire of their
Representatives in Congress; so that, in thus
opening the door to these parties, as well as to
all others who may be willing to cooperate
upon the basis set forth, the Convention divests
itself of an exclusively Republican cast, and
becomes to that extent a National Opposition
one. 1t remains to be seen how the invitation
DID, l.