Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-04
irhn 70 conrsnrlena.

Two cohventiOns meet to-day, one at Wash
InVtou. and the Other at Montgomery Ala
The former is a meeting of peace commits
sinners, the latter a council otwar- 10 the
sarmer the Northern and border slave States
send delegates 70 show their tra,eFpal feel
ing and the endeavor to re-establish harmony
if Il can be done " tbout the sacrifice Of prin-
chile. The latter is composed Of commits
sioners ffom the cotton States, for the pur-
pose Of brming 8 Southern confederaey.-
Upou "a proceedings and objects no true
Northern nan looks with feelings other than
shame, that such deeds be done in this, our
E.eat country.
While we earnestly desire peaee for our
troubled country, we do not anticipate any
settlement from the consultations Of the WASH
ingtOu conference. The Virginia commits
sioners viii prevent the action Of the Legis-
latugs Of that State, which demand not only
protection for slavery in the territories, but
also in the non-slaveholding States. This
demsud far exceeds anything that has before
been asked Of the Free States. It can never
be agreed to. Furthermore, the Virginia
delegation are expected to demand the with
drawal Of troops from Washington. The
reasons Why this demand cannot be met we
gave day or two since. II would be sui
cidal policy for the Government to accede to
such request
There are three propositions which will
come before this conference for action, as fol-
lows;
I. These Is Mr.. Adams proposition. This
proposes 10 furnish constitutional guaranty
that the Federal Government will never here.
aiter interfere with slavery in the States, and
to pass a legislative act allowing all territory
south of 500 80 to come in as State, with
or without Slavery, as the Territory may
choose.
II. What is known as the Border-State
proposition. This is to prohibit slavery north
Of s6o s0f; and, below that line, to stipulate
that neither Congress nor the Territorial au-
thorities shall ever introduce or exclude
slavery, bat leave it to fight its own way,
under the protection of the Federal Courts
or, on the.other hand, to be discouraged by
the Executive Government or encouraged,
Just according to the proelivities Of the Exec
utive for the time being. This plan also IA
vors incidental points IN aid Of slavery.
+ III The main proposition Of the slave
holders, supported by Mr.. Crittenden, and
which covers all their claims. This is to es-
tablish slavery BY constitutional guaranty in
all the existing territory south Of 360 30>, and
all that may be hereafter acquired Also, to
allow the transit Of slaves through the free
States, and to distinctly recognize them as
property BY the Constitution.
The second proposition wOuld'open all the
territory south Of the line Of $50 sO> to g
long protracted, bloody and fierce repetition
Of the Kansas war. We have at last admit
ted Kansas as State, and her troubles are
over; and now let us not, if we have spark
of humanity or justice, inauguFate another
such war as that which desolated her plains
which was the caase Of the John Brown raid
and which kept the country in a state Of con-
tinual fomeut for six years.
The last proposition is simply asking thai
the Republican party shall transfer itsel
body and soul from the Chicago Platform
over to the Brsskinri6ge platform. ItsadoP
ton would be ruinous to the country, to th'
cause Of freedom, and to those Commissioners
who should vote for it,