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National Convention

National Convention image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
April
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A Nationu! Liberty Convention seems to be necessary at this time to select a proper person to fill i he vncancy occasioneel by the declinaiion of Mr. Monis to retnain the Liberty can didate for the Vico Presidency. What furj ther action that Convention will take, we have no nieans of fureknoWing. But from some intimations tlrat. have oppeared, it would sccni that eorne have looked forward to this Convention as a kind of Liberty Legislatura, where the minuter principies of the pirty will be defined with as ínuch precisión and aecuracy as eclesiaslical bodies establish the various poinis of theology. The presumption is, that the nexl step would be to require from every convert nn absolute ratification of each item in the creed, on pain of exclusión from political fellowship. It appears to us, Ihat if any have tnade calculations of this kind, tliey must have beon inattentive to the spint of the agre, the charncter of anti-slavery men, and the lessons of experience. All these teach us ihat the united action of lnrge bot'ies of men. of disimilar views, hnbits, education, and prejudices, can only bc successful when stimulatcd by an earnest zeal for the attainment of a cominon object; and thal feeling on which success depends can be excited by making the common object a prominent topic of discussion and vigorous action, rather than by rigid and üriyielding rules respecting mattere of minor inporlance, which are continually varyiug in their aspect?, and not direcily connected with thu main issue. The Liberty party had its oriin in the determination of abolitionists to overthrow the Slave Power. Thc Iearned by experience that political influence was indispensable to success, and they therefore nssociated politically for its destruction. The accessions lo their ranfcs have been made almobt entirely on anti-slavery grounds. Tt is thought best by some, that this Cnnvention shall define the position of these 40,000 antislavery voters, and scttle the course of their fature action in reference to a National Bank, j a Protective TarifT, the Distribution of the j Public Lan'ds, or of their proceed?, and whaL I ever "other great inlcrests" tho mnjonty may deern worlhy of in a National ! ventioTTIn refcrence to this pröpositïon. we observe that antivslavery mpn aro not insensible to the nnportance of judicious action pon these subj'ects. The 6iil)jects are important. They material ly affect the interests ancí well bc'wg ofour citizens, and they wilf, thereforc, bc intereslcd in lliem, aml it is proper they should 6c'. Blit nbolitionists also know tñat tlie j cisión of these ffnestions is of much Icïs ! ment than the overthrow of the eystem by i which L50,000 Slavefioklers lord" it at their will over millions of people. They ! make, nl er, or annihilate, accordig1 to tlieir soverein wil', Bauks, Tariffï-1, Subtreasuries, and Dlstribution laws. ön tliis accouTit, as is well fcnown to aïl intelligent Liberty men, ! the ranoval of tlie Slavchofding grasp' xqion the veins of gover nment, is n neezssary pre requisite to any permanent legislation trpnn these questions . We, then, woul'd Wish our ríalional Convention, as well as all local one?, tü keep these truths in view. On the oue hand, the great importance ofour anti-slavcry oljecta should not canse us to dëspiseall other national mnttcra as of no consequeuee, andulterlyhy of notice. Tnie wisdom requircs that all thwgs be h%arded accordmg to their relaüve yaltie. Let cacfi of these intertsts lecoive iis diie sharc of altention, not foYgettinj; that thero ís tfnother of paramourrt rmporlance, to whicli all uthers must give place. None but enthnsiasts eau be led permanently to concéntrale tlieir mimlü on one tliing, tó the exclusión of etíI elsethat is valuable. In detcniünng on the añiiirs of a nation, a sound and accuiale jöd'gm'ent, wlricli takes in all the interesls of a peop'e in their proper diinehcious, ie [ ar preferable to che contracted visión of the pliilantliropic enthusiast, A moral eníhusiast may be exceedincly eflícient in aVousing public attention to mensures of reform, and lic may labor wilh energy and success in his peculiar department of action; yet he will ever be an unsafe ndviser, and probably an injudicious actor, in all matters combining extensive and diversiricd intcrests. On the otlier hand should these objecls of minor importance become inseparably connected wilh tlie abolition of slavery, to be pursued in common wilh that. as co-exteiuiveobjects, there is great danger lest the maiii purpose for which the urgunization was commenced, shoiild be cxclüdrd from view. The iiiind is so constituted tbat itcannot be deeply onècted by many objects at once. Besidcs, thero is reasou to believe that tfie adoption of a formal creed on the financial questions of tlje country, and their pursuit as propeimnd fundamental objecls of the Liberty party, wou ld tend to lead us into temptations to alliance or partnership with one of the olhe j partios, whilo it would exposé us to the in, creased hostiliiy of the olher, and thiis em barrass our movements, and prevent accessions toour ranks. From all these considerations, we are opposcd to the estabJishmeut ofany creed which j shall bind the Liberty party to any t-pecified j course upon maiters of National Fina nee. - He wlio co -opérales with 113 by bestoving liis influence and his vole for the Liberty party, with the view of overlhrowing slavervj is a Liberty man, whatevcr niay be his views upon other topics. Let this continue to be Ihe only test of politica! fellowship. Let all minor subjects of interest be freely ar.d kindlyj discussed among Liberty men, ond have a place in their papers. Men will tbink difíerently, and will expresa tiieir opinions. and thc only way to prevent quarrels and divisions, is by allowiog a universal toleration. We ljope the National Convention wil! ineist upon the overthrow of the Slave Power as the onc proper, direct, and paramount obI ject of the Liberty party. Should tliey express their opinión upon matters of financo, the necessity of providing an adequate foreign niarket for the immense agricultura' producís of the Free States will not escape their notice. In reference to the Currency, concerning which there has been such a hue and cry for years, with ïio change for the better, wc bei lieve the tnass of our friends are unanimous for a circulation of gold and silver coin, or itg equivalent. Where banking institutiuns exj ïst among us, on a b isis satisfactory to the commumty, estabüshed by law, and fuifilling the purposes for which they were crealed, good j policy requires that they be not hastily abro gated. At the same time, the immense losses community has sustaincd from the frauds and mismanogement of these inetitutions, should serve as a caution ngainst granting future charters, unless under peculiar circunistances, and attendcd witl tlie mast rigid restrictions.As to a Tariftj we are well persüaded Ihat the great mnjority of our iriends are in favor of raising as much revenue as wil! defray the expenses of the government by duties on importe, so apporlioned as to promote the interests of all paris of our country, and all classes j of its inhabitants. Whatever theoretical views may be entertained by some among us of the excellency of FreeTrade and Direct Taxation as future mensures of finance, the nuinber is sroall indeed who would advocate thcir ïtnniediateadoptjon. The Public Larrdö of the United Stntesare an immense and rich dommn. The queslion has been asked, what shall be done with themi To divide the lands among' the severa! States, would be impracticable: to issue stock on their credit would be to set the demon of speculuiion once more loóse among os, and would bc' only a wasteful zftid injurious way of throwing them into the hands of capitaiisls; and to divide the proceeds of the sales semi annually among the State Government, while ths citizïiisof ihose Stales are compelled to refundthe amount into the National ïieasury, np-5 pears lo ns absurd and useless. ín uur opinión the General Governmont should retain these lands in its own hands till tliey can be soíd'fbr cash ot the present price, and the proceeds shouk1 go into the treasury to defray our national expenses. We have thiis frcely expresscd our views of what we concehe should be the bctioii of the Fíational Convention, and the future coutso of our party. Wc have no' nnxíety as to the final result. Antislavery principies have steadily gained ín public estimation, siiKiethe first society was organizcd, nDtwithstanding1 óütward liostiïity and inward diciï'ioni?; and such iá now their hold upon the conscience and inlelligence of comnuinity, that however thfiy may be retarcled in their course by the mistakes and errors of their advocates, they will j continue to progiess until they feach a full:and glorious consumnalion.In IIomer,the Liberty condidate for Justice was e'.ected by a considerable niojority. - The Liberty vote in Farmington was 5C - last year 46. In Milford, a Liberty Supervi. sor vaB elected

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News