Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1860 — Attitude of the Northern Conservatives. [ARTICLE]

Attitude of the Northern Conservatives.

The true theory of the action' of the Haiti- | more Convention seems to us to be; not especially lo exhibit the power of the conservative sentiment of the country, but to- make it practically useful. It is doubtless true that the candidate presented at Baltimore, whoever he may be, will faithfully represent the principles best adapted to the present good and final perpetuity of the Uuiow. But i it does not therefore follow that an imlepend-; ent nomination should be made. The eon- { servatives of the North will refuse to asp- ! port a third candidate, except under a press- ! ing necessity. Should both the Charleston und Chicago Conventions nominate notoriously sectional men, then our friends at Baltimore can put their man in the field, with an assured confidence that he will rally around him an enthusiastic and effective support. But in the event of a prudent and conservative nomination at Chicago—and there are several candidates of that character prominently before that Convention — we are compelled to say frankly to our Southern conservative allies, that it will be morally impossible to concentrate any considerable strength on a third nomination. We say further, that it is wrong to demand negative action of the North, when positive good may result from an affirmative course. The conservatives of the North are reliable for two things. If the Chicago Convention nominates a sectional man, they cannot be Induced to support him. If that Convention nominates a national »nun, it will be equally impossible to prevent them from voting for him. They recognize a possible necessity for a third candidate, and will yield to that necessity‘when it comes. But to expect them to commit themselves in advance, to shut their eyes and go it blind, is a tax upon them a little too severe to be patiently endnred. Supposing that a patriotic devotion to the nationality of politics should demand the defeat of the Chicago

| candidate, it is pretty evident that he must ! be be a tea at the North; if anywhere. There . would be no Southern battle-field in such a contest. The Northern aationals would act ,on a just plea of urgent necessity. Their 1 action would be defensible and patriotic. jßut with a nomination made at Baltimore on the' 9th of May, the great force of their argument would be broken. It would ‘be said that tiL'ey had precluded the possibility of prudent action at Chicago, pledged them*selves in advance to refuse support to any Republican candidate, however aceepraijlfe/. and so compelled the nomination of a distinctively sectional man.