existing free suffrage law; and these immigrants wisely concluded that what Whigs had done they might do again. Again, they represented that their party was the antibank, specie currency party. This was proven with equal ease to be a humbug of the same character by the whole course of the Whig party for the last half century, and it was frankly acknowledged by individual Whigs and the Whig organ at this place that their party was and always had been in favor of banks, and deprecated a specie currency as one of the greatest evils that could befall the country; and the Sentinel and Gazette abounds with articles condemning the Democratic policy of withdrawing the government funds from the safe keeping of these indispensable conveniences called banks. The hypocrisy of these pretensions being thus easily exposed, and foreign immigrants being disgusted with our miserable ragged currency, they naturally fell into the Democratic ranks on this question also, and so the Whigs were beaten. In exposing in our paper a short time before the election these two prominent humbugs, we remarked at the close of the article that we expected in about four years more the Whig party would claim to be the free trade party, and that they always had been. A day or two after, we visited the English settlement on Black Earth Creek, when we found that our remark was history rather than prophecy-that we were actually four years and some days behind the times. Some of the Whig candidates for the convention had been through the settlement proclaiming that the Whigs of the United States were the free trade party, and that the Locos were the tariff party, answering to the Tory party of England; and many who had but recently come among us and paid but little attention to American politics had been made to believe the story. While in the settlement we attended a meeting of the voters of Gorstville, in Dane, and Reevesville, in Iowa, and being well provided with extracts from Whig papers, which we had taken along for the purpose of showing the difference between Whigs and Democrats, it was an easy task to satisfy every man present which was the free trade party. After the meeting, some of the voters of Reevesville remarked that they could do nothing for us in Dane, as they were out of our county, but that they would do their best for the Democratic ticket in Iowa. They were as good as their word, every vote cast in that precinct being Democratic. We mention this incident merely to assure the Sentinel and Gazette that the foreign vote, so called, was not carried by the Democrats in this region by a misrepresentation of Whig principles, but by a true exposure of their real sentiments, supported by the most satisfactory proof-their own leading and well accredited journals, the Sentinel and Gazette for one, and their actual doings when in power. In this quarter at least, all the misrepresentation was on the other side. Is it not gross misrepresentation to pretend that the Whig party is favorable to free suffrage, free trade, and a metallic currency? As well might the autocrat of Russia pretend to be in favor of establishing republican institutions in his own dominions. There are individual exceptions we know, but these are only Democrats who have blundered into the wrong box and do not know how to get out. The truth is that the Whig policy is in the main identical with that against which the foreign immigrant has long done battle in his native land, and it needs no misrepresenting to secure his unqualified disapprobation. Whigs may marvel at this truth, but truth it is, and they may charge corruption and misrepresentation upon their opponents till doomsday, -they can never themselves cook up their own real sentiments so that they will not, to an European immigrant, savor strongly of aristocracy. Poor fellows! Their policy is radically wrong and they cannot see it themselves as "ithers" see it. This is the real difficulty with you, boys—it is, upon our word. SELECTIONS FROM THE SOUTHPORT AMERICAN ADVICE TO THE LEGISLATURE [December 6, 1845] But by far the most important question upon which the action of the legislature this winter is anticipated is that of state government. We believe that we rightly interpret the opinions on this subject of the great majority of the people of the territory, and we are confident that we express an almost unanimous public sentiment in this immediate section when we say that such action on the part of the legislature as will bring about our admission to the Union as speedily as is consistent with perfecting the forms of admission is both expected and demanded by their constituents. The people of this territory are now, as we believe, fully convinced that they are old enough, and rich enough, and strong enough to take care of themselves, and this position attained, what earthly reason can there be for our remaining longer in a state of vassalage-beggars at the national treasury for the poor pittance of appropriation for the expenses of the government, so grudgingly bestowedand forgoing, for the sake of it, the right and all the advantages of electing our executive officers, framing our own judiciary, and being really represented, and by the number of votes to which we are entitled, in the national councils. STATE GOVERNMENT-No. 1 [December 6, 1845] Pursuant to a call published in the Southport Telegraph of December 2, a meeting of citizens, friendly to the speedy formation of a state government for the territory of Wisconsin, was convened at the White Schoolhouse in the village of Southport on Wednesday evening, December 4. On motion, R. H. Deming, Esq., was called to the chair, and L. P. Harvey chosen secretary. At the call of the chairman, Col. M. Frank presented to the consideration of the meeting the subject upon which they had been called together and, in a brief and impressive manner, urged the prominent considerations which should at this time induce the action of the people, by petition to the legislature and through their popular assemblies, in favor of the erection. of a state government at the earliest practicable period. On motion, Messrs. Davis, Newell, and Deming were appointed a committee to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. The meeting was ably addressed by the chairman, F. S. Lovell, Esq., and others. Committee on Resolutions reported the following: First. Resolved, That in our judgment the time has arrived when the territory of Wisconsin ought to take immediate steps for the organization of a state government. Second. Resolved, That, for the purpose of impressing upon the legislature the importance of immediate action, measures ought to be taken to secure a full and fair expression of the people on this subject. Third. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, by nomination, to prepare a memorial to the legislature in accordance with the views entertained by this meeting, and to prepare a circular to be addressed to the friends of state government in the different counties of the territory, urging their effort and coöperation in securing a strong and united expression of public opinion in favor of the measure, at the approaching session. Michael Frank, F. S. Lovell, L. P. Harvey, Charles Durkee, and C. Latham Sholes were chosen [the] committee under the third resolution. Voted that the proceedings of this meeting be published in the papers of the village. Adjourned, sine die. R. H. DEMING, Chairman. ACTION OF THE WISCONSIN LIBERTY ASSOCIATION [March 14, 1846] The Wisconsin Liberty Association held its annual meeting at Beloit on the twenty-fifth of February. From their published proceedings it appears that there were 123 delegates present-viz: 17 from Racine County; 19 from Walworth; 43 from Rock; 35 from Milwaukee; 6 from Jefferson, and 3 from Green-besides 10 from the state of Illinois and elsewhere, who were admitted as corresponding members. Resolutions declarative of the sentiments of the party were presented, discussed, and passed. Forty-three unsold or unpaid shares of stock in the Freeman office, were disposed of, Rev. A. Gaston, of Delavan, elected assistant editor of that paper, and a standing committee appointed to raise the sum of $300, as his salary. Charles Durkee Esq., of this place, was chosen president for the ensuing year, Rev. A. Gaston corresponding secretary, and S. S. Barlow, of Delavan, recording secretary. In reference to the approaching crisis of the organization of state government for Wisconsin, the Association resolved that they would vote against the adoption of any constitution, which should hereafter be submitted to the people, which did not secure equal suffrage, and, in all respects, equal rights to colored as to other persons; but, as |