Democratic banner., 1848-08-21
sacrifice Of Inconsistency, duty, and sslf.res.

NECESSITY of the union of the people undel
the banner of Free Democracy, in a solemn
and formal declaration of their indepen
dence Of the Slave Power, and of their fxeG
determination to rescue the Federal Con.
stitution from its control.
ResOiUed, Meref1re, That we, the people
here assembled, remembering the example
of our Fathers in the days Of the first De.
Iclaration of our independence, putting OIL
trust in God for the triumph Of our cause,
and invoking His guidance in our endeav-
ors to advance it, do now plant ourselves
upon the National Platform of opposition
to the Sectional Platform of Slavery.
Res0kced, That slavery in che several
States of this Union which recognized its
existence, depends upon State laws alone,
which cannot be repealed or modified by
the Federal Government, and for which
laws that Government is not Responsible
We therefore propose no interference by
Congress with slavery within the limits OF
any State. So -
Pesolved, That the rroviso ofJeff.rson. TO
prohibit the existence of slavery, after 1900,
in all the territories Of the U. s. Southern
and Northern; the votes of six States and
sixteen delegates, in the Congress Of 1887
for the p~roviso, to three States and seven
delegates against it; the actual exclusion of
from the Northwestern Territory,
By the ordinance of 1887, unanimously a.
dopted by the States in Congress, and the
entire history Of that period, clearly show
i. was the settled policy of the Nation
not to extend, nationalize or encourage,
but to limit, l~ocalize and discourage slave
and to this policy, which should never
have been departed from the government
ought to return.
ResOlUed, That our Fathers ordained
Constitution of the United States, in
order. among other great national objects.
to establish peace, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings Of Liber-
ty; but expressly denied to the Federal
which they created, all con-
st%itutional power to deprive any person Of
life, liberty or property, without due legal
process.
RESOLVED, That the judgement of this
Convention, Congress has no more power
10 make a slave, than to make q king; no
more powed to institute or establish slavery
than to institute or establish a monarchy;|
no such power can be found among those
conferred by the constitution
derived By just implication from them.
Resolved, That it is the duty of the fed
eral government to relieve itself from ell
for the existence or continu.
ance of slavery wherever that government
constitutional authority to legis-|
ate on that subject, and is thus response
Bile for its existence
Resolved, That the true, and, in theI
of this Convention, the only safe
means Of preventing the extension Of slave
~ into territory now free, is to prohibit its
existence in all such territory by an act Of
Congress.
ResoIued, That we accept the issue which,
he slave power have forced upon US, and
their demand for more slave States, and
more slave territorys, our calm bat final an
'veris, no more slave States, and no morsI
lave territorys. Let the soil of our extern
i've domaius be ever kept Free, for the har-I
1y pioneers of our " land, and the op.I
pressed and banished of other lands, seek-I
ng homes of comfort and fields of enter.l
,rise in the new world.
ResOfved, That the bill as reported byI
he committee Of Eight in the Senate of the
United States, was no compromise, but an
absolute surrender of the rights of the non
.'laveholders Of all the States; and while
We rejoice to know, that a measure which,,
While opening the door to litigation and
trife among the future inhabitants thereof
o the ruin of their peace and prosperity
vas defeated in the House of Representa-
ives, its passage in hot haste, by a majority,
embracing several Senators, who. voted in;
pen violation of the known will Of their
constituents. should warn the people to see
o it, that their representatives be moi suf.
ned to betray them. There must be no
lore compromises with Slavery, If made
hey must be repealed.
ResOlved, That we demand Freedom and
established Institutions for our brethren in
now exposed to hardships, peril
nd massacre, by the reckless hostility of S
Slave power to the establishment of g
rec Government for Free Territories, and .
OF only for them, but for our new brethrqn
California and New Mexico. \
And whereas, it is due, not only to this o
e~casion, but 20 the whole people of the a