Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-07-12
Platform of the West Point States Rights Union
Association,

/. Resolved, That the territories acquired by
the United States, belong to the people of the
several States, composing the Union as COM
mon property
2.-That the people of the several States have
equal right to migrate to these territories, with
every species of property recognised by the Con-
stitution of the United States, or of the several
States.
3.-That protection By the General government,
is due to all the property of all the citizens of all
the States, equally and alike-in said territories;
and no intentional degrading discrimination
in the degree quality,o the protection afforded
should be silently tolerated.
4.-That it is the duty of the Federal govern
ment to provide laws, infcting penalties for har-
boring stealing or conceang slaves in the terrific
ries-as vel as for offences of like character a.
gainst other species of property.
5-That the fact that slavery is unknown to
the Common Law, while itisrecognised and guar
anteed by our constitution, render It's protection
under that Constitution obligatory upon Congress,
wherever its power of legislation extends
6.-That the people of the several States did,
by revolution, re Jet the institutions and laws of
England, and formed for themselves a new gov
eminent, with written constitution, securing for
themselves and for their posterity, more extended
privileges, and recognizing rights, not secured and
protected by the Common Law; the great aim of
protection to the person and the property of the
citizen, wherever its power lawfully extended.
7.-Thatthe omission by Congress to discharge
its Constitutional duty by providing protection to
our slave property in the new territories, whereby
our citizens with their slaves, have been exclu-
ded therefrom, In much violation of our Con-
stitutional rights, would be the omission to pass
laws for the recovery of fugitive slaves
8-That while we are unwilling to secede from
union, on account of the passage of the late COM
promise bills, we are now satisfied with them as a
compromise, and therefore insist on amendments
to SAID bills, that shall secure to the South her equal
rights, as well in the territories as elsewhere
9.-Ihat IN consideration of the repeated viola
tons of the compromise heretofore made by the
by the NORTH and the aggressive character of their
past and present conduct, we regard it as the duty
OF the Southern people to patronize the labor and
industry of our people:-to encourage the
Machine Arts and pursuits of our citizens :-to
provide by joint associations, for the erection of
Manufactures in the South:-to diversity labor
SO as to withdraw capital from the production of
cotton towards other pursuits, and thereby en-
nance Its prlce-to maintain our Teachers, schools.
colleges and churches:-to discriminate in the reg
uaon OF our internal and domestic policy, against
those who show hostility to our institutions. and
thus to lay the foundation of lasting southern in
dependence, IN the mutual aid and good will of all
classes of our citizens at home
lo-That to carry into effect this policy, the
convention called to assemble in November newt
should: lst. demonstrate with Congress against
the omission OF its constitutional duty. and pro-
test against the longer continuance of such deora-
ding, discrimination against our institutions quar-
antled by the compact of Union Cd il should in