The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-06-26
The Platform Adopted.

Hesoirei That we regard this as n distinctive
feature Of our political creed, which We are proud
to maintain before the world, as the great mora
element in form Of government, sprkgng from
aud upheld by the popular will; and We contrast
It with the creed and practice Of federalism, un-
der whatever name or form, which seeks to palsy
the will of the constituent, and which concelycs
10 lmposture too monstrous tUr the popular ere
guilty.
He,oiycd therefore, That, entertaining these
views, the democratic party Of this Uniou thro
their delegates assembled 10 general convention
Of the States, coming together in spirit of con
cord Of devotion to the doctrines and faith of a
| free representative government, AZ appealing ia
their fellow citizens for the recitude ui their IN
| tentuns, renew and rc assert before the Amer
can people. the declarations oiprlnciples ayowed
J by them when, on former occasions, in general
convention, they presented their candidates iOr
the popular suilrages:
| |, That the federal government is one Of lmi.
ted powers, derived solely from the constitution
and the grants Of power made therein ought Ia
| be strictly construed 10y all the departments, and
agents OF the government; and that It Is lnexpe'
dleut and dangerous to exercise doubtful cODsti
tutIonsl powers.
| 2 That the constitution does not confer upon
| the general government the power to commence
and carry on a general system Of internal Inl-
proycment-.
! 3 That the constitution does not confer author
| ity upon the federal government, directly or N.
! directly, to assume the debts Of the several
States, contracted for local internal improvements
or other state purposes: nor would such assump'
ton be Just and eXpedlcnt
| 4 ] hat Justice and sound policy forbid the fed
eral government to foster one branch Of industry
to the detrIment of any other or TO cherish the
interests of one portion to the injury of another
portion OF our common country that every citi.
zen, aud every section of the country, has a
right to demand and insist upon an equality Of
right, and privileges, and to complete aud ample
protection Of persons and property from domes-
TIC violence or foreign aggression.
8 That it Is the duty Of every hrahch Of gov
eminent 10 enforce and practise The most rgd
CUruuiy IN conducting our public AFFAIR." and that
no muic revenue ought Ia be raised than Is rcquI.
red 10 dcilay the necessary EXPENSES of the gov
eminent, aud irr the gradual but certain extinct.
ION If the public debt
G. That Congress has no power "a charter a ma.
tlun4 bank that ". believe such an institution
one Of deadly hostility to the best interests Of the
country, dangerous to our republican institution,
and the lbertle. Of the people, aud calculated to
place the business of the country within the con
iipl Of the concentrated money power and above
the laws aud the viii OF the people aui that the
result, OF the democratic legislation IN tbs and
all other financial measures upon which ISSUES
have been made between the two political parIle-
uf ihe country, have demonstrated to cas- did and
practical men OF ~ rirtlrs their snnn'in"ss SOTO
u and utllty IN all business pursuits
Z That tie separation oi the moneys of the
government from banking institutions Is indl-prn
sable iri thc safety If the funds Of the govern
ment and the rights " the people
: That the liberal principles embodied by Jcf
icr,on III the Declaratiun OF Independence, and
sanctioned in the constitution, which makes our,
the land OF liberty, and the a. lum uf the up
| pressed Of every nation, have ever been cardinal
/ principles IN the democratic faith and every At.
/ tempt tu abudge the present plWllrge Of becum-
| ng cl,ilcns aud the owner, Of soil anon. u
] tu be re.-t,d with the same spirit which swept
| the alien aud sedItiUu laws from oar statute
books
! 9 That Congress has no power under the con
sllutiuu to interfere with or control the domestic
| institution, ui the several states aud that suC
states ar, the sole and proper judges OF every.
| hing appcrttuny tn their own affairs, not pruhI
bltyd by the constitution that all efforts OF the
aboliIuu,t- or others made induce Congress t,
interfere with questions Of slavery, or 10 take in
clpvut steps IN relation thereto are calculated I,
lead to ths most alarming and dangerous conse
quenccs, and that all such efforts have AN lncyI
table tendency to diminish the happiness Of th,
people and endanger the stability and pcrnanen
cy of the Union, and ought not to be cuuntenan
ced by any friend OF cur political institutions.
Hsso!gcd, That the foregoing proposition cover
and was intended to embrace the whole suhJec
OF slavery agitation in Congress, and therefor,
the Democratic party of the Union, standing up
on tins national platform, will abide by aud ad
here to a faithful execution Of the acts known a
:he compromise measure, settled by the las, Con
grcss-the act for the reclalmIng OF iugtiycs from
service OF labor included, which act, being design
ed to carry out an express provision of ths cou
stltution, cannct, with fidelity thereto, be repea
led u so changed as TO destroy or impair lis eff
cheney.
H,So'rCi That the Democratic party will ress
all attempts at renewing in Congress or out OF II
the agitation OF the Slavery question, undc
whatever shape or color the attempt may b.
made.
I, HeSo'red, That the proceeds Of the public land
ought to be sacrcdly applied to the national ob
Iects specified IN the constitution; and that W
ate opposed tn any law for the distribution q
such proceeds among the States, as alike ineXpe
dicut IN policy, end rcpugnant TO the constitution
RsSoiccd That we are decidedly opposed t,
taking from the President the qualified veto pow
er, by which he Is enabled, derrestnctlons an,
responsibilities, amply sufficient to guard ,h,
public interest, To suspend the passage of Oil
whose merits cannot secure the approval of two
thirds of the Senate and House sf Representa-
tvcs until the Judgment of the Ieople can be ob
tanned thereon, aud which has saved the Amer
can pdore from the corrupt and tyrannIcal dom
nation Of the Bank of the United States, an,
from corruptlng system Of general internal lm
provemcnts.
RcSoIrcd, That the Democratic party will faith
fully abide by and uphold the principles hlt
down in the Kentucky and Virginia resolution, Il
l7yS, and in the report ut Mr.. Madison TO tn
Virginia Legislature in 1893 that 1t adopts thos
principles as constituting one ci the main fonndO
tons of its political creed and Is resolved to ca,
~ them out in their obvious meaning and in
port
Rssoirsd. That the war with Mexico, upon nj
the principles OF patriotism and the laws Of m
tlons, was Just and necessary war ON our par
in which every American ctl2cn Should my
shown himself on the side of his country, mn
neither morally or phy.icNllp. by word or dee,
, bavc given aid and comfort 10 the enemy,
7 R,rolrld, That We rejoice at the restoration {
friendly relations with Our sister Republic Of Me,
leo, aud earnestly desire lor h,r all the blessing
and prosperity which wc enjoy under Rrpublira
Institutions and Wr ,onIlu uluc thc America
. people upon h results ui lhnt war which hlv
10 mau,r.,tlN justified the policy and coniuu ,
the Democratic party, aud insured lo the Unite