Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-11-20


Bot we are keeping our readers from the
document II is one for the world. And
one which, considered ia the light of polit-
ical document, may well make the world
euii,ratiapth.
CERRlT SMITHS PLATFORM.
To ke Joieys Of lie Counties Of Os,rego and
MADISON:
You nominated me lcr II seat ia Congress,
pola Outstanding bcsaiISlit you IIot To- do So
la cain was my resistance lo your persever-
ing niI4 GilrelcnIiug IRirIn,sr.
had reached OLD age. ! hnd never held
officc. Noilliug was more ioreiga to n,y
expectations, and nothing was more foreign
10 my islics, linn the holding ot Office
Nv multiplied aud extensive affairs gave mc
full employment. Ny habits, all l0rmed in
private life, all shrank from, public life. My
pans of usefulness aud happiness could he
carried out only in the scclusi0n in which
my years hnd i.ecn spent
Ny nauiinnti0n, as ] supposed IL would,
ins resulted ii nay eiecliou-aud that, too,
by yer, large n'ajoTity- And now, wish
that could resign the office, which your
partaity has accorded to nc. But / must
Iioi-I cu,luot. To resign it would Ice a
most uugrateGll aId offensive rcquitnl of the
rare generosity, which brake through your
strong attachments to party, aud bestowed
YOUR votes on me, the perulinrilies of whose
J,oliiical creed leave him without party
Very rnrc, indeed, is the generosity, which
was not 10 I've rcpellcd 10y II political creed,
among the pecuiarties of which nrc
:, ABB, l,,I. L., pI
knows no law, for Slavery: That, not only
IL Slavery not in the Federal Constitution,
but that, hy no possibility, could It be
brought either into the Federal, or iuto u
State, Constitution.
2d. That the Right to the Soil is ms natural,
absolute, and equal, us the right TO the light
and the mir.
3D. Tint political rights nre not conven.
tiounl, bul misunderstanding IN all persons
the black ns well as the white, the female ne
well us the male.
4lh. Tint the doctrine of Free Trade is
3 che necessary oulgrowih of the doctrine o
the human brotherhood; aud that tn impose
restrictions Oh commerce is Ia build up nm
natural aud sinful barriers across that broth
erhood.
5lh. That the national wars nrc MS brutal
harbarouS, md unnecessary, MS me the vio
ience and hInodslIed to which misguided alI'
frcnzird individuals are pronipied; aud tia
b eur country should, 10y her own heaven-irist
p ing and beautiful example, hnsten the da!
when the nations of the earth "shnll bea
their swords into plow shares and thei
spears into pruning hooks; nation slmll ho
liit up sword against nation, neither shall the.
lenrn war any more"
9Th. That the province of Government !
but 10 protect-to protect persons and prop
erty aud that the building of railroads nn'
canals, aud the care of schools and churches
fall entirely out of its limits, and eXcluslyel
within the range of "tlIe voluntary principle.
Marrow, however, as nre these limits. ever.
duty within them is to be promptly, faithful
Nv. iuily performed; as well, for instance, Ill
duty on the part of tho Federal Government
10 nut an end to the dramshOp manufacture
of paupers aud madmcn in the city O
Washington, as the duty OF the part of tn
State Government to put an end TO II in I'll
State. =.
7lh. That, MS far as practicable, every off
Ger, from the highest to the lowest, inclndln
especinlly the President and Postmaster
should I've elected directly by the people
l need not extend any further the enunleI
ation of the features of ;ny peculiar polllict
creed; aud need not enlarge upon the re'
son, which gave, why J must not, nnd car
moi. resign the Office which you have col
ferred upon me. will only ndd, that nc
cent il; that my whole heart is moved
gratitude by your beslowment of II; an
that, God helping me, will 20 discharge u
duties, as neither 10 dishoncr myself or yo'
GERRIT SMITH
PeterbOro', Nov. 5, 1852.