The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-02-10
WASHINGTON, ID. G..
AHr1s1AyKRY DEMOCRACY OF MICHIGAN

Thayer Seoretaries-S. A. Baker of Wayne,
Bertrand F. WEIGH of Calhoun.
A committee of three, consisting Of II K
Clarke. and Jabez Fox, of Wayne, and T. Fos-
ter, of Washtenaw, was appointed to report
resolutions to the Convention.
On motion of A. St Clair. Silas NJ Holmes.
u Tracy Howe, and Samuel Tug, were added
10 the State Central Committee
The Committee on Resolutions reported the
following, which were discussed and voted
upon separately. and adopted
/ RssoiUed, That in Il free Government,
where it is not only the right OF the people to
control the administration of public affairs
but their duty TO exercise that control with
wisdom, justice and humanity, political par
ties may be deemed necessary properly to ex-
cite the public mind, and give directions to its
conclusions Of duty and 50 far such parties
are engaged in an honorable service But
when they become diverted FROM the main OBJ
ject of their formation to the work of promo
ting the selfish interests of the few who usurp
the control of them, they ought no longer 10
exist and an indignant people in whose name
they profess 10 act and whose confidence they
have abused. should at once and forever drive
them from existence And that in our iudg-
ment, the parties in this country known a.
the Wing and Democratic have outlived every
hOnest object in their formation, aud have
united in All unworthy combination to main.
tain a cause Ut obvious IN ustice and to dis
tribute among the successful of the two the
substantial emolumcnts and the power which
are conferred 10y office.
2 Resolved That IN the present swollen
condition of the Democratic party, and the do
pleted and shrvelled condition of the WhiQ
party. we zee evidences of disease malignant
and wasting rapidly tending to their dssolu-
ton that we regard their several diseases as
hopelessly fixed in their very constitutions; and
that the best exertiOns Of their friends cannot
be more kindly bestowed than by an early bu-
rial deep beyond the recollection of the cOun-
try they have combined to betray
g. ReS0ired, That the party which maintains
the great truths that all men are created
equal, that Governments are instituted for the
benefit of the governed, and especially that
this Government IL committed b. the world w
the great exempar and teacher of the funda-
mental principles of liberty, is the party which
best exemplities the spirit of our institutions
and which il eminently entitled 10 the Demo
cratic name
Resolved, That inasnuch ~ the American
Union was formed Z" 10 establish Justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defence promote the general welfare, and RI
cure the blessings Of liberty to the people and
their pOsterity," that party which by its spirit
and principles most perfectly realizes the I'M
portance of these objects, IL, beyond all others
10 be esteemed as the defender of the Constitu-
ton and the firm supporter of the Union.
s. Resolved That there are no sincerer de-
tenders Of the Union than those who desire to
see its powers exercised for the best interests
Of humanity that the Free Democracy will |
IN in rIn ng thair orr
TO the Union and least of all to those who |
insist that its safety and perpetuity depend |
upon II national support Of the institution of
slavery.
g. ResoIred That our origin as u party was
founded IN the determination 10 carry out the |
principles Of the Declaration of Independence, |
an opposition to the aggressive spirit Of tho |
Slave Power that these aggreSsiOns are in. |
creaslng in plquancy and holiness looking to |
future acquisitions of slave territory and to IL
more arrogant exercise of the power it now
yields and that the present attitude Of the
recently successful party towards these aggrcs-
SONS gives w nothing To- hope but everything
IN fear from the next Administration and we
therefore are compelled to stand our ground
and bear onward and upward the banner of
the Free Democracy looking neither to the
right hand nor to the left but forward only,
tons.
7. Res0iyed, That in the composition of the
two Houses of Congress we Zee an admirable
check in the Senate against the exercise OF
tyrannicn power by the larger States, and in
the House against the factious resistance of
the smaller--checks which guaranty ~ far ~
a0y device of human nature can, just and
wise exercise of the powers of Congress that
with the powers thus distributed we are not
only content but IN them we rejoice and we
claim the right to insist that these powers shall
be eXerted 10 " secure the blessings of liberty
10 all perdOns within the power of the Gener ii
Government IL il right which faithfulne5S
20 the Constitution requires nv to demand;
those who have sworn to support the Consti.
tuition" have sworn that they will demand it
and SO far from this demand duplicating us in
the reproach of uniaithfuncSs to the Union,
we fling back the reproach, and insist that
they who ~ this refuse obedience to the letter
and spirit Of tho Declaration and the Corsti-
tuition, are rebels against the Constitution,
against Humanity and against God
8. ReSOiucd That we take pleasure in re-
affirming our attachment to the platform laid
down at Pittsburgh IA containing in principles
and measures an admirable compendium of
political truth
complete, continuous, and absolute, from any
other organization than our own, ought to DO
urged everywhere upon the friends of freedo,n,
as essential to our ultimate success that
vague hope of securing the least Of two evils
by a selection among the candidates of any
party IN preference To our own, ought not, un-
der any circumstance to be encouraged but
on the contrary, the nomination OF suitable
candidates, and, when nominated, the faithful
support of such candidates of our own party
for all elective offices, il demanded by every
principle of sef.respect and party integrity
10 ReSOIUtd That no more significant Illus
tratiOn can be given Of the hopeleSsness of
etioctng anything good in the ranks OF either
OF the Compromise parties, than IL con
tanned in the mOurntul fall of Willard Fillmore
from his Anti-Savery position in lSlS, to that
which, IN 1850, as the head of the National
Wing Party, las seemed rresistbly compelled
when with the hand of II New York statesman
which ought to have been Free he Signed the
Odlous Fugitive MdUe Act-an act which will
justly fix upon his Administration IA stigma M
yet unparalleled in the history OF all our sub
missions to slavery.
II ReSOlued That the recent exclusion from
the Committees OF the Senate of John = Hale
Charles Sumner, aud Salmon p Chase aud
the insult thus offered 20 the States Of New
Hampshire, Massachusetts,, and Ohio form
climax Of malignity and msanneSs beyond the
conception Of any mind unaided by the lessons
OF tyranny and arrogance which are taught
10 the peculiar institutions of the South
On motion Of MIR lIusSey, of Calhoun,
Resolved, That the State Central Committee
be requested to issue an address to the electors
of Michigan, upon the principles and measures
and purposes Of the Free Democracy
Measures were takon to put the Free Demo.
e,dt, tho State organ Of the party, on stable