Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-24
INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
ADOPTED AT PITTSBURGH, AUGUST IL, 1856

lNUEf ENUENl UEMUOnhllU L DhlfOnM
ADOPTED AT PITTSBURGH, AUGUST IL, 1852.
Having assembled in National Conyen-
ton as the delegates of the Free Democra-
cy Of the United States, united by com
mon resolve to maintain right against
wrongs, and freedom against slavery; con-
iding in the intelligence, patriotism, and
the discriminating justice of the American
people; putting our trust in God for the
triumph of our cause, and invoking his
guidance in our endeavors TO advance it,
we now submit to the candid judgment OF
all men the following declaration of prin-
ciples and measures:
|. That Governments, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed
those inalienable rights of life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness, with which they
were endowed by their Creator, and Of
which none can be deprived by valid legis-
lation, except for crime.
Ill. That the true mission of American
Democracy is to maintain the liberties OF
the people, the sovereignty of the States,
and the perpetuity of the Union, by the
Impartial application TO public affairs, with
OUT sectional determinations, of the fun
damental principles of equal rights, strict
Justice, and economical administration.
Ill. That the Federal Government is
one of limited powers, derived solely from
the Constitution; and the grants of power
therein ought to be strictly construed by
all the departments and agents of the Gov
ernment, and il is mexpedient and dam
gerous to exercise doubtful constitutional
powers.
w. That the Constitution Of the United
States, ordained to form a more perfect
union, TO establish justice, and secure the
blessings of liberty, expressly denies to
the General Government all power to de-
privc any person of life, liberty, or prop
erty, without due process Of law; and,
therefore, the Government, having no more
power to make slave than TO make a
king, and no more power to establish sla-
very than to establish monarchy, should at
once proceed 10 relieve itself from all re-
sponsibiity for the existence Of slavery
erever it possesses constitutional power
~ ';slate for its extinction.
u u, |at, to the persevering and impor-
tnndtx ,ands Of the Slave Power for
puec Ass States, new slave Territories,
aaG le nt 'ization of Slavery, our dis
-lnct 8l.o q aHsger is--no more slave
us Aa tory, no nationalized
aua legislation for the
e. ftn
>8 against God
and n ,}.n which . human
enactmeh tfp snake %. :; and
that Christia apd pa'rio SIN,
alike demand NHo3
VII. That the, ar Act 9l 1859
is repugnant to th, nif'oR @ He
principles Of the co. iH 'be
spirit of Christianity, al g ta uii-
ments of the civilized won, Wnt
fore deny its binding force
American People, and demand.
date and total repeal.
VIII. That the doctrine that any hu.
law is iinality, and not subject 10 mooi
fication or repeal, is not in accordance
with the creed Of the founders of our Gov
ernment, and is dangerous 10 the Liberties
Of the people.
TX. That the acts oi Congress known
as the Compromise Measures Of 1850, by
making the admission of sovereign State
contingent upon the adoption of other
measures demanded by the special inter
est of Slavery; by their omission 10 guar
anty freedom in free Territories; by their
attempt to impose unconstitutional limit
atoms on the power Of Congress and the
people TO admit new States by their pro-
visions for the assumption OF five millions
Of the State debt Of Texas, and for the
payment Of five millions more, and the
cession of large territory to the same
State under menace, as an inducement to
the REIMBURSEMENT of groundless claim,
and by their invasion Of the sovereignty
of the States and the liberties Of the pco-
pie, through the enactment OF an UNJUST
oppressive, and unconstitutional Fugitive
Slave Law, are proved to be inconsistent
with all the principles and maxims of De-
mocracy, and wholly inadequate to the
settlement Of the questions of which they
are claimed TO be an adjustment