The Georgetown news., 1855-07-26

ted by the constitution, and consistent with
the public good.
XI.-The education of the youth of our
country in schools provided by the State,
which schools shall be common to all. with
out distinction to creed or party, and free
from any influence of UNCONVENTIONAL or
partisan character.
And, inasmuch as Christianity, by the
constitutions of nearly all the States, by the
decision of the most eminent judicial author
tiles and by the consent of the people of A
merica, is considered an element of our DO
litical system, and as the Holy Bible is at
once the source of Christianity, and the
depository and fountain of all civil and re-
hgious freedom, we oppose every attempt
to exclude it from the schools thus estab-
lished in the State.
XII-The American party having arisen
upon the ruins, and in spite Of the opposi-
tion, of the whig aud democratic parties,
cannot be held in any manner responsible
for the obnoxious acts or violated pledges
of either. And the systematic agitation of
the slavery question by those parties, hav-
ing elevated sectional hostility into o posi-
tive element of political power, and brought
our institutions into peril, it has therefore
become the imperative duty of the Ameri-
can party to interfere, for the purpose of
giving peace to the country and perpetuity
to the Union. And as experience has
shown it impossible to reconcile opinions so
extreme as those which separate disputants,
and as there can be no dishonor in submit
ting to the laws, the National Council has
deemed it the best guarantee of common
justice and Of future peace to abide by and
maintain the existing laws upon the subject
of slavery, as final and conclusive settle
ment of that subject, in spirit and in SUBJ
stance.
And regarding it the highest duty to
avow their opinions upon subject SO i'm
portant, in distinct and unequivocal terms,
it is hereby declare as the sense of the Ma
tional Council that Congress possess no
power under the constitution to legislate
upon the subject OF slavery in the States
where it does or may exist, or to exclude
any State from admission into the Union
because its constitution does or does not
recognise the Institution of slavery as a part
OF its social system; and expressly prefer
mitting any expression of opinion upon the
power OF Congress to establish or prohibit
slavery in any territory, it is the sense of
the National Council that Congress ought
not to legislate upon the subject of slavery
within the Territories of the United States,
and that any interference by Congress with
slavery as it exists In the District of Colum-
bia would be a violation of the spirit and
intention of the compact by which the
State of Maryland ceceded the district to
the United States, and breach Of the na-
tional faith.
XIII.-The policy of the Government of
the United States, il its relations with for
eign governments, is to exact justice from
the strongest, and do justice to the weakest;
restraining, by all the power of the govern
ment, all its citizens from interference with
the internal concerns of nations with whom
we are at peace. ..
XIV.-This National Council declares
that all the principles of the Order shall be
henceforward everywhere openly avowed;
and that each member shall be at liberty
to make known the existence of the Order,
and that the fact that be himself is MEN,
ber; and it recommends that there be no
concealment of the place of meeting of sub
ordinate councils.