The true Democrat., 1855-10-09
The National Democratic Platform of '52

The following are the resolutions adopted by the national democratic convention at Bal timore ill 1852. They passed amid immense applause, with only two dissenting voices
 Resolcea, That the American democracy place their trust in the intelligence the patriotism, and the discriminating justice of the American people,
 Resozvea, That we regard this as distinctive feauture of our political creed; which we are proud to maintain before the world as the great moral element in folm of government, spring ing from and upheld by the popular will; and we contrast it with the creed and practice of federalism, under whatever name or form, which seeks to palsy the will of the consttu- ent, and which conceives no imposture too mor- strous for the popular creduality.
 Resolvea, tlerefore, That entertaining these views, the democratic party of this Union, through their delegates assembled in general convention of the States, coming together in a spirit of concord, of devotion to the doctrines and faith of a free representative government, and appealing to their felow-citizens for the rectitude of their intentions; renew and reassert, before the American people, the declaration of principles avowed by them when, on former occasions, in general convention, they pre- sented their candidates for the popular suf- frage:
 l. That the federal government is one of li- mited powers, derived solely from the consti- tuition, and the grants of power made therein ought to be strictly construed by all the depart ments and agents of the government and that it is inexpedent and dangerous to exercise doubtful constitutional powers.
 2. That the constitution does not confer upon the general government the power to commence apI on q ua,,orol nf I,+o provements.
 3. That the constitution does not confer au- thority upon the federal government directly or indirectly, to assume the debts of the several States contracted for local internal improve ments, or other State purposes; nor would such mption be just and expedient.
 4. That justice and sound policy forbid the federal government to foster one branch of in- dustrv to the detriment of any other, or to che rish the interests of one portion to the injury of another portion of our common country; that every citizen and every section of the country has right to demand and insist upon an equali- tv of rights and privileges and to complete and ample protection of persons and property from domestic violence or foreign aggression.
 5. That it is the duty of every branch of the government to enforce and practice the most rigid economy in conducting our public affairs, and that no more revenue ought to be rais- ed than is required to defray the necessary expenses of the government, and for the gradual but certain extinction of the public debt.
 6. That Congress has no power to charter a national bank; that we believe such an institu- ton one of deadly hostility to the best interest of the country, dangerous to our republican in- stlutions and the liberties of the people, and calculated to place the business of the country within the control of concentrated money power and above the laws and the will of the people; and that the results of democratic legis- ation in this and all other financial measures upon which issues have been made between the two political parties of the country have de- monstrated to candid and practical men of all parties their soundness, safety and utility in all business pursuits.
 z. That the separation of the moneys of the government from banking institutions is indis- pensabe for the safety of the funds of the go- vernment and the rights of the people.
 s. That the liberal principles embodied by Jefferson in the declaration of independence and sanctioned in the constitution, which makes ours the land of liberty and the asylum of the oppressed of every nation, have ever been car dna principles in the democratic faith; and
 
 of becoming citizens and the,owners of soil among us ought to be resisted with the same spirit which swept the alien and sediton laws from our statute books.
 9. That Congress has no power under the constitution to interfere with or control the do- mestic institutions of the several States, and that such States are the sole and proper judges of everything appertaining to their own af- fairs, not prohibited by the constitution; that all efforts of the abolitonists or others made to induce Congress to interfere with questions of slavery, or to take incipient steps in relation thereto, calculated to lead to the most alarm ing and dangerous consequences; and that all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of the people, and en- danger the stability and permanency of the Union, and ought not to be countenanced by any friend of our political institutions
 Resolved That the foregoing proposition cov- CTS and was intended to embrace the whole subject of slavery agitation in Congress, and therefore the democratic party of the Union, standing upon this national platform, will abide by and adhere to faithful execution of the acts known as the compromise measures, set tied by the last Congress-the act for the re- claiming of fugitives from service or labor in- cluded, which act being designed to carry out an express provision of the constitution cannot, with fidelity thereto, be repealed or so changed as to destroy or impair its efficacy
 Resozved, That the democratic party will re- sist all attempts at renewing in Congress or out of it the agitation of the slavery question, un- der whatever shape or color the attempt may be made.
 Resozued, That the proceeds of the public lands ought to be sacredly applied to the nation al objects specified in the constitutions and that we are opposed to any law for the distribution of such proceeds among the States as alike in- expedient in policy and repugnant to the con- lsttutlon.
 Resozved, That we are decidedly opposed to taking from the President the qualified veto power, by which he is enabled, under restric- tions and responsibilities, amply sufficient to guard the public interest, to suspend the passage of bill whose merits cannot secure the appro. val of two-thirds of the Senate and House oI Representatives until the judgment of the peo- pie can be obtained thereon, and which has sa- we'd the American people from the corrupt and tyrannical domination of the bank of the Unit ed States and from corrupting system of ge- neral internal improvements.
 Resolved, That the democratic party will faithfully abide by and uphold the principles
 
 tions of 1798, and in the report of Mir. Madison to the Virginia legislature in 1799; that il adopts those principles as constituting one ot the main foundations of its political creed, and is resolved to carry them out in their obvious meaning and import
 Resolved, That the war with Mexico, upon all the principles of patriotism and the laws o1 nations, was a just and necessary war on our nart in which avery Amarican citizen ShOnl1 have shown himself on the side of his country and neither morally no. physically, by word or deed, have given aid and comfort to the enc my.
 Resozued, That we rejoice at the restoration of friendly relations with our sister republic O Mexico, and earnestly desire for her all the blessings and prosperity which we enjoy under republican institutions, and we congratulate the American people upon the results of that war (which have SO manifestly justified the policy land conduct of the democratic party, and in