Southern shield., 1855-06-23
The Platform.
RESOLUTIONS ON THE SLAVERY
 QUESTION.

Resolred, That the American party, having arisen upon the ruins, and in despite of the opposition of the Whig and Democratic par ties, cannot be held in any manner responsible for the obnoxious acts or violated pledges of either; that the systematic agitation of the slavery question by those parties has elevated sectional hostility into positive element of political power, and brought our institutions into peril. It has. therefore, become the inn perative duty of the American party to inter pose for the purpose of giving peace to the country and perpetuity to the Union; that, as experience has shown, it is impossible to re- concie opinions so extreme as those which separate the disputants; and, as there can be no dislonor in submitting to the laws, the Ma tional Council has deemed it the best guaran- tee of common justice and of future peace to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon the subject or slavery, as final and conclusive settlement of that subject in spirit and in sub stance.
 Resolred, That, regarding it the highest duty to avow these opinions, upon a subject so important in distinct and unequivocal terms, it is hereby declared, as the sense of this Ma tiOnal Council, that Congress possesses no power under the Constitution to legislate upon the subject of slavery in the States, or to ex- clude any State from admission into the Union because its constitution does, or does not. re- cognise the institution of slavery as part of the social system; and, expressly pretermiting any expression of opinion upon the power of Congress to establish or prohibit slavery in any Territory. it is the sense of this National Council that Congress ought not to legislate upon the subject of slavery as it exists in the District of Columbia, and that any interference of Congress with slavery, as it exists in the said District, would bea violation of the spirit and intention of the compact by which the State of Maryland ceded it to the United States and breach of the national faith.
 The resolutions, very truly remarks the .N 0. Crescent, are concise and comprehensive. They commence well. It is true proposition contained in the first resolution, that the American par ty, having risen on the ruins of the two parties, cannot be held responsible for their sins of omission and commission. It Is equally true, as set forth in the same resolution, "that the systematic agitation of the slavery question by those parties'' has "brought our insti- tutions into peril,' , and that it was, therefore, the duty of the "American party to interpose, for the purpose of giving peace to the country and to per- petuate the Union." No party ever entered upon a nobler or holier work. This resolution declares that "the ex- istlng laws upon the subject of slavery'' shall be regarded by the American par ty ''as c afnaI conclusion and settle nem of that subject in spirit and in substance." This, and the following resolution, cover most of the points in controversy between the two sections of the Union, for the last fifteen years; and if adopted, openly announced, and faithfully defended, will, according to our deliberate judgment, made up from the extensive means of information at command, result in a magnificent tri- umph of the American party; and what is still better, if possible, of true Na- ,ionol, American principles, in N, vember, 1856.