Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-11-28

or party, and free fnem any influence or direction
of denominationpl or partisan character. ba
. And, nasmuch as Christianity, by the Consttu-
tions Of nearly all the States; by the decisions Of
the most eminent judicial authorities; and by the
consent Of the people Of America, is considered nm
element Of our political system; and, as the Holy
Bible Is at once the source of Christianity and the
depository and fountain Of all civil and religious
freedom, we oppose every attempt TO exclude It
from the schools thus established " the States,
XII, The American party having arisen upon
the ruins and in spite ofthe opposition Of the Whg
and Democratic parties, cannot DC N any manner
responsible for the obnoxious acts of violated
pledges Of either. And the systematic agitation
Of the slavery question by those parties having ell
eyated sectional hostility into positive element
Of political power, and brought our institutions
into peril, it has therefore become the imperative
duty Of the American party 70 .interposs for the
purpose of giving peace to the country and per-
petnity to the Union, And as experience has
shown it impossible to reconcile opinions so ex-
treme as those which separate the disputants, and
as there can beno dshonori In submitting 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 q final and conclusive
settlement Of that subject, in spirit and IN SUBJ
stance. sa.. /.
And regarding II the highest duty TO ayow their
opinions upon subject SO important. in distinct
and unequivoca terms it Is hereby declared as the
sense Of this National Council, that Congress- pos
sesses no power, under the Constitution, TO legis-
late ppon the subject Of Slavery in the States
whore It does or may exist or to exclude any State
from admission into the Union because it's Consti-
tuition does or does not recognize the institution
Of Slavery as part Of its social system and ex-
pressly pretermitting any expression Of opinion
upon che power Of Congress 70 establish of pro-
hibit Slavery in any Territory, 1t Is the sense OF
the National Council that Congress ought not to
Iegislate upon the subject of Slavery within the
Territories Of the United E.ates, and that any in
terference BY Congpass With Slavery as it exists U
the District Of Columbia, would be violation OF
the spirit and intention Of the compact by which
the State of Maryland ceded the District to the
United States and breach Of the National faith.
XIII-The policy of the Government Of the
United States in its relations with foreign govern
ments, Is to exact justice from the strongest and
do justice to the weakest restraining, by all the
power of the government, all its citizens from In
reference with the internal concerns of nations
with whom we are at peace. - fs ggiig
XIV.-This National Council declares that all
the principles of the Order shall be henceforward
everywhere openly avowod and that each mem
ber shall be at liberty to mako known the existence
of the Order and the fact that he himself is mem
Der, and it recommends that there be no conceal
ment of the places of meeting of subordinate coun-
cils t.4
E.B, BARTLETT, of Kentucky,
4. President Of National Council.
O. ID. DEsHLER, Of New Jersey, s',s N. y I.
Corresponding Secretary
jams M. STEPHENS, Of Maryland,
g ~ sia Recording Secretary. 4.