Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-14
WASHINGTON q, FRIDAY AFTERNOON DECEMBER IA ls55
q party, and free from any influence Or direction

or party, ana ree n0m any influence or direction
OF denorninational OF partisan character.
And, inasmuch as Christianity, by the Constitu-
dons Of nearly all the States by the decisions 81
the most eminent judicial authorities; and by the
consent o. the people OF America is considered an
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, VIC oppose every attempt to exclude it
from the schools thus established in the States
XIL-Fhe american party having arisen upon
the ruins in spite Of the opposition Of the Wing
and Democratic parties, cannot be id 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
evated sectional hostility into positive element
Of political power, and brought our institutions
into peril, 1t has therefore become the imperative
duty Of the American party to interpose for the
psts @ g pas < ls country sna per
shown II impossible to reconcile opinions so ex-
trenie q those which separate the disputants, and
as there can be no dishQnor 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 final and conclusive
settlement OF that subject, in spirit and In sub
stance. fR aAe4 'ass &-' fi5si aeA I
And regarding it the highest duty to avow their
opinions upon a subject so important, in distinct
and unequivocal terms it is hereby declared as the
sense Of this National Council, that Congress pos
sesses no power, under the Constitution to legis-
late upon the subject Of Slavery in the States
where 1t does may exist or TO exclude any State
from admission into the Union, because its Consti-
tuition does or does not recognise the institution
OF Slavery as q part Of its social system; and ex-
pressiy pretermitting any expression Of opinion
upon the power Of Congress to establish or pro-
hbit 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 in
reference by Congress- Slavery as 1t exists in
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
XlIL-The policy Of the Government of the
United States, in its relations with foreign govern
nents 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
terference 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 hcnceforward
everywhere openly avowed and that each mem.
Der shall be at liberty to make known the existence
of the Order and the fact that he himself is mem
Der, and il recommends that there be no conceal
ment of the places of meeting Of subordinate coun-
ellis. ~ Ia....,.3. .,yst F s'.t i5rs
e. B. BARTLETT, Of Kentucky,
President of Ndfional Council
g. ID. DxsHLER, of New Jersey, q
att ac Corresponding Secretary. ss
JAMES NJ STEPHENS, of Maryland, stsi
Recording Secretary.