Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-26
WASHINGTON c. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON DECEMBER 2e 1855

or party, and free from any influence or direction
of a denominational or partisan character tf
And, inasmuch 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 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, wc oppose every attempt to exclude it
from the schools thus established in the States.
MI-The American party having arisen upon
the ruins and In spite ofthe opposition Of the Whig
and Democratic parties, cannot be in any manner
responsible for the obnoxious acts Of violated
pledges Of either. And the systematic agitation
of the slavery question by those parties having el
evated sectional hostility into a positive element
OF political power, and brought our institutions
into peril 1t has therefore become the imperative
duty Of the American party to interposo 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 80 ex-
tremo as those which separate the disputants, and
as there can be no dshonorin 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. e
And regarding il the highest duty to avow their
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 it does or may exist, or to exclude any State
from admission into the Union, becalse its Consti-
tuition does or does not recognise the institution
of Slavery as part of its social system; and ex-
pressly pretcrmitting, any expression OF opinion
upon the power OF Congress to establish or pro-
hibit 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 with Slavery as it 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, andoR breach of the National faith
XIIL-The policy of the Government of the
United States in its relations with foreign govern
mcnts, 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.
XIV.-This National Council declares that all
the principles of the Order shall be henceforward
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 men,
Der, and 1t recommends that there be no conceal
ment Of the places of meeting of subordinate coun
cils. 1tS
Z. b. BARTLETT, Of Kentucky,
WI President of National Council
G. D. DEsHLER, Of New Jersey,
Corresponding Secretary.
JAMES NJ. STEPHENS, of Maryland,
49, Recording Secretary.