Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-14
THE TWELFTH SECTION OF THE PLAT
FORM,

The position fthe National Kow Nothing Party
is deGued in the 18th section of its Platform, as
follows
"NII. The American party, having arisen
upon the ruins and in spite of the opposition Of the
W hig and Democratic parties, cannot be held in
any manner responsible for the obnoxious acts and
violated pledges of either that the systematic ag-
itatiOn OF the Slavery question BY those parties
having elevated sectional hostility into a positive
clement Of political power, and brought our insti-
tutiUns into peril, it has therefore become the i'm
perative duty Of the American party to interpose,
for the purpose of giving peace to the country and
perpetulty to the Union and as experience has
shown it Impossible to reconcile opinions so extreme
as those which separate the disputants, and as
there can be no dishonor in submitting to the laws,
the National Council has deemed it the best quar-
antce of common justice and of future peace to
abide by and maintain the existing laws upon the
subject Of Slavery, as a final and conclusive settle
mcnt of. that subject in spirit and in substan &C.
And regarding it the highest duty to avow
their opinions, upon a subject so important, in
distinct and uncquivocal terms, it is hereby de-
clarcd, as the sense Of this National Council, that
Congress possesses no power under the Constitution
70 ~lcgislate upon the subject Of Slavery in the
States where 1t docs or may exist,o r TO exclude any
State from admission into the Union because its
Constitution does or does not recognise the ipstitu-
ton of Slavery as a parto Of its social system and
expressly protermitting any expressions of opin-
ION upon the power of Congress to establish or
prohibit Slavery in any Territory. 1t is the sense
Of this National Council, that Congress ought not
to lcgislate 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 a violation
Of the spirit and intention of the compact by which
the State Of Maryland ceded the District to the
United States, and a breach Of the National
Faith"
This section defines the position ofthe Party on
the Question of Slavery, in full. No otkor part Of
the platform limits OF qualities it. 1t is plainly
and thoroughly Pro-Slayery, the South securing in
it all it has ever demanded, while not a single con.
cession is made to the North. BY it the Party
stands pledged
l. To abide by aud maintain the existing Laws
respecting the coastwise slave trade, the Compro-
mise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the Ne
massachusetts Bill, with its repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise.
2. Against The right of Congress TO deny the
application of any Territory claiming admission
as n State into the Union, because it's Cons titutiun
~t0lerltes Slavery.
3. Against the ~propriety of legislation by Con
gress upon the subject Of Slavery within the Ter
ritory Of the United States"
4. Against Interference by Congress with Slave
~ within the District Of Columbia, ION tho ground
that 1t would be a violation of tho spirit and inten-
ton of the cpmpaet by which the State Of Mary
land ceded the District to the United States, and a
breach of the National faith"
Thus on every issue, between Slavery and Free.
dom between the Slave Interest and the Non-Slave-
holding Interest, it commits itself fully, unquali-
fedly, cmphaticsly, to Slavery and the Slave
Power.
It's Northern, adherents will try TO shirk the re-
sponsil,ilitics of such a position. They will "spit
upon" the twelfth section, or say it does not en-
dorsc the Missour ri Compromise, or insist that it is
not binding upon the individual members. any fur
thcr than they recognise it. Give no quarter to
s,th deception. Hold them to a rigorous respon-
sibility. Adhesion to a Party occupying such a
position, voting for it's candidates, participating in
It's Conventions, giving it ia any way aid or counte-
rance, is aAharing TO aud abetting Slavery and the
slave Power, against Freedom, Free Labor, and Free
labor Interests. - Era.