The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-07-04
These on the one hand.

Imitation of the practice of the purer
days of the Republic, and admiration of
the maxim that "office should seek the
man, md not the man seek the Office :"
and ofthe rule, that the just mood of as.
pertaining fitness for office is the capabili-
ty, the faithfulness, and honesty Of the in
cumbent or candidate.
VIII. Resistance to the aggressive poll
cy and corrupt tendencies Of the Roman
Catholic Church in our country by the
advancement to all political s,atious--ex.
ecutive, legislative, judicial or diploma
tic-of those only who do not hold civ
il allegiance, directly or indirectly, to any
foreign power, whether civil or eclesiasti-
cal, and who are Americans by birth, ed
ucation and training fulfilling the
maxim, "Americans only shall govern A
merica."
The protection of all citizeus in the le-
gal aud proper exerciese Of their civil and
religious rights and privliedges; the main
tenance Of the, right Of every man TO the
full, unrestrained and peaceful enjoyment
of his own religious opinions and Worship;
and jealous resistance of all attempts
by any sect denomination or church to OBJ
tain an ascendency over any other in the
State, by meas of any special privileges
or exemption, by any political combina-
ton of its members, or by division Of
their civil allegiance with any foreign
power, potentate or ecclesiastic.
IN. The reformation Of the character
OF our National Legislature, by elevating
to that dignifed and respectable position
men OF higher qualifications, purer morals
and more unselfish patriotism.
x. The restriction of executive patron
age-especially in the matter Of appoint
ments to office--so far as it may be per-
mitted by the constitution, and consistent
with the public good.
XII. The education of the youth of our
country, in schools provided by the State,
which schools shall be common to all.
without distinction of creed or party, and
free from any Influence ola denomination.
al or partisan character.
And, inasmuch as Christianity, by the
constitutions Of nearly all the States, by
the decision of the most eminent and iu.
dicial 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, andthe depository and foun-
tain of all civil and religious freedom, we
oppose every attempt to exclude it from
the schools thus established in the States.
XII. The American party having a.
risen upon the ruins, and in spite of the
opposition of the whig aud democratic
parties, cannot be held in any manner
responsible for the obnoxious acts or yio-
lated pledges of.either. And the syste.
matte agitation Of the slavery question
oy those parties having elevated sectional
hostility into positive element of politi.
cal power, and brought our institutions
into peril, it has therefore become the inn
Pertive duty ofthe American party to in
terfere, for the purpose of giving space to
the country and perpetuity to the Union.
and as experiences has shown it impossi-
bic to reconcile opinions so extreme as
those which separate the disputants, and
as there can be dishonor 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 conclu.
sive settlement Of that subject, in spite
and in substance.
And regarding it the highest duty to
avow their opinions upon subject SO i'm
portant, in distinct and unequiyocal terms,
it is hereby declared, as the sense of this
National Council that Congress possesses
no power, under the constitution, to lepis-
late upon the subject of slavery in the
States where it does or may exist, or 10
exclude any State from admission into the
Union because its constitution does or does
not recognise the institution of slavery as
a part Of its social system; and especially
pretermitting any expression Of opinion
upon the power Of Congress to establish
or prohibit 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 interfer-
ence 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 Marylaud
ceded the District to the United States
and breach Of the national faith.
XIII Tho n.,ticv of ,ba >.~-,o-...... q