Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-11-29
WASHINGTON p G. THURSDAY AFTERNOON. NOVEMBER 2 1856

or party, and free from any influence or direction
OF denoniinational or partisan character.
And inasmuch as Christianity, by the Constitu-
ticns a hcaEy all the States; by the decisions Of
the most eminent Judicial authoiiaes, and by the
consent OF the people of America, is considered ai
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 In the States
XII.-The American party having arisen upon
the ruins and n spite ofthe opposition of the Wing
and Democratic parties, cannot be III 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, II has therefore become the imperative
duty Of the American party to interposo for the
purpose of giving peace to the country and per
petuity to the Unioh, And "a experience has
shown IT impossible to reconcile 0pihiSns 90 ex-
treme as those which separate the disputxnts, and
as there can be no dishonor in submitting to the
laws, the National Council has deemed II the best
guarantee Of common j1stce and OF future peace
TO abide by and maintain the existing laws utUA
.,,ee subject OF slavery, as final and conclusive
settlement Of that subject, in spirit and in SUBJ
stance.s
And regarding II the highest duty to avow their
opinions upon d subject A,important, in distinct
and uneduivocal terms it IS hereby decAted as the
sense Of this National Council that Congress- pos
sssses no power, HRder the Constitution, to legis-
late upon the subject 0f Slavery II ths States
where it 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 part of its social system; and ex-
pressly pretermitting any expression of opinion
upon the power Of Congress to establish or pro-
hibit Slavery IN any Territory, it Is the setise 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
terefefce 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, and breach of the National faith.
XllL-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 restrainire b. ali the
power Of the government all its citizens from III
reference with tho internal concerns Of nations
with whom we are Mt 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 it recommends that there be no conceal
ment of the places of meeting Of subordinate coun-
cils
E. B. BARTLETT, Of Kentucky,
President of National Council.
@. d. DEsHLER, of New Jersey,
Corresponding Secretary.
JAMES N. STEPHENS, of Maryland,
Recording Secretary.