The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-05
NO. 444.
-vv TWELFTH SECTION OF THE PLATFORM

The position of the National Know Nothing
PARTY is defined in the 18th section of its Plat.
form, as follows;
ayU The American party, having arisen
I'M, the ruins and in spite of the opposi.
t60 Of the Wing and Democratic parties, can.
~ he held in any manner responsible for the
nSaovious acts and violated pledges of either
,bat the systematic agitation of the Slavery
-na,tion bv those parties having elevated sec.
anal hostility into positive elementof politica
,,o7r.r and brought our institutions into peril.
!, has therefore become the imperative duty Of
the American party to interpose for the pur-
,ose Of giving peace to the country and perpe
ifn;tv 10 the Union; and as experience has
sbogn II impossible to reconcile opinions so ex
,rane as those which separate the disputants
and a. there can be no dishonor in submittin,
- The laws. the National Council has deemed
!, the best guarantee of common justice and o
t,tnre peace to abide by and maintain the ex
;.ring laws upon the subject of Slavery, as
fnal and conclusive settlement of that subjec'
in spirit and in substance.
AND regarding it the highest duty to avoV
,beir opinions, upon a subject so important.
IN stinct and unequivocal terms, 1t is hereb,
declared. as the sense of this National Coun-
ell. that Congress possesses no power under
the Constitution to legislate upon the subIec'
Of Slavery in the States where 1t does or may
exist, or 10 exclude any State from admission
into the Union because its Constitution does OF
does not recognise the institution of Slavery a
a part of its social system and expressly prefer
hitting any expressions of opinion upon the pow
erof Congress to establish or prohibit Slavery IL
n IL &c ba Of
Counc1. that Congress ought not to legislat
upon the subject Of Slavery within the Territo
RES of the United States, and that any interior
enee by Congress with Slavery, as it exists il
the District of Columbia, would be a violation
of the spirit and intention of the compact b,
which the State of Maryland ceded the Distric
N the United States, and breach of the Ma
toual Faith"
This section defines the position of the Par
Is on the Question of Slavery, in full. No other
part of the platform limits or qualities it. 1t is
plainly and thoroughly Pro-Slavery, the South
securing in it all that it has ever demanded,
North By it, the Party stands pledged
l. To abide by and maintain the exist
inc laws respecting the coastwise slave trade,
the Compromise of $780, the Fugitive Slave
Act aud the Nebraska Kansas Bill, with its re.
peal Of the Missouri Compromise.
. Against the right of Congress to deny Il e
application of any Territory claiming admis.
SION as a State into the Union, because its Con-
s.itu,iou toIerates Slavery.
B. Against the propriety of legislation by
Congress upon the subject of Slavery within
the Territory Of the United States"
(. Against interference by Congress with
Slavery within the District of Columbia, on
the ground that it would be a violation of the
spirit and intention of the compact by which
the State Of Maryland coded the District to the
United States, and breach of the National
faith"
Thus on every issue, between Slavery and
Freedom, between the Slave Interest and the
N0a-Slaveholdng Interest, it commits Itself
ially, unqualifedly, emphatically, to Slavery
and the Slave Power.
Its Northern adherents will try to shirk the
responsibilities of such position. They will
spit upon the twelfth section, or say that it
does not endorse the Missouri Compromise, or
insist that it is not binding upon the individual
members, any further than they may recognise it
GIVE no quarter to such deception. Hold them
to a rigorous responsibility. Adhesion to
Party occupying such a position, voting for its
Candidates, participating in its Conventions,
giving it IN any way aid or countenance, is ad-
herring to and abetting Slavery and the Slave
Power, against Freedom, Free Labor, and Free
Labor Interests.