Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-09-11
fHE REPUBLICAN PARTY.sfTs
- FOLICY. ss 's% ~.s
oHr,c raExoxT 1xD HIS RErrLxRs:

EOL1C1s -
3ozyc sssxoxr AxD his REYrLERs
y1sns Eote,s e5 Belmont caiaty: 'ss .
We make this our appeal to you in bshsl
sfLssersy, the Constitution, and the uuiol
-ef the states. The exercise Of the eiecas
franchise is a most importantsduty; 4 18th
peaceful rsssedy provided for the preserya
ton Of. oH Free Institutions. TO vote i
the duty. Of every American ci,izen-to yot
wrong in crisis ike the present is 9 fear
..ful responsibility. That man only is Fre'
in the exercise Of the elective franchise WHIT
.seoes TO the hsllot-box uninfuenced By part.
spirit s.nd deposits his vote with a full knowl
edge of the Issues and principles involved
Never in the. history Of our Government hal
she ezercise OF this right appealed % ever
sysesr vi1h ssch great msgnityde e pvw =.
.sWesr lffspfy n our ballots 70 write th'
future history of our beloved country
Whether Liberty and Free Government
shall continue under our glorious Consttu'
, tieu, or. whether, American Slavery---the
darkest and blackest and most atrocious in
the annals Of the world-sh.ll prevail oyei
the Freedom our Republican Fathers schisv.
ed BY their blood. their treasure. and their
lives, Il dependent upon the voters Of 1856.
What are the questions and the issues tina.
it becomes the duty Of all 70 decide, upon.
sve propose to state faii ly, leaving them to
yourinfegrity and your understanding,
We believe, indeed, we have no doubt,
that the great mass Of the People, Of wba:-
.eysr party, sse not only strongly attachedin
-sheir devotioa 10 the Constitution and the
bUnioD, but wouldsuse the strong language,
t"Palsie1 be the hand that would touch the
FIRST stone Of that noble edi6ce to remove it
from it's place, and neryeless the arm that
{ is outstretchedto do itharm." The effort
. of our opponents to fasten the charge of a
want Of loyalty to the Constitution and the
Union upon those who supper, the Repub-
lican cause, is not only known to be untrue,
but 10 made solely for the purpose Of divert
ing the mind Of the Peopleaway from the
true issue. 1t is one OF the striking features
Of this political canvass, that the Republi-
can press and the. Republican speakers dis
cuss the principles of their platform and the
effec. of their measures, while it is notorious
that the Platforms OF our opponents cannot
get from either press or speakers word of
praise; and that our cause is attacked, not
for what il is, but for what it is not. But
we have faith in our principles, and conf
dence in the integrity and intelligence of
the People. We shall therefore, in as brief
a manner as we can, state, First The
object and aim of the Republican party, as
embodied in their platform of principles and
sustained by their votes:
BEruBRrcAs PARTY-ITs OBJECT AND AIMS.
We hold that Slavery is local institu-
ton and can only exist within the limits of
the States where it already is, and where
we have no constitutional power to inter
fere with it. That there is no power in the
Constitution to establish Slavery anywhere,
and that all the Territories of, the United
G States are, under the Constitution, Free
3 that slaves who are. taken into any OF the
5 Territories, or go there with the consent OF
the owner, are not slaves but Freemen.-
We further hold that it is both the RIGHT
z and DUTY of Congress to exclude Slavery
bv express enactment from all the Terrific
sries. 1t is significant fact in the history
of our Government, that wherever Slavery
has not been prohibited in the Territories,
q except IN the case Of California, it has been
= established, and wherever it has been pro-
e hibited in the Territories, the States are
! Free. IL wes the first great act of the first
Congress under the Constitution, to sanction
and apply the Ordinance of Thomas Jefer-
SON, drawn up in his own handwriting in
1854, excluding Slavery from every foot OF
the national domain, out OF which have been
formed the FIVE great and iourishing Ststes
Of Ohio, Michigan, Inciana, Illinois and
Wisconsin. Out of Territory acquired since
the adoption of the Constitution, but two
Free States have been admitted, Iowa and
California; while Florida, Louisiana, Texas,
mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri have
come in with their slave representation to
vote down Free Labor ana stop the progress
of Freedom Itiathe fixed and nnalterable
purpose of the Repablican party that by no
act or vote of theirs shall Slavery be increas-
ed beyond its present limits. Wecanadopt
fully the following language of Daniel Web
ister, in his speech in the Senate of. the
United States, in lS48. He summed up by
saying: s-i - - .1
:, First, that when this Constitution was
adopted. nobody looked for any new acqui-
sitien of Territory, to be formed into slave
holding States. -. -. - -' : =
;xcondly, That the principles of the Con-
s.itution prohibited, and were intended to
I pr ,bibit. and should be construed to all in
reference ofthe general government with
Slavery as it existed, and as it still exists
in the States. And then, looking to
the operation of their new acquisitions,
which have, in a great degree, had the
effect of strengthening that interest in
the South, by the addition of these five
States. / feel that there IS nothing unjust
tneething of which any honest man can com.
eplaia IF he is intelligent, and feel that fhert
!; Is nothing Nth .Olich the civilized '0crId' .
then take notice of so humble pei SON as nay'
+. sell, rm reproaeh me sOhen sag, as 1 sad
the other dau, THAT HAVE MADE UF
MY MIND FOR ONE, THAT UNDER
10 CIRCUMSTANCES WILL / CON
SENT TO THE FURTHER EXTEN.
sion OF THE AREA OF SLAVERY
IN THE UNITED STATES; OR To
!, THE FURTHER INCREASE OF SLAVE
REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE
: OF REPRESENTATIVES," -,
lssas IN his question of the power of Congress