The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-03
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

| REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
The following is the Platform adopted by
the Republican Convention lately assembled at
Philadelphia:
"This Convention Of Delegates, assembled in
pursuance of call addressed to the people of
the United States, without regard to past polit-
ical differences or divisions, who are opposed
to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise; to
the policy of the present Administration; to the
extension of Slavery into free Territory in ia
vor of the admission of Kansas as free State /;
of restoring the action of the Federal Govern
ment to the principles of Washington and JEFF
| ferson; and for the purpose of presenting can
didates for tie offices of President and Vice
| President, do
81. ResOloe, That the maintenance of the
| principles promulgated in the Declaration of
Independence, and embodied in the Federal
Constitution, are essential to the preservation
of our Republican institutions; and that the
Federal Constitution, the rights of the States,
and the union Of the States, shall be preserved.
~. ResolUed, That, with our Republican
fathers, We hold it to be a selfevident truth
that ell men are endowed with the unalienable
right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi
ness; and that the primary object and Interior
design of our Federal Government we're to Sc.
cure those rights to all persons within its ex-
elusive jurisdiction; that as our Republican
fathers, when they had abolished Slavery in all
our National Territory, ordained that no person
| should be deprived Of life, liberty, or property
without due process of law, it becomes our duty
to maintain this provision of the Constitution
against all attempts to violate it, to prevent the
establishment of Slavery in the Territories of
the United States by positive legislation pro-
hibting its existence therein. And we deny the
Of nf 81
ture, of any individual or association of individ
uals, to give legal existence to Slavery in any
Territory of the United States, while the pres
ent Constitution shall be maintained"
49, ReSolred, That the Constitution confers
| upon Congress sovereign power over the Terri
tories of the United States for their govern
nient, and that in the exercise of this power it
is both the right and the duty of Congress to
prohibit in its Territories those twin relics of
barbarism, Polygamy and Slavery.
"a. Resolced, That while the Constitution
of the United States was ordained and estah-
lished by the people in order to 8 form more
perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defence,
and secure the blessings of liberty,' and con.
tains ample provisions for the protection of the
life, liberty, and property, of every citizen, the
dearest constitutional rights of the people of
Kansas have been fraudulently and violently
taken from them
"Their Territory has been invaded by an
armed force;
"Spurious and pretended Legislative, Judi.
clal, and Executive officers have been set over
them, by whose usurped authority sustained
by the military power of the Government. tyran.
meal and unconstitutional laws have been en-
soted and enforced;
The rights of the people to keep and bear
arms have been infringed
"Test oaths of an extraordinary and entau-
CLING nature have been imposed, as q condition
OF exercising the right of suffrage and holding
Office;
The right of an accused person to speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury has been
denied
1.-THE ri ht of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, againat
unreasonable searches and seizGres, hf,s been
violated;
NThey have been deprived of life, liberty
and property, without due process of law;
"That the freedom of speech and of the press
has been abridged
"The right to choose their Representatives
has been made of no effect
Murders, robberies, and arsops, have been
instlgated and encouraged, and the offenders
have been allowed TO 60 unpublished;
That all these things have been done with
the knowledge, sanction, and procurement of the
present Administration and that for this bigh
crime against the Constitution, the Union, and
Humanity, Va s.rralgn that Administration, the
PRESIDENT, his advisers agents, supporters, apol.
ogists, and accessories either before or after
the facts, before the country and before the
world; and that it is our fixed purrose 20 bring
the actual perpetrators Of these atrocious out
rages, aud their accomplices to a sure and
condign punishment hereafter.
rs. Resolced, That Kansas should be irnme.
diately admitted as 1, State Of the Union, with
her present Free Constitution, as at once the |
most ettectual way Of securing to her citizens
the enjoyment of the rights and privileges to
which they are entitled, and of ending the civil |
strife now raging in her Territory.
&C. ResolUed, That the higbwGFmanls plea |.
that might makes right embodied in the Os- |
tend Circular, was in every respect unworthy !,
of American diplomacy, and would bring shame |
and dishonor upon any Government or people |
that gave It their sanction.
~. ReSOtoed, That a railroad to the Pacific /
Ocean, by the most central and practical routa, !
is imperatively demanded hy tae interests of
the whole county, and that the Federal Gov
ernraent ought to render immediate and Ell
cient aid in its construction, and, as 40 auxilis:
ry thereto, the immediate eYlssr action OF an |
emigrant route en- the line Of the railroad.
SO. Resotced, That appropriations by Con-
gress for the improvement of rivers and harbors,
of national character, required for the accom-
mediation aud security of our existing com.
merce, are authorized by the Constitution, and
justified by the obligation of Government to
protect the lives and property of its citizens.
SO. Resolved, That we invite the utilization
and cooperation of the men of all parties, how
ever differing from US in other respects, in sup
port of the principles herein declared /; and, be-
Eeving that the spirit of our institutions as well
as the Constitution of our country guarantees
liberty of conscience and equality of rights
among citizens, we oppose all legislation i'm:
pairing their security"
The streets of London extend 1850 miles
the yearly cost ofpaving amounts TO- Ct 800, O0O