The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-24
THE POSITION AND CREED OF THE Ma
TIONAL ERA.

position and creed OF the N0ti0nu Efd-and,
indeed, an occasional recurrence to first prin-
ciples becomes expedient for many reasons.
The following extract of a letter from an
Anti-Slavery friend in Chicago, dated Decem-
Der 10, affords us an occasion for few re-
marks:
~ am still in love with the Era, as an able
and interesting Anti-Slayery paper.
81 m also delighted with the noble, unselhsh,
independent course it has taken against that
Anti-Republican, Anti-American, Anti-Chris-
tan Order or Party, called Know Nothings.
"Yet | must confess that L have lost some
interest in the Era, as thoroughly progress
ioe Ant-Slavery paper, boldly advocating the
inalienable right of every man, ecerytchere, to
be free, and the constitutional right of every
person in the nation to protection by the Gene
raj Government in the enjoyment of the
sacred, 'inalienable right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness And. further, the
Era does not meet the great foe OF human
liberty upon the true battle-ground. 1t does
not wage a war of determination, and strike
at the very existence of Slavery, and declare
that all shall be free.
1t pleads earnestly for Freedom where Free
dom is already established, but leaves the slave
| in his chains. 1t faithfully and ably portrays
the evil influences and effects of Slavery, COM
mercially. politically, and morally, to the ma
tion, and 10 the individual. And at the same
time it says to this giant power much as
hate thee, seek not thy life, unless by keeping
thee south of 36o 30>. and shutting thee out OF
the District of Columbia; thou shouldst lack
free air enough to circulate through thy lungs
for healthy action and growth, and death
should incidentally follow. Otherwise, live on
if thou peasest, in thy own sunny South, and
| will not modest thee in thy own native soil
But don't come into Territory now free
don't"
| Our Chicago correspondent does not repre-
sent the position of the Era fairly.
| AS an answer to that part of his indictment
against it, in which he arraigns it as not
being a thoroughly progressive Anti-Slavery
paper, we quote the following from our Pros
pectus ia 1853:
We believe in the unity and common orr
gin of the human race-in the doctrine that
God made of one blood all the nations of men
to dwell upon all the face of the earth-in the
| golden rule. ado unto others as We would that
others should do unto you in the Higher
Law, /" 1t is better to obey God than man y
in Liberty, As the fundamental condition Of
Human Progress aud Periection-in Law, as
the defence, MT destroyer, of liberty--in Order,
as the result of liberty established and protect
| ed, not subverted, by LAWN the American
Union not as an end, but al a means-a means
| to the establishment of liberty and Justice, wor-
thy of support only so long as it shall answer
these great ends.
ave hold these truths to be selfevident--
that all men are created equal-that they are
| endowed by their Creator with certain inalien-
| able rights-that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness--that to secure
| these rights, Governments are established
among men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed-that whenever
any form of government becomes destructive OF
these ends, it is the right OF the people to alter
or abolish it, and to institute a new Govern
ment, laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers III such form as to
them NAV seem most likely to effect their safety
aud happiness"
We hold these truths 10 DO applicable at all
times to all men, Of whatever chme CT com.
pexion, and are therefore the uncompromsing
ioa of all forms of Slavery, personal, political
spiritual, whether at home or abroad, and the
advocate of all laws and usages having tend
ency to equalize the condticas of all men, tc
secure to all equal opportunities for the enjoy
ment of liberty, acquisition of property, ant
pursuit Of happiness.
These are the principles that have control
led and will continue to control of the Ndtiond
Era, which is resg1n ,sn,Ie to no nartvss NJ
II our friend can suggest more radical
thorough, and comprehensive creed, let him d.
it. The Principles we then proclaimed, we hac
uniformly advocated and enforced, from tn,
| nta1 a.,
Cause of Freedom. The Principles we thel
proclaimed, we have since uniformly urged
without conceslment or compromise; and We
shall adhere to them without ainching, agains
whatsoever adverse circumstances.
But, says our correspondent, you go for Free
dom only in free territory. We 90 for Freedom
everywhere, North South, in America, in En-
rope; but, in attempting to accomplish the
great end, We must use such powers "a we have
La all Federal Territory, the People of the Uni
ted States have the constitutional power to pro
hibit Slavery. We contend that they ought t.
do it. They have the right to control the Fed
eral Government so that it, entire action shall
be on the side OF Human Liberty. they ough
TO exercise it. They have the right, by usipo
the liberty of speech and the press to cast then
Influence against Slavery, wherever existing
They ought to exercise it. They have not tn,
right, whether We look above or before the Fed
eral Constitution, or to that instrument, to in
terfere by force Or legislative or judicial act t.
abolish or attempt to mitigate .Skqrery as erist
iag within the States. Therefore, they ough
| TO oft nj into,
National Political Parry be organized on sucl
a ground, or with view to such action. Out
side of the States, Congress may legislate fol
the abolition or exclusion of Slavery; within tn,
States, the People thereof have the sole power
Congress can make no laws " respecting al
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the fire.,
exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom o
speech or of the press, or of the right of th,
People peaceably to assemble" &c.
This restriction is imposed on Congress, no
upon the States. There is nothing in the Fed
erai Constitution to prevent the States frou
committing such denominations within their OWL
limits-and should any of them pass law
constituting State Church, or prohibiting tn,
free worship of particular sect, Congress
could not interfere to redress the wrong. Muir
der is wrong-Stealing is wrong-Polygam,
is wrong-Congress may and ought to prohibi
them all within Federal Jurisdiction - but i
can pass no law for the punishment of murder
or theft, or drunkenness, or bigamy, VIXEN com
mitted exclusively within State jurisdiction
Because thing is wrong, or Illegal, in State
it does not follow that the Federal Government