Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-08-28

sanctioned by the Constitution, which makes ours
the land of liberty and the asylum of the oppressed
of every nation have ever been cardinal principles
of the Democratic faith, and every attempt to
abridge the privilege of becoming citizens and the
owners OF soil among us, ought to be resisted with
the same spirit which swept the alien and sedtion
| laws from statute books.
AND, WHEREAS, Since the foregoing declaration
was uniformly adopted by predecessors in Ma
tiOnal Convention, an adverse political and relig-
iOus test has been secretly organized by party
claiming to be exclusively Americana; it is proper
that the American Democracy should clearly define
its relations thereto, and declare its determined op
position to all secret political societies. by whatever
name they may be called.
ReSOired, That the foundation Of this Union Of
States, having been laid in, and its prosperity,
pansion, and pre- eminent example in free govern
ments built upon entire freedom in matters of
religious Government, and that no respect
of person in regard to rank or place of birth;
no party can Justly be deemed national, cOnsttu-
tional, or in accordance with American principles,
which bases its exclusive organization upon religious
opinions and accidental birth place. And hence, a
political crusade III the nineteenth century, and in
the United States of America, against Catholics
and oreign-born, neither justified by the past his
tory or the future prospects OF the country nor in
unison with the spirit of liberation and enlarged
freedom which peculiarly distinguishes the Ameri-
can system of popular government.
Res0tUed, That reiterate, with renewed ener-
gy of purpose, the well-cOnsidered declarations of
former Conventions upon the sectional issue of do
nestle Slavery, and concerning the reserved rights
of the States:
l. That Congress has no power, under the Con-
stitutOn, to interfere with control the domestic
institutions of the several States, and that such
States the sole and proper judges of everything
appcrtanng to their own AFFAIRS not prohibited by
the Constitution; that all efforts of the Abolitonists
or others, made to interfere with questions of
slavery, to take incipent steps in violation there
to- are calculated to lead TO the most alarming and
dangerous consequences; and that all such efforts
have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happi-
ness of the people, and endanger the stability and
permanencv of the Union, and not to be countenan-
ced by any friend of our political institutions.
2 That the foregoing proposition covers, and
was inted to embrace, the whole subject of slavery
i'll Congress; and therefore the Democratic party of
/ the Union, standing this national platform, will
abide by and adhere to Il faithful execution of the
acts known rs the Compromise Measures, settled
by the Congress of 1880; the " act retaining fugi
/ tivoS from service or labor, included; which act
being designed to carry ont express provision of
the Constitution, cannot, with fidelity thereto be
repealed, so changed as to DESTROY or impair its
efficiency.
3. That the Democratic party will resist all at
tempts at renewing, i'll Congress or out of it, the
agitation of the slavery question, under whatever
! 4. That the Dem )cr ,tc party will faithfully
abide by and uphold the principles laid down in the
Kentucky and Virginia resolutions of 1893, and in
the Report of Mr.. Madison to the Virginia Legis-
lature, in 1882 that it adopts those principles as
constituting of the main foundations of political
creed and is resolved to carry them out in their OBJ
vious meaning and import.
And that we may more distinctly meet the issue
on which a sectional party subsistng exclusively
on slaverv agitation, relies to the fidelity of the
people, north and south, to the Constitution and the
Union:
! L. Resotred, That, claiming fellowship WITH and
desiring the cooperation of all who regard the pre-
servation of the Union under the Constitution as
paramount issue-and regulating all sectional par
| ties and platforms concerning domestic slavery
which seek to embrOil the States and ncite to trca
and armed resistance to law IN the Territories:
and whose avOwed purpose, if consummatcd must
end in civil war and disunion-the American De-
mocracy recognize and adopt the principles con-
tanned in the organic laws establishing the Terrific
ries of Kansas and Nebraska as embodying the on
~ sound and safe solution of the slavery question
upon which the great national idea of the people of
this whole country can rcpOse in its determined
conservatism of the Union-NoN- INTERVENTION by
CONGRESS WITH SLAVERY STATE AND TERRITORY.
OR IN TIE DISTRICT OF CoIUMBIA.
/ . That this was the basis of the COMPROMISES of
/ lS30-confirmed by both the Democratic md Wing
parties Ill national COnventiOns-ratfed by the
people in the election of 1852, and rightly applied
to the organization of the Territories of le5I
j. That by the uniform application of this Demo
cratic principle to the organization of Territories
and to the admission of new States. with or without
domestic slavery, they NAV electric equal
rights of all the States will be preserved intact
the original compacts ofthe Constitution maintain
ed invoate-and the perpetuty and expansion of
this Union insured to its utmost capacity of embra-
cling, III peace and harmony, every future Ameri-
al. I,.,,
Il republican form of government.
/ ReSofred, That we recognize the right of the
people of all the Territories, including Kansas and
Nebraska, acting acting through the legality and
fairly expressed will of majority of actual resi-
dents. and whenever the number Of their nhabit-
ants juStifies ii, 10 form Constitution, with or
without domestic slavery, and be admitted into the
Union upon terms of perfect equality with the other
States.
Resolred, finally, That in view of the condition
OF popular Institutions of the Old World, (and the
dangerous tendencies of sectional agitation, com
bncd with The attempt To enforce civil and rcligi
Gus disabilities against the rights of acquiring and
enjoying citizenship in our land,) high and sacred
duty is dcvolved with increased responsibility upon
the Democratic party of this country, the party
of the Union, to uphold and maintain the rights of
every State and thereby the Union of the States;
and to sustain and advance among us constitution
al liberty, by continuing resist all monopolics
and exclusive legislation for the few at the expense
of the many, and by vigilant and constant adher-
ence to those principles and compromises of the
Constitution which are broad enough and strong
enough to embrace and uphold the Union as il was,
the Union il is, and the Union it shall be, in
the full expansion of the energies and capacities of
this great and progressive people.
/. Resolred, That there are questions connected
with the foreign policy OF this country which in
ferlor to no domestic questions Whatever. The
time has come for the people of the United STAT ties
to declare themselves in favor of free trade
Throughout the world and, by solemn manifestations,
to place their moral influence at the side of their
successful example
2. Resoiocd, That geographical and politi
cal position with reference to other States of this
continent no less than the interest of our COM
merce and the development of our growing power,
requires that should hold sacred the prnci-
plies involved in the Monroe doctrine; their bear
ing and import admit of no msconstruction; they
should be applied with amending rigidity.
j. Resotced, That the great highway which ma
tIra uan Tho Sfaf.