Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-07-11
The Philadelphia Platform.

AhS AAaoASA ChAa = A1tAoA ~
This Convention of Delegates, as
sembled in pursuance of a call addressed
to the people of the United States with
out regard to past political differences
or division; who are opposed to the re-
peal of the Missouri Compromise to the
policy Of the present administration to
the extension of slavery into free terrific
ry in favor of the admission of Kansas
as free State of restoring the action
of the federal government TO the princi-
pies of Washington and Jefferson, and
for the purpose of presenting candidates
for the offices of President and Vice
President, do resolve
ReSolred, That the maintenance of
the principles promul gated in the Declar-
alton of independence and embodied in
the Federal Constitution are essential to
the preservation Of our Republican in
terests, and that the rights Of the States.
must and should be preserved.
ReSoired, That with our republican
fathers we hold it to be self evident
truth that all men are endowed with the
inalienable right of liberty and the pur-
suits OF happiness, and that the primary
object and ulterior design of our federal
government went to secure these rights
to all persons under its exclusive iuris.
diction ; that as our republican fathers,
when they had abolished slavery in all
our national territory, ordered that no
person shall be deprived of life, liberty
or property without due process of law,
it becomes our duty to maintain this
provision of their constitution against
all attempts to violate it for the purpose
of establishing slavery in the territories
of the United States, by positive lcyis.
lation prohibiting its existence or extern
sion therein.
HeS0lcod, That the Constitution con-
ters upon Congress sovereign power over
the territories of the United States. for
their government, and that in the cxcr-
else of this power it is the right and i'm
peratlve duty of Congress to prohibit in
the territories those twin relics of barbar-
ism-slavery and polygamy.
Resolred. That while the Constitu-
ton of the United States was ordained
by the people in order to form moro
perfect union and establish Justice insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the com
mon defence, promote the general wei
fare and secure the blessings of liberty,
and contains ample provisions for the
protection of the life, liberty and proper
ty of every citizen, the dearest constitu-
tional rights of the people of Kansas
have been fraudulently taken from them;
their territory has been invaded by an
armed force spurious and pretended
Legislative judicial, and executive officers
have been set over them, by whose usurp-
ed authority, sustained by the military
power of the government, tyrannical and
unconstitutional laws have been enacted
and enforced, the right of the people to
keep and bear arms has been infringcd,
test oaths of an extraordinary and en-
tangling nature have been imposed as a
condition of exercising the right of suf-
fragc and holding office the right of an
accused person to speedy and public
trial by an impartial jury has been de-
MED; the right OF the people to be secure
in their persons, houses papers and effects
against unreasonable searches and seiz-
ures, has been violated they have been
deprived of life, liberty and property
without due process of law the freedom
of speech and of the press has been
abridged the right to choose their rep
rescntatives has been made of no effect :;
murders robberics and arsons have been
instigatcd or encouraged, and the often
ders have been allowed to go unpunish-
ed ; that all thess things have been
done with the knowledge, sanction and
procurement of the present national ad-
ministration, and that for this high crime
against the Constitution, the Mon, and
humanity, we arranig the administration
the President, his advisers, agents, sup
porters, apologists and accessories, either
before or after the fact, before the coun-
try and before the world, and that it is
our fixed purpose to bring the actual per-
petrators of these a,rocious outrages and
their accomplices to a sure and condign
punishment hereafter.
Resotned, That Kansas should be inn
mediately admitted as a Free State OF
this Union, with her present free consti.
tuition, as at once The most effectual way