Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-02-01
WASHINGTON. D. G. FRIDAY AFTERNOON. FEBRUARY l. 1856

OF party, and free from any influence or direction
or denominational or partisan character.
And, nasmuch as Christianity, by the Constitu-
tons OF nearly all the States by the decisions Of
the most eminent judicial authorities and by the
consent OF The people OF America, is considered an
element OF our political system; and, as the Holy
Bible is at once the source of Christianity, and the
depository and fountain OF all civil and religious
freedom, we oppose every attempt to exclude IL
from the schools thus established In the States
XlL-The American party having arisen upon
the ruins and in spite OF the opposition Of the Wing
and Democratic parties, cannot be in any manner
responsible for the obnoxious acts of violated
pledges of either. And the systematic agitation
Of the slavery question by those parties having ell
evated sectional hostility into positive element
Of political power, and brought our institutions
into peril 1t has therefore become the imperative
duty OF the American party to interpose for the
purpose of giving peace to the country and per-
petuity TO the Union. And as experience has
shown II impossible to reconcile opinions SO ex-
treme as those which separate the disputants, and
as there can be no dishonor in submitting to the
laws, the National Council has deemed 1t the best
guarantee OF common justice and of future peace,
to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon
the subject Of slavery, as final and conclusive
settlement of that subject, in spirit and in SUBJ
stance. tst
And regarding it the highest duty to avow their
opinions upon a subject so important, in distinct
and unequvocal terms it is hereby declared as the
sense of this National Council, that Congress pos
sesses no power, under the Constitution to legis-
late upon the subject of Slavery in the States
where IL does or may exist or to exclude any State
from admission into the Union because its Consti-
tuition does or does not recognise the institution
of Slavery as part OF its social system and ex-
pressly pretermitting any expression of opinion
upon the power of Congress to establish or pro-
hibit Slavery in any Territory, it is the sense OF
the National Council that Congress ought not to
legiaate upon the subject of Slavery within the
Territories OF the United States and that any in
reference by Congress with Slavery as it exists in
the District of Columbia, would be violation of
the spirit and intention of the compact by which
the State of Maryland ceded the District to the
United States, and breach of the National faith
I XIIL-The policy of the Government of the
United States, in its relations with foreign govern
ments, is to exact justice from the strongest and
do justice to the weakest restraining, by all the
power OF the government, all its citizens from In
reference with the internal concerns of nations
with whom we are at peace.
XIV.-This National Council declares that all
the principles of the Order shall be henceforward
everywhero openly avowed and that each mem
Der shall be at liberty to make known the existence
of the Order, and the fact that he himself is men-
Der, and it recommends that there be no conceal
ment of the places of meeting of subordinate coun-
cils
&. B. BARTLETT, of Kentucky,
President of National Council.
O. D. DEsHLER, ofNew Jersey,
Corresponding Secretary.
JAMES N. SrEPHENs, Of Maryland,
g ~ Recording Secretary.