Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-03-07
AGGRESSI0NS AND INSPIRATIONS
or THE
SLAVE POWER.
DECLARATION of PRINCIPLES
AND PURPOSES OF THE
REPUBLICAN, PARTY,
ADDRESS OF REPUBLICAN CO'vENTIOy
At pITTsBuRen, FEn. % 1856.

political action by which those evils may be-
averted, we address to you this Declaration
Of our Principles and Of the Purposes which
which we seek to promote
We declare IN the first place, our fixed
and unaltcrablc devotion to the Constitution
of the United Sates.-tu the ends for which
It was established, and TO the means which 1t
provided for their attainment. We accept
the solemn protesiation Of the people of the
United States, that they ordained 1t IN or
der 10 form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defence, promote the gen
eral welfare, and secure the blessings OF lib
edy to themselves and their posieriiy.'
We believe that The powers which 1t conicrs
upon the Government of the United States
ore ample for the accompl shment OF these
objects; and that IF these powers are eXer.
cised in the spirit of the Constitution itself
they cannot lead to any other result We
respect those great rights which the Consti-
tuition declares 10 be nvlolable-frcedomo OF
Speech and of the Press. the free exercise ol
Religious Belief, and the right ofthe People
peaceably TO assemble aud to petition the
Government for redress of grievances. r.
We would preserve these great safeguards
orcivl freedom the h1beas corpus, the right
of trial by jury, aud the right OF personal
liberty, unless deprived thereof lor crime by
due process OF law. We declare our pur-
pose TO obey in an things, the requirements
Of the Constitution and OF all laws enacted
lu pursuance thereof We cherish pro-
found reverence tor the wise and patriotic
men by whom q was framed and a lively
sense of the blessings 1t has conferred upon
our country aud upon mankind throughout
the world. In every crisis Of difficulty and
of danger, we shall invoke its spirit and pro-
claim the supremacy Of Us authority.
10 tlo next place. we declare our ardent
and mistaken attachment TO this Union of
OF the American sites, which the Con-
stiution created and has thus far preserved.
We revere 1t as the purchase of the blood of
our for, fathers. as the condition Of our ma
tonal renown, and as the guardian and guar
anlv of that liberty which the Constitution
was designed 90 secure. We viii defend
and protect il against oil enemies. We will
recognize no Geographical divisions mo- local
interests mo- narrow or sectional preludlcos,
200 our pudeivot' 90 preserve the union of
these Suites against foreign aggression aud
domestic suiir What we cllim for our
selves we claim for all. The rights pryile-
yes aud Liberties which we demand as our
inheritance, we coucede as their inheritance
to all ihe citizens of this Republic.
Holding these opinions, and animated 10y
these sentiments, we declare our conviction
that the Government of the United States is
not administered u accordance with Che
Constitution, or for the preservation OF the
American Union; but that It's powers are
systematically welded FOR ruE PROMOTION
AND ExrENTioN or THE INTERESTS or
SLAVERY, IN direct hostility TO the letter and
spirit of the Constitution, 10 fragrant disre-
gard of other great interests of the country,
and in open contempt OF the public sentiment
of the American people and Of the Christian
world We proclaim our belefthat the pol
icy which has for years past been adopted
in the Administration of the General Gov
eminent, tends TO the utter subversIon Of
each of the great ends for which the Con-
sttulion was established, ana that, unless It
shall be arrested by the prompt nterpositlon
of the people, the hold of the Union upon
their Loyalty ami affection will be reltxed,
the domestic tranquility will be disturbed,
and nl constitutional securities Tor the bless
ings of liberty 10 ourselves and our posteri'y
viii he destroyed. The Slaveholding inter
/ in the General Government without involv
ing consequences fatal TO free Institutions -
lul'; thit III Tie Statte6s Where II exists il b
entitled, under the Constitution, ike all othe
local interests, 10 immunity from the inter
ference Of the General Government, ono
that It must necessarily exercise through il,
representatives considerable share of po-
llucnI power Vut there S nothing IN IL.
position, and there L. e~,,ainly nothing in ij'
character. TO sustain the supremacy whlcI
lt seeks TO establish. There Is not Stat,
800 the Union lon which the Shareholders mum,
Der one tenth part OF the free white popua-
tlon--nor iu the aggregate do they Gumbci
oHc-fIhch part of Tie white population Of tho
United States. The annual productions OF
the other classes in the Union far exceed the
total value of all the slaves. 70 say nothing
therefore, of the questions of natural Justice
ani Of political economy which slavery 10
wolves, neither It's magnitude nor the num-
bers of those by whom it is represented en-
title 1t 10 one tenth part Of the political pow
ers conferred upon the Federal Government
by the Constitution. Yet We see 1t seeking
and at this moment welding, all the func
lions of vernmeut-eXecutlve, legislative
and Judicial, land using them for the aug
mentaton of its powers and the establish
ment Of its ascendency.
From this ascandeucy the principles Of th
Constitution, the rights OF the several States
the safety of the Union, and the welfare O
the people Of the United States, demand tina
it should be dslodged
historical OUTLINE OF THE PROGRESS OF
SLAVERY TOWARDS AsCENDANCY IN tn
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Ii Is not necessary for us to rehearse il
detail the successive steps by which TO-
slaveholdng interest has secured the nhu
ence It now exers in the General Govern
men,. Close students Of political event
will readily trace the path of It's ambition
through the past twenty-five years Of our ma
tIonal history.
1t was under the administration Of prcsi
dent Tyler, and during the negotiation
which preceded the annexation of Texas
that the federal Administration for the FRS
time declared, in its diplomatic correspon
dence with foreign nations, that Slavery il
the United States was a "p0iiticdi institution
essential to the peace Sgfcig and prosperity 0
those States Of he Union in lchich il erlsts
aud that the paramount motive of the Amer
lean Government in anneXing Texas, wa
two fold
First; to prevent the abolition Of SLAYER
within its limits and
Second; to render slavery more secur
and more powerful within the slayeholdlnl
States Of the Union.
Slavery was thus taken under the specia
care and protection of the Federal Govern
ment. 1t was no longer to be left as a stat
institution, TO be controlled exclusively b.
the States themselves 1t was 10 be defend
ed by the General Government, not only a
gtnst invasion or Instruction ofarmed enc
mics, but against the moral sentiment G
humanity aud the natural deyelopement @
population and material power.
Thus was the whole current of our nation
al history suddenly ana unconstitutional
reversed. The General Government abar
doning the position it had always held, de
ciared its purpose o protect and perpetual
what the great founders Of the republic ha
regarded as an eyll-as at,yariance with III
principles on which our Institutions wer
based, and as a source of weakness, socia