Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-01-24
THE PLATFORM.


ton, Mr.. Sykes, Of Maury, from the
Committee on Resolutions, to whom
had been retired the subject of the
platform, and the several propositions
connected Herewith, reported the foll-
lowing, WHICH was unanimously adopt
ed
Resolced, That the true bond Of a
perpetual union Of the States is the
Federal Constitution, so construed
as to restrain the general govern
ment within the legitimate sphere of
it's granted powers, and to secure to
the States and the people all other
powers, not SO granted, and SO admin
istered as to cultivate and preserve
ffaternal sentiments and relations be-
tween the different members of The
-confederacy; and to give strength and
durability to such Union, the de-
mocracy of Tennessee stand always
ready to pledge, "their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor"
Resoloed, That the experience of
more than three score of years demon
strates that our fathers who formed
the Constitution and founded upon it
the Union, were inspired with degree
of wisdom, foresight and patriotism
almost superhuman, and therefore we
can best manifest our gratitude for
their illustrious services, and our
reverence for their glorious memories,
by resisting with all our energies
every attempt to disturb or destroy
the harmony or symmetry of their
workmanship, or to defeat and nullify
the efficacy of its provisions by false
constructionso or insidious attacks upor
its fundamental principles, as the
sure guaranty Of permanent Fedora
Union.
Resolced, That amongst the grea
principles which animated the hearts
and energised the arms of our revolu
tionary fathers, we recognise as promi
nent those which look to the obtainmen
for every citizen of the rights of vo
ting and being voted for withou
restraint or dictation, except as re
strained by the constitution, and o
worshiping God in their own way
without compromising their politica
rights and privileges by their reli
gious faith; that We attribute NJ
small share of the present power
glory and prosperity of our govern
ment to the incorporation of these
principles into our Constitution, dnC
: continuous practice under them fo
nearly eighty years; and as We are sat
isfed that they are as valuable ant
essential now as when our fathers
poured out their blood to secure them
we should prove ourselves unworthy o
the rich inheritance bequeathed to us
if we fail to resist with all our heart.
and souls every effort, whether by
open assault or by secret combination
to expunge from the Constitution O
the laws of the Union these orea
principles of civil and religious libar
ty.
4 Resolved, That in the same man
ner and to the same extent, that
/. secret and insidious foe is more dan
| gerous than an open and manly op
ponent, we regard the attempt nov
being made to create, by secret oath
bound associations, law of publ,
sentiment higher than the constitu
tional guarantees, in behalf of thu
enjoyment by all citizens, whethe,
native or adopted, of the rights o
civil liberty and religious liberation
as more dangerous and more yigiIantl,
to be resisted, than an open and di
rect attempt to render those guaran
ties nugatory and of no effect.
! Reso1ued, That we adhere will
mistaken fidelity to the doctrine thai
State severe ignty, in all matters o
purely internal and domestic concern
is and always has been, a cardina
principle of the Democratic faith
which great principle is endangered
by the modes of reform in the matter
of suffrage, proposed by the know
nothing party, and which proposed
reforms we pledge ourselves to resist
because, by the true Interpretation Of
the Federal Constitution, by the de-
batesand votesin the Convention which
framed it, and by the actual practice Of
! the States themselves, it is conclusive
ly shown that the States have the
absolute and exclusive control of suf.
frsge.
Resolyed, That the perils which now
threaten the integrity and peace of
the confederacy, arising from the as