The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-06-14
America, against Catholics and foreign


lin unison with the spirit of federation and
enlarged feeling which peculiarly distin-
cuisines the American system Of popular 60
verDment.
| Eesolced, That we rcitcratc with renew
ed energy of purpose, The wellconsdered
declaration: Of former Conventions upon the
sectional issue of Domestic Slavery, and
concerning the reserved RIG hts ofthe States
/. That Congress has no power under the
Constitution, to interfere with, or control
the domestic institutions of the several
States, and that such States are the sole and
proper judges of everything appertaining to
their own affairs, not prohibited by the
Constitution; that all efforts OF the Aboli-
tionists or others made to induce Congress
to interfere with questions Of slavery, or to
take incipient steps in relation thereto are
calculated to lead to the most alarming and
dangerous consequences; and that all such
efforts have an inevitable tendency to dimi-
nish the happiness of the people and endan-
ger the stability and permanency of the
Union, and ought not to be countenanced
by any friend Of our political institutions
! =. That the foregoing proposition covers,
and was intended to embrace the whole sub
ject Of slavery agitation i'll Congress, and
therefore the Democratic party Of the
will abide by and adhere to faithful execu-
ton Of the acts known as the Compromise
measures, settled by the Congress of 1850,
/ ''lhe act for reclaimins fugtivcs from service
or labor included which act being design
( Cd to carry out an express provision of the
/ Constitution cannot, with fidelity thereto, be
repealed, or SO changed as 20 destroy or i'll e
1 pair its efficiency.
I s. That the Democratic party viii resist
al attempts at renewing, in Congress or out
! OF it, the agitation Of the slavery question:
/ under whatever shape or color the attempt
attempt may be made.
t. That the Democratic party will faith
/ fully abide te;, and uphold the principles
/ laid down in the Kentucky and Virginia re
/ solutions of lT9S, and in the report of Mr..
Madison to the Virginia Legislature, in
/ 1899 that it adopts these principles as con-
stituting one of the main foundations Of its
pol teal creed, and is resolved to carry them
/ out in their obvious meaning and import.
And that We may more distinctly meet
/ the issue on which sectional parry, sub
siSting exclusively on slavery agitation, now
relies 10 test the fidelity Of the people.
North or South, to the Constitution and the
| MON
l. Hesgl.er, That claiming fellowship with
and desiring the cooperation of all who r.
gard the preservation of the Union under
the Constitution as paramount iSsuc-and
rapuaiaiins all sectional parties and plat
forms concerning domestic slavery, which
seek to eInbruil the States and uCitC to trca-
son and armed resistance to law IN the Ter
ritories and whose ayowed PURPOSES If
c,nsumriatcd, must end IN civil war and
di>union-the American Democracy recog-
nizc and adopt the principles contained in the
L.. .fs 81. ...ra.4. Of
Kansas and Nebraska ~ enbody ing the only
sound and safe solution OF the slavery
question" upon which the great national
idea Of the people Of this whole country can
respond ia its determined conservatism Of
the unIon-toa-iHteiftTc"ce 6y C0Hgrcss
rith Siarry IN STATE ald Ietrlt2'y, or an
4 tie District gf IoiGmbtH.
> That this was the basis Of the Compro-
misses OF loJO-coniirIncd by both the. De
mocratic and Wing parties in National Con
vcntion-ratiiied Icy the people in the eiec-
ton of lSJ3-and rightly applied to the or
ganizaiion of Territories In 1891.
g. That by the uniform application OF tins
Democratic principle to the organization OF
territories, and to the admission Of new
States with or without domestic slavery, as
they may elect-the equal rights OF all the
States will be preserved iutact-thc original
compacts of the Constitution maintained IN
yOa;c-and the perpetuity and expansion OF
this Union insured to its utmost capacity, o!
embracing, in peace and harmony, every
future American State that may be const-
tutcd or annexed, with arcpub!lcan form OF
government.
Eesolced, That we recognize the right of
the people of all the territories, including
Kansas and Nebraska, acting through the
1 "a, -nly of ma
" of actual residents, and whenever the
number of their inhabitants justiies it, TO
form Constitution ith or without domestic
slavery. and be admitted into the Union up
on terms OF perfect equality with other
States.
Lesolsed, tiadlly, That in view of the cpn-
dition Of popular institutions IN the oid
World (and the dangerous tendencies oi
sectional agitation, combined with the at
tempt to enforce civil and religious dsabii-
ties against the rights Of acquiring and en-
loving citizenship in our own land)-a high
and sacred duty is devolyed with increased
responsibility upon the Democratic party OF
this country, as 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 constr
tutional liberty, by continuing to resist all
mouopolieS aud exclusive legislation ior the
benefit Of the few at the expense OF the ma
ny, and by vigiiant and constant adher-
ence to those principles and compromises oil
the Constitution, which are broad enough
and strong enough to embrace and uphold
the Union as it was, the Union as it is, and
the Union as it shall be, in the full expansion
! of the energies and capacity OF this great
and progressive people.
P1xo1r.y That there are oucStions con-
nectcd with the foreign policy of this coun-
try, which are inferior to no domestic ques-
ton whatever The time has come for the
people of the United States to declare them
selves in favor of free seas and progressive
free trade throughout the world, and by So
lemn manifestations, to place their moral IN
fuencc at the side of their successful exam
pie.
.. ResOlred, That our geographical ard
political position with reference to the other
States of this continent, no less than the in
tcrest of our commerce and the development
of our growing power, require that we
should hold as sacred the principles involved
in the Monroe doctrine their bearing aud
import admit of no misconstruction they
should be applied with unbending rigidity.
3. Eesotred, That the great highway
which nature, as well as the assent of the
States most Immediately interested in its
| maintainance, has marked out for free
communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans, constitutes one of the most
important achievements realized by the spi-
rit of modern times and the unconquerable
energy of our people.
That result should be secured by timely
and efficient cXcrtion Of the control which
we have the right to claim over it, and no
mower on earth should be suffered to impede
or clog its progress by any interference with
the relations it may suit our policy to estab-
lish between our government and the govern