The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1856-11-28
TO the Republicans Of Ohio.

Two years ago the people of the Uni
ted States We're surprised and astonisheC
by the announcement that Congress had
passed law repeating the Missouri Pro
hibition by which slavery was forever ex.
cluded from all our Territory north o
$50 80 min. BY the Kansas aud Ne.
braska Bill. the most obnoxious Of the
Ipro-slayery views of John @. Calhoun
were virtually recognized and incorpoa-
ted into law of the land The OF 10.
peated opinions of Jefferson, embodied in
the Ordinance of 1871 and acted upon
by him at various periods Of his admins.
tration on the power Of Congress over
the subject Of slavery in the terri ore
were ignored. and the docrine was boldly
announced that the Constitution denied
to Congress the power to prohibit this
institution in the territories. The declar-
ed opinions Of all our eminent public
men; the uniform action Of Congress in
theexereise of this right, and the repeat.
ed decisions OF the Supreme Court of the
United States We're repudiated, and the
entire line Of policy for slavery ex
tension, as advocated by the Calhoun
school was adopted, and proclaimed as
the future policy of the country.
This change, on so yitally important a
question, astonished and alarmed the free
men Of the non.slayeholding States.-
Without regard to old party associations
the people assembled to consult upon the
course Of action to be pursued TO check
and rebuke this arrogant and startling
policy. Hitherto slavery had been re.
garded as sectional; as an institution de-
pendent upon State Legislation for exist
ence aud continuance within State limits,
and clearly subject to exclusion by Con
gress from national territories Freedom
had heretofore been regarded as national,
to secure and perpetuate which the Con-
stitution had been formed and adopted by
the American people. These fuldamen-
tai principles, upon which our Govern
ment had been formed and administered,
could not be reliuquished without pro-
test and a struggle.
A long series Of slayeholding aggress.
ions upon the rights AID interests Of Free
men aud Flee States had well nigh ex-
hausted popular forbearanoe, when this
crowning wrong called the Republican
party into existence. Patriotic, Liberty
loving men, from all the existing politi-
cal organizations, moved by a common
impulse, united fer the defense Of liber.
", and the overthrow Of the Slave Pow
er, Their delegates met in National
Convention at Philadelphia, on the l7ih
of June, 1856; and adopted the following
great national principles as the platform
OF their political faith
ResolUed. That the maintenance Of the
principles promulgated in the Declara-
Of Independence and embodied in the
Federal Constitution, Is essential TO
the preservation Of our Republican
Institutions; and that the Federal Con-
stitutiou. the Rights Of the States, and
the Union Of the States, shall be preserv-
Cd.
Resolesd That with our Republican
fathers we hold il % be- a self-eyidenf
truth that al men are endowed with una.
liensble rights to life liberty and the
pnreu, of happiness aud that ibe prima-
~ object snd ullerior desiaR Of our Fed
eral Government were TO secure those