The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-01
THE PRINCIPLE TO BE ESTABLISHED.

concerning the ultimate direction of what i.
called the Republican movement. 1t is useless
to shut our eyes to the fact that not few o.
those whom we have been accustomed to con
slider the most earnest opponents of the Slave
Power are dissatisfied and distrustful.
Their suspicious were first awakened BY
the proceedings of the Pittsburgh Convention
The Address adopted was a good one, but the
language used in defining the objects of the
movement then initiated, was rather vague
and ambiguous.
ave do therefore declare to the People Of
the United States so runs The declaration
as objects for which we unite in political &C
ton
81. We demand and shall attempt to secure
the repeal of all laws which allow the intro
duction of Slavery into Territories once conse
Grated to Freedom, and will resist by every con
stitutional means the existence of Slavery in
any of the Territories of the United States.
az. We will support by every lawful means
our brethren in Kansas in their constitutional
and manly resistance to the usurped authority
of their lawless invaders, and will give the full
weight of our political power in favor of the
immediate admission of Kansas to the Union
as a free, sovereign, and independent State.
90. Believing that the present National AID
ministration has shown itself to be weak and
faithless, and that its continuance in power is
identified with the progress of the Slave Power
to national supremacy, with the exclusion ot
Freedom from the Territory, and with increas
ing civil discord, it is a leading purpose of oui
organization to oppose and overthrow it."
10 tIa H..
port of the admission of Kansas as free State
are declared in terms sufficiently explicit; blu,
the great Principle which was waived by the
North in 1850, and in the waiver Of which the
South in 1854 claimed to find warrant for the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise, we mean
the Principle Of .Haoery restriction by positive
act Of Congress, is really evaded. The first
paragraph makes a show of asserting some
thing; but whatever that may be, it is not the
Principle indicated above, or, indeed, any Prin-
ciple at all. The sixth article of the Ordinance
of 1887, in relation to the Northwest Territory,
is brief aud explicit: There shall be neither
Slavery nor involuntary servitude therein, other
wise than in punishment of crime" These
ual. The Wilmot Proviso as briefly and clear
ly re-affirms the same Principle, in regard to
United States Territories Provided there
shall be therein neither Slavery nor involun-
tary servitude otherwise than in punishment of
crime" With like simplicity and directness
the liberal Conventions held in the Free States
pending the controversy in regard to the Terri
tories of the United States in lS48-'5O, affirm
ed the right and duty Of Congress to prohibit
Slacery IN all those Territories.
The question arises, Why did not the Pitts
burgh Convention boldly re-affirm the same
Principle, in terms equally unambiguous? ave
demand and shall attempt to secure the repeal
of all laws which allow the introduction of Sla.
very into Territories once consecrated to Free
don't says. What does this mean? Fed
eral laws or Territorial LAVISH Territories
once consecrated to Freedom !" Which are
they? Kansas and Nebraska? Or, not only
these, but New Mexico and Utah? "Once
consecrated to Freedom2" We suppose, then,
that if there be Territories Of the United States
which have not once been consecrated to Free
dom, they are to be suffered to remain under
a slave code, should it exist Is this what the
Convention meant?
The "repeal of all laws which allow the in
PRODUCTION OF Slavery" Pray, what are they 2
There may be no law at all and then Slavery
says, 81 will go and take possesion-what pre-.
vents?" That is just the way Slavery does
get foothold. What would the policy of your
negative resolve effect in such case? You
cannot repeal laws that have no existence.
Again: And will resist by every constitu.
tional means the existence of Slavery in any
of the Territories of the United States" Won
derful Every constitutional means2" What
is constitutional General Cass says it is not
constitutional to resist it by Congressional ac-
tion-and so says the South. What says the
Pittburgh Convention2 Nothing at all. 1t
lodges the issue-it refuses to assert the Prin.
ciple-" Slavery prohibition by Congressional
act in the Territories of the United States"
Instead of this vague, meaningless declara-
ton, the Convention ought to have said, in
plain, bold words
"We insist upon the right of Congress to
prohibit Slavery by positive law in all the Ter
ritories of the United States, and upon the i'm.
mediate duty of exercising this right"
1t was the vague and evasive character OF
these declarations of the Pittsburgh Conven.
ton that first awakened the suspicious of vigil
ant Anti-S!avery men. They saw in it con-
cession TO the Northern Know Nothings; for,
bear in mind, the characteristic feature of the
Anti Slavery platform of these men is, the res
toration of the Missouri Compromise, in terms
or Substance-that is, if the Compromise could
not be restored in form, then the territory once
eonsecrated by it to Freedom, should be organ
lied into free States. This, in general, is the
sum and substance Of their platform on the
question of Slavery; and this, we see, was al
that was really embodied in the Pittsburgh
declarations.
To these, at the time, we took no exception
although, had We been at the Convention, VIC
should have exposed them. The Convention
however, was not called to make platform
and we were content to await the action of tn,
Philadelphia Convention. But events have
transpired, since then, which awaken the an
prehension that similar policy may be at
tempted at Philadelphia.
First, we have the action Of the Executiv,
Committee appointed by the National Republi
can Convention at Pittsburgh. 1t issues cal
to the People of the United States, " who are
opposed to the repeal of the Missouri Compro
mise, to the policy of the present Administra
ton, TO the extension Of StaUery into the Ter
ritories, in favor of the admission of Kansa
as free State, and of restoring the action O