Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-07-17

upon the Democracy of this country, as tn
party Of the people, to uphold and maintai
the rights of every State, and thereby the unio
of the States-and to sustain and advanc
among them constitutional liberty, by continu
ing to resist all monopolies and exclusive legis
lation for the benefit of the few, at the expens
of The many, and by vigiant and constan
adherence to those principles and compromise
! of the Constituton-which are broad enoug
! to embrace and uphold the Union as it is, ant
the Union as it should be-in the full expan
sion of the energies and capacity of this grea
and progressive people.
The first part of the report embraces th
general principles of the last Convention, ant
re-afiirms the Baltimore platform of 1852. /
then proceeds as follows:
AND WHEREAS, since the foregoing decara
ton was numerously adopted by our predeces
sors in National Conventions, an advers,
political and religious test has been secretly
organized by party claiming to be exclusive
ly Americans, and it is proper that the Ameri
can Democracy should clearly define its rela
tons thereto: Therefore
ResolUed, That the foundation of this Union
of States having been laid in its prosperity
expansion, and pre-eminent example in free
government, built upon entire freedom in mat
ters of religious concern, and no respect OF
persons in regard to rank or place of birth, no
party can Justly be deemed national constitu-
tional, or in accordance with American princi-
Piles which bases its exclusive organization
upon religious opinions and accidental birth
place.
That we reiterate with renewed energy Of
purpose the well-considered declarations of
former Conventions upon the sectional issue of
domestic slavery, and concerning the reserved
rights of the States, and that we may more dis
tinctly meet the issue on which sectional
party, subsisting exclusively on slavery agita-
ton, now relies to test the fidelity of the peo-
pie, North and South, to the Constitution and
the Union
Resolved, That, claiming fellowship with and
desiring the cooperation Of all who regard the
preservation of the Union, under the Consti.
tuition, as the paramount issue, and repuda-
ting all sectional parties and platforms concern
ing domestic slavery, which seek to embroil
the States and incite to treason and armed re-
sistance to law in the Territories and whose
avowed purposes, if consummated, must end
in civil war and disunion, the American De-
mocracy recognise and adopt the principles
contained in the organic laws establishing
the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska as
embodying the only sound and safe solu-
ton of the slavery question upon which
the great national idea of the people of this
whole country can repose in its determined
conservatism of the Union, non-interference
by Congress with slavery in States and Terri
tory, or in the District of Columbia; that
this was the basis of the compromises
of 1850, confirmed by both the Democratic
and Whig parties in National Conven-
tions, ratified by the people in the election Of
1852, and rightly applied to the organization
of Territories in 1854 that the uniform appli
cation Of this Democratic principle to the or
ganization of Territories and the admission of
new States, with or without domestic slavery,
as they may elect, the equal rights Of all the
States will be preserved intact, the original
compacts of the Constitution maintained invo-
late, and the perpetuation and expansion Of
this Union ensured to its utmost capacity of
embracing, in peace and harmony, every future
American State that may be constituted or
annexed with republican form Of Govern
ment.
ReSoLUed, Thatwe recognize the right ofthe peo-
pie fall the Territories, including Kansas and
Nebraska, acting through the legally and fairly
expressed will of ma ority of actual residents,
and whenever the number of their inhabitants
justifes it, to form a constitution, with or with
out domestic slavery, and be admitted into the
Union upon terms of perfect equality with the
other States.
ResClped, That, in view of the condition of
the popular institutions of the Old World, and
the dangerous tendencies of sectional agitation,
combined with the attempt to enforce civil and
religious disabilities against the rights of ac-
curing citizenship in our own land, high
and sacred duty has devolved an increased re-
sponsbility upon the Democratic party Of this
country, as the party of the Union, to uphold
and maintain the rights of every State, and
thereby to sustain and advance among us con-
stitutional liberty, by continuing to resist all
monopolies and exclusive legislation for the
benefit of the few at the expense Of the many,
and by yigilant adherence to those principles
and the compromises Of the Constitution which
are broad 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 expan-
sion Of the energies and capacity of this great
progressive people.
ReSotred, That the questions connected with
the foreign policy Of the country are inferior to
no domestic question whatever; that the time
has come when the people Of the United States
should declare themselves in favor Of free seas
OF progressive free trade throughout the world,
and by solemn manifestations place their moral
influence by the side of their successful
example.
Resolved, That our geographical and political
position with reference to other States Of this
continent, no less than the interest of our COM
merce and the development of our growing
power, requires that we hold sacred the prin.
ciples involved in the Monroe doctrine; that
their bearing and import should admit Of no
misconstruction, and should be applied with
unbending rigidity.
Resolccd, That great highway of Nature,
as well as the assent Of those States most i'm
mediately interested in its maintenance, has
been marked out for free communication be.
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, ard
constitutes one Of the most important achieve
ments realized by the spirit of modern times