Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-05-29
Union STATE PLATFORM.

This Convention OF delegates. representing
the Freemsn Of PeEHsy ivania, opposed to The
! leading measures Of tie !a.e Maternal Adn1ia-
istration, AID the eoniin nancc of the saise de-
! strgctiye policy clearly fegeshadowed b. the
4 actsand declarations cf tss administrative j-st
| iasugrirated, do
i Reselre, hat the maintenance Of t'lc p. .s.-
pies promulgated in the Declaration OF Inds-
penderce, ard embodied ia tae Federal Cor
stisntion, is essential t5 the presgisation Of
our Republican Institutions; t.at the Federal
Constitution, ;he hberties Of tie people, tao
/ sovereign rights Of ths States, and the Unioa
Of the States. mHst and shall be preserved.
Rssolred, fhat with our Rtpgblie&n fathers,
VIC hold Il 10 be selfeyideHt truth, that IL
lnen are created equal tlsas they are endowed
by heir Creator with certaia inaiiel@ble rights;
that among these ale life, hbrsty and the pur-
suit OF happiness; that 70 secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men; 4na
that tbs primary dEty aud object vi our FEEDER
! At GoTer is 70 secure t!Iezc rights t9 all
persons under its exclusive jurisdiction. That,
| as our Republican fathers abolished Slavery IL
/ all the National territory, ana ordained in tho
Constitution that no person shdH be deprived
Of litc, io@rty or property. without due process
OF law, It becomes our duty 20 nisiataiR this
provision Of the Constitution against an at-
tempts 10 Violate il. Tor tine puFpose 0f estah-
fishing Slavery IN the territories 6f the United
States. That We deny the authority of Con-
| gress. OF TIE Supreme Court, oi = Tgniforial
Legislature, Of any indy idual or association Of
| indisiduals, to give legal existence to Slavery
in any territory Of the United 5tates, while tie
! Constitution shall he Inaintaia d.
Rss1ice3 fhst the Constitution confers upon
i Congress sovereign power ever tho Territories
! of the United States, Tor their geyernnenf a
power not eoutFeyer,ed for the first sixty Years
of oGr nstionai existence. hut exercised BY the
! general concurrence If all departments of the
! Government, through every A.Iniinissrrtiu7l
| from WASHINGTON to PcLE; and that in the ex-
| ertise OF this anquesticnablc power, it is the
i dEty Of Congress to prohi;t IN the Territories,
| those twin relics ef barbarian, pods garry ard
Siavery.
! Rss0lre9, THAT We ARE YET FREENEs, an6fth3t
@hiie VIC retain the inestialabie rights OF Free
/ Haen, secured to Us hy the sScrifres, .rSeripe5
| and blood Of our Revolutionary fath4fs. We viii
not submit 70 hayea rev Constitution imposed
epon Us by the extra.iAdicias aplnions ef Jue-
! gss Of the Supreme Coprt opinions subTersiYe
cf the rights IF human natare-i Ia cefHict N.s,i
th- truth VI history, wita the aaaFoken aetica
! Of the government ard the I4w OF the iand as
heretofore pronounced by the Federal .adicis-
rv, and the Courts Of nearly every State n tie
Americans Union.
ResoirSf, That the recen; opinions Of the ma
joFiSg of tne Judges of the Supreme Court in
Ae<or WI htAkAA luSs dCIkICu GbuAL
no Jurisdiction, and, tkcrefore no authority 10
pronounce the law arising therein, is hu. ano-
| Their step IN contamination Of that col spiracy
agaIRst oar frrc ifisfitHti0ns, which had its-t@
cppfioH Ia the repeal OF the Missouri Com. 70
mise that il is the direct result Of the late trf-
unsph OF the Slave Power in thc election OF las
candidate, JAMES BEcaASAs, 70 the Presidency,
and unless proalpty rrbIkel by the people a.
the ballot-bcx, may be followed by other HsEr-
u@rfpnS fsfnI IN fl4taf &c
States aud The liberties Of our people.
Resolred, That the constitutional rights Of the
people of Kansas have been fIaHGenlly and yio-
ieaI.s taken from them. Their territ5ry las
been Invaded hg an armed forces spurious and
pretended legislative. Judicial and szee9tiys
officers have been set oy CT the.r, hywhose aS,,r-
ped authority, sustained by the uaiiitaryspower
OF the Fe.er-l Government, EyFanrseli aLd Gn-
constitutional laws have been caarted aad en-
forced; the right Of tile people to keep and
bear arms has been iaisipsvi; test oa.hs o. IL
exsraordi aary aud entAngiIag nature LzyS been
imposed as d condition Of exercising therigbt
NJ suffrage aEd holding Office; the right of an
accrsed person to speedy IL! puDiis trial by
an Impartial jay has been denied; cruel a.sl
uaGsaal punisfll14ts have been infeted upon
the inaocent, willie murders, rcEberses and ar
sons have been instisated and encearaged, ant;
tao offenders haze been allowed to 60 HnpuH-
ishod; ;ae right Of the people TO be secure in
Their persons, houses. Papers and effects against
unreasonable searches and seizures. has beea
violated; they have been deprived Of life, lib
eriy and property, without due process CT law;
the freedom Of speech and of the press has
he-1 abridged; the right to choose their ssrre-
senidtiveS has bean made cf 10 effect: That an
these things have been dane Wish the sEew-
ledge, saactisn and procurement OF tie Fed
eFal Government, in violation oi tie plairess
mandltes of The CONSTITUTIONS; That the r>i.r-
Patton by Tfficha spurious Legislature va ila-
posed UPON Kansas, and its people subjected
&c cotie of laws uaparaIiel 4 for cruelty IA IT,
history Of civilized nations, Is still IN fall force,
aad the people are denied the right peacefully
to assemble aud peitlo.. foFa redress OF griey-
ancesi the National Executive has permitted
tw0 Governors Of lis appointment - be dIiT-
en- from the Territory under fear of assassiRa-
tion, and has not dared 70 exert its power fog
their protection against the iawiess niRipAs OF
Sl1Ye. while Judicial monsters and men whose
hands are red with innocent blood, sre retained
/ in cfliee. 10 carry o4i the work Of sniiecting
/ freq territory 80 tie cause OF SlaFerr. hazS@s
has beea denied admission under . free coRz.i-
tation, aad fraudulent means are nov in pro-
gress to secere its admission as Slave State
at the next session af Congress. Against this
stupendogs wrong, We protest in The name Of
| Con AND ArxAsnY-by al teas is glosleZ.s in
our history. and ty tio a.ernuvy of the great
and good nien who estsbsishedeur liberties.
RessirsG That 4 is : frtud upon nsf Laws,
aud fraught With danger 10 osr rirsstitationsi to
adult 10 a fun part .cipation il their benefits,
any nian who acknowledges foreign sSpre-
mac, waielEge cannot eonscienIious'y aud
without mental reservation, ahjgre andfforey-
rr renource; whether thar supremacy be civil
OF spiritual.
Rssotrsa, That the st4pensiaus ffards by
Which our popular elections are swayed against
majority OF the legally qualified voters,
strikes at th. Foundation aRd life Of or system
Of geyernment; and unless speedily corrected,
will lead to violence and anarchy; and ~ urge
upon al good citizens IL unite for the surpres-
sion Of tais evil; ana We caIl upon our own
Legislature to guard by effective and stringent
laws the purity q tie ballot box.
Rrspigef, That tho safe cf the Main Line Of
our improvements, is drnsanaed by evers con
s;der.tien that should weigh with intelligent
ana horest Taen. As source of rercuue, u
IS wholly worthless 10 s1e State, while ID is
netorioasly used as a means of eecaiasion and
plaader, thereby SaaiciirE upoa the Stsse pc;
caaiary loss and also irrelstable injnTv, IN th9
almost universal decentralization saj ?aliticsl
prodssey enssnders4 throughout iss ettiFe
cxtsHa.
Rssoirsd, That we invite the afSliatian and
co-oprratioa of men of all parties, howeyes
differing With us IN other Respects, 10 8 rl,sft
OF the principles herein deciaTc.-; aaAl elcs-
~. ~ s.s- as