Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-06-05
Union STATE pI,iTF0DN

istratiOD, and the continnance or the same d..
struciive policy eisarIy foreshadowed BIZ the
acts and declarations OF the administration list
| inaug ugufated. do
Resoire, That the maintenance of the p.- ,ri-
pies promulgated in the Declaration OF Ineu
pendence, and embodied In the Federal Con-
stItution, is essential To the preservation Of
our Republican Institutions; that the Federal
/ Constitution, tire liberties of the people. IN o
sovereign rights of the States, and the Union
ot the States. must and shall be preserved.
hesofred, hat With our Republican fathers.
We hold u to be q self-eVident truth that all
men are created equal; that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain itiaiiena be RIGHTS
that n8ng these afe life, liberty and The pur-
| suit OF lappnessi that 10 Secure these rights
governments are Instituted among men: and
4 that The primary duty and Object Of our Feder
i al Government IL t. secure these rights to All
persons Ensier its e-clasife Jurisdiction. That.
As our Republican fathers abolished Slavery in
all the nallonal territars. aud ordaned in the
Constitution that no person stali be deprived
! Of life, iibaty or property, without due process
Of law, it becomes our duty to maintain this
! provision Of the Constitution against all at
| tempts to violate il, for the purpose of estah-
fishing Slavery in tie territories OF the United
States. That We deny the authority of Con
| gress. Of the Supreme Court, of Territorial
I Legislature, OF any individual or association Of
| iadIyauais, to give legal existence 10 Slavery
| in any territory Of the United States, while the
Constitutions small be maintain d
Resoired, ] hat the Constitution confers upon
! Congress spyereigH power over the Territories
of the United States, for .heir government; a
power not controvertcd for the FIRST sixty years
Of our national existence, hut exercised by the
general concurrence Of all departments Of the
! Hovernmcut, through every Administration
from " AsHiseTos 10 POLK; and that in theex-
| crcise Of this unqnestienafle power, If is the
duty Of Congress 10 prohibit in the Territories,
| those twin relics Of barharisnl, poirgamy and
| Slavery.
I Resoieed. TnAr WE ARE YET FREEMHS and that
While We retain the incsrimable rights of Free
men, secured to us by the sacrifices snffefings
| and blood of oHr Revolutionary fathers, We VIII
rot submit TO have new Constitatien imposed
upon US hy the extra-judieili opinions Of Jud-
ges of the Supreme Court opinions subyersiye
of the rights of human natnre-ih confiict with
the truth of history, with The unbroken action
Of the government and the law Of the land, as
heretofore pronounced bg iIIe Federal Judicia-
rs, and the Courts OF nearly every State in the
American Union.
Resoired, That the recent opinions Of the ma
jorifY of the Judges OF the Snpreme Court. in
a Case over which they decided the Court had
no jurisdiction, and. therefore, no authority to
prouounee tlle law arising therein, is but ano-
IHEF Step III OF conspiracy
against our Tree Institutions, which had its in
csption Ia the repeal Of the Missouri Compro-
mise: that il is the direct result of the late tfi
umph of the Slave Power in tho election of its
candidate, JAMES BrcaAsAE, 10 the Presidency,
and unless promptly rebTkei by the people at
the ballot box. may be followed by other usur-
pations fatal 10 the Independence OF the Free
States and the liberties OF our people.
| Resotre3, Fiat The constitutional ghts of the
I
ieutiy taken from them. Their territory has
been invaded By armed force; spurious and
! pretended legislative, Judicial aud executive
| officers have been set over then, BY whose usur
| ped authority, sustained BY the military power
Of the Feler d Government, iyrlnnical III d TN
| constitutional llws have been enacted and en-
forced; the right OF the people to keep and
bear arms has bccn infringrd; Test oaths OF an
extraordinary and entanglng nature have been
imposed as a cendifion of exer Using the right
ot suffrage aud holding office; tile right Of an
| accused person to speedy and publ trial bs
| an impartial jury has been deniej cruel and
! unusual paIisaneHts have bcea ialcted upon
the iunocest, while murders, roi,beries and ar,
sons nave be n insgigated and encouraged, and
| the offenders have been allowed to GO unpun-
| ishpd; the right of the people to be secure in
theirpersons, houses, papers and effects against
| unreasonable searches and seizures. has been
crty and properly, without dae process Of law;
| the freedom OI speech and of the press has
beca abridged; the right TO choose their repre-
| sentatives has been made Of no effeef That all
these things have been done with the know
! ledge, sInctisn and procurement of the Fed
cral Government. in violation Of the plainest
mandltes of the Constitutions; That the usur-
patton by wiiicha spurious Legislature WAS i'm
P0set upon Kansas, and its people subjected
~ in
history of civilized nations, is still r full force,
ana the people are denied the right peacefully
to Assem- hlc and petitio.: for redress OF griey-
anccSi the Aatiand Executive has permitted
two Governors Of his appointment to be driy-
/ en- from the Territory under fear of assassina-
tIon, and has not dared ro exert its power for
their protection against the lawless miniOns Of
Slave,y, while Judicial monsters and men whose.
| hands are red with innocent blood, are retained
| ia Office. 10 carry on the work of sui3ecting
| free territory to the cause of Slavery. Kansas
! has been denied admission under free consti-
tuition, and fraudulent means are now IN pro-
/ gress TO secure its admission Slave State
at the next session of Congress. Against this
| stupendous wrong. we protest, in he name OF
CSoD AND HUMASirY--by III teat is glorious in
our history, ana By tho n.emory Of the great
and good men who established our Liberties
| Res5ired, That it is d fraud upon our laws,
| admit to a full participation in their benefits,
! any man who acknowledges foreign supre-
| mac:, which he cannot eonseieniiuusy and
without mental reservation. ALLURE aid forev
! er renou' ce; whether that supremacy be civil
! or spiritual.
Resoieed, That the stnpendeus trands by
| which our popular elections are swayed against
| majority of the legally qnaiHed voters.
strikes at the foundation and life pf eur system
of government; and unless speedily corrected,
| will head TO violence and ai,archyi aud W, urge
upon Ill good ciiizcns TO gnite for the suppress
sion Of iiis evil; and we call apou our own
/ Legislature 10 guard by effective and stringent
laws the purity of the ballot hox.
Resoitei. That the sale CT the Main Line OF
/ our Improvements, is demanded by every con-
I sideratjon that should weigh with intelligent
! and hopest men. As a source of revenue, il
/ is wholly worthless to the State, while il Ia
! notorously used as a means of peculaton and
! plunde-, thereby ipflicting upon the State Pc
cnnary loss, and al SO irreparabie injury. in the
! almost universal decentralization aud political
proiligaey eng-ndsred throughout its eItire
| extent.
Resolre3, That we invite the afiiation and
corporation of men of III parties. however
differing with us in other respects, in support
OF the principles herein declared; and belies-
ing that the spirit of our institutions, well
as the Constitution of our country, guarantees
liberty of conscience and equality of rights
among citizens we oppose all legislation lr-