The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-27
0SPECTUS OF THE ELEVENTH VOLUME
BEGINNING JANUARY /, 1857.

The National Era is an upcompromisin.
opponent of Slavery and the Slave Power; an
advocate of personal, civil and religious liber-
y, without regard to race or creed; foe 10 all
secret combinations to control the Ballot Box,
whether under the direction of priests or lay
men, and to al measures directly or Indirectly
countenancing prescription on account of birth
place or religion a friend of Temperance. the
Homestead, and all reforms calculated 10 secure
to Labor its Just consideration. recompense. and
political weight, and to Trade its Natural Free.
dom, in virtue Of which every man has s right
to buy and sell in whatever market he pleases,
1t believes in the right of individual Judgment
in all matters, whether of religion or politics,
and rejects the dogma of passive obedience
and non-resistance in both Church and State
holding that no man who swears to support the
Constitution of the United States can delibe-
rately violate his own settled convictions of its
meaning, without mourning the guilt of perjury,
and that no citizen can obey human enact
ment which requires him to commit injustice,
without immortality
1t regards Slavery, and the issues involved
IN 1t. as forming the great Political Question of
the Day; taking the ground, that Slavery, from
Its necessities, instincts and habits, is perpetu.
ally antagonistic to Freedom and Free Labor,
and unchangeably aggressive; that its work
ings can be counteracted only by q permanent
system of measures; and it therefore has sup
ported, and will continue to support, the Re-
publican Party, so long az it shall be true 10
Freedom, holding itself, however, perfectly in.
dependent, at liberty to approve or condemn
whatever may accord or conflict with It's oft.
svowed principles.
1t presents weekly summary Of General
News and Political Intelligence, keeps u rec.
ord OF the Proceedings Of Congress, and is the
repository OF large portion Of the most i'm
portant speeches delivered in that body.
Its Foreign and Domestic Correspondence ia
carefully provided for, and its Literary Miscel-
lany, chiefly original being supplied by many
of the best writers of the country, makes it EN-.
phatically PAPER FOR THE FAMILY.
The Republican Party must now perfect its
organization, and proceed at once 10 the task
of enlightening the Public Mind. Only in ;bi,
way can it retain its power in the States which
IT now controls, and acquire power IN the States
which have just decided the issue against 1t.
Documents and speeches answer the purposes
OF temporary canvass, but permanent ELECTS
can be produced best by working agencies.
single tract, read, may be forgo.ten-a good
newspaper, going into a family as a regular
visier, will not be forgotten. 1t is the continual
dropping that wears away stone-the repeated
blow that drives the wedge home-impor,u-
NIFTY that prevails where spasmcdic appeals
fail. The newspaper devoted to the discussion
of fundamental principles, is the constant drop.
ping, the sllprevailing importantly. No other
agency can supply its place.
My subscribers have stood sy the Era hand.
somely. No paper can boast warmer or more
stesdfast friends. They have not forgotten
that, whatever the claims and merits of other
papers, the Era, in the face of imminent per-
lis, was the pioneer to Freedom of the Press in
this slaveholding District and has been for ten
years the only journal at the seat of the Fed.
eral Government, representing the sentiments
OF the Free States on the great Question Of the
Country, the only journal through which their
loyal representatives in Compress could find
voice and vindication. They have not forgot.
ten, nor will they forget, that while papers en-
gagged IN the same Cause elsewhere. have
strong local interests to rely upon. and the pa
pers printed here, opposed TO our Cause, thrive
through the patronage of the Federal Govern
ment, the Era is uniformly prescribed by that
Government, and It's legal right to official sd-
vertisements denied, while, 40 far from having
the support, it is constantly subjected to the
opposition, of strong local interests; 50 that its
only dependence is upon those enlightened
friends of Freedom, all over the country, who
appreciate the necessity of maintaining such
sentinel on the outpost OF Freedom.
G. BAILEY.
WGshiu0t0a d. c. JInHary / 1871