The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-17
OF THE ELEVENTH VOLUME
BEGINNING JANUARY /, 1857.
Washington, D. c.


The National Era is an uDcompromising
opponent of Slavery and the Slave Power; an
advocate of personal, civil, and religious Hber
y, without regard to race or creed; foe 10 all
secret combinations to control the BsllOt-Box,
whether under the direction of priests or lay
men, and to all measures directly or indirectly
countenancing prescription on account Of birth
place or religion; friend of Temperance, the
Homestead, and all reforms calculated to secure
to Labor its Just consideration, recompense, and
political weight, and to Trade, its Natural Free
dom, in virtue Of which every man has 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.rssistance in both Church and State
holding that no man who swears to support tie
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
It's necessities, instincts, and habits. s perpetu-
ally antagonistic to Freedom and Free Labor,
and unchangeably aggressive; that its work.
ings can be counteracted Only by permanent
system of measures; and it therefore has sup
ported, and will continue to support, the Re.
publican Party, 80 long it shall be true 10
Freedom, holding itself, however, perfectly in
dependent, at liberty TO approve or condemn
whatever may accord or conflict with its OF.
avowed principles
1t presents weekly a summary of General
News and Political Intelligence, keeps a 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 is
carefully provided for, and its Literary Miscel-
lany, chiefly original, being supplied by many
OF the best writer's of the country, makes it EN-.
phahcally PAPER FOR THE FAMILY
The Republican Party must new perfect ia
organization, and proceed at once to the task
OF enlightening the Public Mind. Only in this
way can 1t retain its power in the States which
it now controls, and acquire power in the States
which have just decided the issue against il.
Documents and speeches answer the purposea
OF temporary canvass, but permanent effects
can be produced best by ever-working agencies.
A single tract, read, may be fcrgotten-a good
newspaper, going into family a. a regular
vsiter, will not be forgotten 1t is the Continual
dropping that wears away stone-the repeated
blow that drives the wedge home-impcrtu.
nifty that prevails where spssmodic appeals
fail. The newspaper devoted to the discussion
of fundamental principles, is the constant drop.
ping, the all-prevailing importantly. No other
agency can supply it's place
My subscribers have stood By the Era hand
somely. No paper can boast warmer CT more
steadfast friends. They have not forgotten
that, whatever the claims and merits of other
papers, the Era, in the face Of imminent per.
lls, was the pionesr TO Freedom Of the Press IN
this slaveholding District, aud has been for ten
years the only journal st the seat of the I'd
eral Government, representing me sentiments
OF the Free States on the great Question CT tee
Country, the only journal through which their
loyal representatives in Congress could End
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 its legal right to official adj
vertisements denied, while, so far from having
the support, it i. constantly subjected to the
opposition, of strong local interests; SO that its
only dependence is upon those enlightened
friends of Freedom, all over the country, who
appreciate the necessity of nGint1;ning such q
sentinel on the outpost Of Freedom.
G. BAILEY.
Washington, D. c., january l, 1857.