The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-10
BEGINNING JANUARY /, 1857.


The National Era is an uDcompromising
opponent of Slavery and the Slave Power: an
advocate of personal, civil, and religious Eber-
y, without regard to race or creed; a foe TO al
secret combinations to control the Ballot-Box,
whether under the direction of priests or Law
men, and to all measures directly or indirectly
countenancing prescription on account Of birth
place or religion; a 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 resistance in both Church and State;
holding that no man who swears to support the
Constitution of the United States can deibe-
rately violate his own settled convictions Of It's
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 it, as forming the great Political Question Of
the Day; taking the ground, that Slavery, from
Its necessities, instincts and habits, 10 perpetu-
ally antagonistic to Freedom and Free Labor,
and unchangeably aggressive; that its work
system of measures and it therefore has sup.
ported, and will continue to support, the Re
publican Party, so long as it shall be true TO
Freedom, holding itself, however, perfectly in
dependent, at liberty to approve or condemn
whatever may accord or conflict with its Oft
avowed principles.
1t presents weekly a summary of General
News and Political Intelligence, keeps 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 writers of the country, makes it EN-.
phsticslly PAPER FOR THE FAMILY
The Republican Party must row perfect its
organization, and proceed st once 10 the task
of enlightening the Public Mind. Only in this
way can it retain its power in the States which
1t now controls and acquire power in the States
which have just decided the issue against il.
Documents and speeches answer the purposes
OF temporary canvass, but permanent effects
can be produced best by ever-working agencies.
A single tract, read, may be forgotten-a GOOD
newspaper, going into family as a regular
vsiter, will not be forgotten 1t is the continual
dropping thst wears away stone-the repeated
blow that drives the wedge home-importu-
NIFTY that prevails where spasmodic appeals
fail. The newspaper devoted to the Discussion
OF fundamental principles, is the constant drop.
ping, the all-prevailing Importantly. No ether
agency can supply its place.
My subscribers have stood by the Era hand.
somely. No paper can boast warmer or more
steadfast 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 slavehoding District, and has been Cor 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 Congress 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 its legal right 10 official adj
vertisements denied, while so far from having
the support, 1t Is constantly subjected to the
imposition oF a.-o-a -
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.
Washington, D. c., January l, 1857.