The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-01
REPUBLICAN, PLATFORM OF ILLINOIS,
Adopted at the Hspyblican State Convention ! cid
at Springfield, June 2, 1853

We, the Republicans of Illinois, in Cow en-, ION
assembled. in addition to our previous a.frioa.
tiors, make the>following declaration Of sur
principles:
l. We reafirn our devotion to the Constau-
ton of the country, and to the union Of he
States, and will steadily resist all ATTEMPTS tor
the perversion of the one, or the disruption of-
the other. We recognise the equal rights of
all the States, and avow our readiness and Will
ingness to main tain them, and disclaim all in
tention of sttem pting, either directly or inlr ct
ly, to assail or abridge the rights of any Of he
members of the Confederacy guaranteed oy he
Constitution, or In any manner to interfere Nth
the institution Of Slavery in the States whers it
exists. Nevertheless, we hold that the Gov
g nment was instituted for freemen, and tAat
it can be perpetsIated, and made to fulfil she
purposes of its organization only by desoting
itself to the promotion Of virtue and intelligence
among its citis ems, and the advancement of
their prosperity and happiness; and to these
ends, we hold it 70 be the duty of the Govern
ment 30 to reform the system of dsposing of the
public lands as to secure the soil to actual set
tiers, and wrest il from the grasp of mea Who
speculate in the homes of the people, and from
corporations that lock it up in dead hands Cor
enhanced profits.
2. Free Labor being the only true support
should msintain-ts rights; and we therefore
demand the improvement of our harbors end
rivers which freight the commerce of the West
to a market, and the construction of GENITAL
highway to connect our trade with the Pacific
States, as rightful encouragement to home in
dustry and, inasmuch as we now compete in
the markets of the whole country against The
products of unpaid labor at depreciating prioes
it is therefore eminently unjust that the atibn
al Administration should attempt BY coercion
to extend servile system in the Territories,
or, by patronage, to perpetuate Slavery in The
States.
3. The present Administration has proved
recreant to the trusts committed to it's han ds,
and by its extraordinary corrupt, unjust, snd
undignifed exerticns to give effect to the dig
inal intention and purpose of the Kansas-le.
| braska bill, by io.cing upon the people of Kim
sas, against their will, and in defiance of tb cir
known and carr estly exp pressed wishes, a Con-
stitution recogr icing Slavery as one of tb cir
domestic institu sions it has forfeited all claim
to the support If the friends of free men flee
labor, and equal rights.
A. 1t is the duty of the Government faithfully
and diligently to execute all our treaty stipula-
tons, and to enforce all our laws for the sap-
preston of the slave trade.
s. That while we deprecate all interference
on the part of political organizations with the
action of the Judiciary, if such action is limited
to its appropriate sphere, yet we cannot refrain
from expressing our condemnation of the prin.
ciples and TENDENCIES of the extra judicial opin.
ions Of majority of the Judges of the Supreme
Court of the [ nited States, in the mater of
| bred Scott, wherein the political heresy is put
forth, that the Federal Constitution extends
Slavery into all tie Territories of the Repabl:c,
and 30 maintains it that neither Congress nor
People, through sheir Territorial Legislature,
can by law abolish it. We hold that Congress tae
possesses sovereE n power over the Territories,
whilst they rem ain in Territorial condition
and that it is the duty of the General Govern.
ment to protect the Territories from the curse
of Slavery, aud to preserve the public domain
for the occupation of free men and free labor.
And we declare that no power on earth con
carry and maintain Slavery in the States against
the will of the people and the provisions of their
Constitutions and laws; aud we fully endorse
the recent decision of the Supreme Court of our
own State, which declares "That property IN
persons is repul nant to the Constitution ard
laws of Illinois, and that all persons within iss
jurisdiction are Supposed to be free; and that
Slavery, where IL exists, is a municipal regula.
| ton, without any extra-territorial operation,
6. The policy Of this Government should be
| to live on terms of peace and amity with all the
nations of the earth, so far, as it can be lone
consistently with our national honor and inter.
est and to enter iato entangling alliances with
none. Our intercourse with other nations
should be cendu cted upon principles of exact
and exalted justice; and whilst firmly n ain.
tanning our OWL rights, we should carefully
avoid any invasio, of the rights of others, and
especially those Ct weaker nations. Our CON-
msrce ought to b., protected from wanton in
terruption, and or commercial marine from
invasion and seasch, and while we would
deplore the neceadty of war with any of the
nations of the carts, we will still firmly, Jealous.
ly, and patrioticallg I, sustain the Government in
any lust measures which it may so adopt to
obtain redress for indignities which may here
tofore have bean inflicted upon our citizens
navigating the sess, or which may be neces'
sary to secure then, against Q repetition OF like
! injuries in the future.
!. We view with regret and alarm the
apidly-increasing expenditures of the Genera.
Government, which now, in state OF profound