Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-07-02
9oolitiraI.
ILLINOIs REpuBLIcAN pI

1 ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
The late large and enthusiastic Republican
State Convention which met at Springfield,
illinois, adopted the following declaration of
| principles
The committee on resolutions submitted
the following, which was read and unani-
mously adopted
Declaration of Principles.
We, the Republicans Of Illinois. in Con-
vention assembled, in addition to our previous
afrmations, make the following declaration
Of principles
| |. We rcaffirm our devotion to the Consti-
tuition Of the country, and 10 the union of the
States, and will firmly and steadily resist all
attempts for the peverson of the one OF the
disruption of the other. We recognize the
equal rights of all the States, and avow our
readiness and willingness to maintain them,
and dsclaim all intention of attempting, Ell
ther directly OF indirectly TO assail or abridge
the rights Of any of the members Of the Con-
fedcraoy guaranteed by the Constitution, or
in any manner to interfere with the institution
of Slavery in the States where it exists
| Nevertheless, we hold chat this Government
was instituted for freemen, and that il can
! be perpetuated and made 60 fulfil the purpo-
ses Of its organization only by devoting itself
TO the promotion of virtue and intelligence
among its citizens. and the advancement of
their prosperity and happiness; and to these
ends we hold it to be the duty of the Gov
crnment so to reform the system of disposing
of the public lands as TO secure the soil to
actual settlers, and wrest it from the grasp of
men who speculate in the homes of the peo-
pie, and from corporations that lock it up in
dead hands for enhanced profits.
! g Free labor being the only true support
| of republican institutions, our Government
should maintain its rights, and we therefore
demand the improvement of our harbors and
rivers which freight the commerce of the
West to market, and the construction of
central highway to connect our trade with the
Pacific States, as rightful encouragements to
home industry; and inasmuch as we now
compete in the markets of the country against
the product of unpaid labor at depreciating
prices it is therefore eminently unjust that
the National Administration should attempt
by coercion, to extend a 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 its hands,
and by its extraordinary, corrupt unjust, and
undignifed exertions to give effect to the
original intention and purpose of the Kansas
Nebraska bill, by forcing upon the people of
Kansas, against their will, and in defiance Of
their known and earnestly expressed wishes,
a Constitution recognizing Slavery as one of
their domestic institutions, it has forfeited all
claim TO the support and confidence of the
friends of free men, free labor, and equal
rights.
4. 1t is the duty of the Government faith
fully and diligently to execute all our treaty
stipulatons, and to enforce all our laws for
the suppression of the slave trade
5. That while we deprecate all interference
on the part of political organizations with the
action of the Judiciary, if such action is lin
it to its appropriate sphere, yet we cannot re-
frain from expressing our condemnation of the
principles and tendencies of tho extra judicial
opinions of a majority of the Judges of the
Supreme Count of the United States in the
matter of Dred Scott, wherein the political
heresy is put forth that the Federal Constitu-
ton extends Slavery into all the Territories
of the Republic, and so maintains it, that
neither Congress, nor the people through their
Territorial Legislatures, can by law abolish
it, we hold that Congress possesses sover-
eign power over the Territories, and has the
right to govern and control them, whilst they
remain in Territorial condition, and that il
is the duty of the General Government to
protect the Territories from the curse of
Slavery, and to preserve the public domain
for the occupation of free men and free labor,
and we declare that no power on earth can
carry and maintain Slavery in the States
against the will of their people, and the pro-
vision of their Constitutions and laws and
we fully endorse the recent decision of the
Supreme Court of our own State, which de-
clarcs that property in persons is repugnant
to the Constitution and laws of Illinois, and
that all persons within its jurisdiction are
presumed to he free, and that Slavery where
it exists, is a municipal regulation, without
any oxtra-territorial operation.
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
done consistently with our national honor
and interests and to enter into entangling
alliances with none Our intercourse with
other nations should be conducted upon prin-
ciples of exact and exalted justice and whilst
firmly maintaining our own rights we would
carefully avoid any invasion of the rights OF
others, and especially those of the weaker
nations. Our commerce ought to be protect
ed from wanton interruption, and our com
mercal marine from invasion and search--and
whilst we would deplore the necessity of war
with any of the nations of the earth, we will
firmly, zealously, and patriotically sustain the
Government in any just measures which 1t
may adopt to obtain redress for injuries and
ndignities which may heretofore have been
inflicted upon our citizens navigating the seas,
or which may be necessary to secure them
against repetition Of like injuries in the fu-
ture.
g. We view with regret and alarm the rap
idly increasing expenditures OF the General
Government, which now, in a time OF pro-