The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-02-18

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A greet fassiing Of the Democracy Of
Philsdelphla was helA lac. week, to express
an Opinion ia regard 10 the LecOmptOn
Cons.i.u,ion. Amer the aGssmSiasO had
been addressed By Hon. F. P. stanton and
John w. FOrnsy, Esq, the following res.
slntiona were ansuimOuSiy adopted: z
WHEREAS. The Kansas and Nebraska
act and the EiHcinnati platform both EN-
Sndy the just principles OF popular sover
eighty upon which GU: Government and all
our institutions are based. and Fecite. la.
potent lapgu1 60 the uhmistak able meaning
OF their text. that 10 the people Of every
orvanixed State'nnd Territory bslongs, Of
right, the preFogstive Of regulating for
themselves their own domestic and local af-
fairs within the limitS Of the Constitution,
we, the DsmocraJ Of Philadelphia ins town
meeting assembled, do hereby ath8uncs.
that We will sternly adhere 10 the great
principles enhRciuted by those two lrithhl
guides for the progress of our psrty, be-
l;eSing that the saiety Of cur Republic and
the happiness Of our people depend entirely
upon on henest adhesion 10 the clear i'm.
port Of the Cincinnati Platform and the
Kansas Nebrasks act:--therefOrs be it
Resolved, That 10 the Democratic party
Of feDnsy IVsnia, In the late Presidential
contest, plighted its faith to the people OF
the State and country, that the citizens Of
Ksnsas and sll the other Territories Of the
Union, shcala decide for themselves the
character Of their domestic Institutions
and 10 this sacred pledge had the willing
snnetieD and ardent approbati,n OF Mr.. Blu.
cha nan, and wasfereatealy feitered in Our
city and State by Secretaries Cobb and
Floyd, Postmaster General Brown, and 9th.
e,s, during that memorable campaign, It
would be both unmanly and disefaceful to
Us, as Democrats, to violate a promise 50
sacredly given, on the indefeasible ground
Of expediency alone-ihat being the only
reason yet adduced by the friends OF the
Lecompton Constitution to justify such vic.
lRtiun.
Resolved, That we declare il to be our
unshaken determination to resist every at
tempt to force upon the people of that Ter.
ritory any C Institution which has not had
their express approval, conscious as we are
that resistance to aggression 10 the only
means by which unparalleled wrongs can
be redressed. The people Of thirty one
States and two Territories of this Union
(Oregon and Minnesota} have had their
paramount law submitted to them. in all its
parts. for approval or rejection; so that Gus.
tom, even iu the absence Of the Kansas
Nebraska act md the Cincinnati platform,
points with unerring finger to the injustice
et r"tiy ing the Lecumpton Constitution
II custom cannot secure acqUiescsnce, or
antiquity small degree Of respect, po,ucr
will surely fail to secure obedience to error.
Resolve1, That a. States Rights Demo-
Gratis, Jealous OF any infraclion Of this
wholesome doctrine, we shall oppose every
attempt to interfere with the sovereignty Oi
the States, either North or South, or with
the people Of the Territories seeking ad.
mission into this Union-the sole guide oil
The latter beiAg found In the express terms
ol the Kansas Nebraska act--and the &C.
tion Of the foFme: resident in the inheren,
right to mahet alter, or abolish their Consti.
tutions in the way prescribed by the citizens
of the individual States.
Resolved, That the Democracy here as
sembled hsve the most perfect confidence in
the integrity, patriotism, and stntesmanShiE
Of Governor Packer, and hail with enthusi
sstic admiration the declaration enunciatec
in his Inaugural Address, that "to the peo
pie OF Pennsylvania the admission Oi new
State into the Union-into that Confedera
cy Of which she rs u meMber-must be- n
all times a subject of high ints, est. And
believe express their sentiments, as wei
= as my own, in declaring that all the quail
fed electors OF Territory should have q
fall and fair opportunity to participate il
selecting delegates to form a Constitution
preparatory 10 admission ss q State, and, il
deSred by them, they should also be allow.
ed an unqualified right to vota upon such
Cont titutiun ter il is irameds" This is tho
true doctriEe oi popular sovereignty, us il
was unanimously understood and expressed
at Cincinnati, by the Southern and North
srn Delegates to the Conretitidn, who fran.
ed the Platform und nominated James Blu
chanan for the Presidency.
Res !ved, That We cling with uhobateC
seui TO the Confidence we have long reposee
in J mes Buchanan, President of the Unit
ed States. that we supported him with en-.
thusiasm in 1856, upon the great principles
enunciated at Cincinnati; and that we up.
pf6re aud support every part Of his policy,
TINS far developed, excepting that in refer.
ence to K nsas, from which we do respect
fully, but fxedly, dissent.
Rssoived, That truth 10 the real object o
the masses; the svowed object OF alt; bu,
truth can neither be long divided agains
herself, nor made Obstructive of herselI-
She eolicits inquiry and courts investigation
her desife being to seek true premises, tina,
fair conclusions may be drawn therefrom.
Now, therefore, as the truth in reference Il
the Lecompton Convention has seachsd the
mind ol the American people, and ealFno
be obscured, We express the earnest hope
that Congress und the President will unite
in sending back the vitiated Constitution t.
the hon0 fde citizens Of Kansas for their re.
lection OF ratification.
Resolred. That we recognise the right O
the people Of all the Territories, including
Kansas and Nebraska, acting through tn,
legally and fairly EXPRESSED will of a ma
jority OF actual residents, and whenever III,
number Of their inhabitants iusti6es it, I,
form Constitution, with or without domes
tic slavery. and be sdmitted into the Unio,
upon terms of perfect equality with the 9th
er States.
Resolved, That our; immediate represen
tstives in Congress, Messrs. Florence, Ian
dy. Phillips, and Jones, be requested to op
pose the Lecompton fraud, as su. h is tn
desire Of three lourths Of the Democracy O
Phil"de Phia and Montgomery counties
whose opini on that exciting subject it i
their duty to consult; and BY 90 doing, aid il
sustaining the rights Of the people as ex
pressed in the Kansas Nebraska act, an
iaculcated BY the Cincinnati Platform.