Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-09-03
DDR E S s
TO THE
PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA,


IN REGARD TO THE
HISTORY. PRINCIPLES, AIMS,
AND OBJECTS
OF THE
Republican and Democratic Partie
Fsllop Citizens. With the progress of tin
the People of Minnesota approach their secor
State election. Both political parties ha,
made their nominations for State officers an
members of Congress; the Platforms of pril
ciples upon which those nominees both re
pectively stand, and by which the State off
GERS and congressman who may be electe
will be guided in their official action, are befor
the world and on every hand the notes {
preparation are heard for the final issue at tn
ballot-box on the second Tuesday of Octobe
next. 1t is TO set forth more particularly tn
grounds upon which the Republican Party G
Minnesota rest its claims to the support of tn
legal voters Of the State, that We now prOpOs
to furnish
Frst-A brief History of the Policy Of tn
Nation as connected with the purposes ant
objects Of the Republican Party as Nationa
Party; and
OSCUNu-A uttdll vi Tie L OitICdl IlIStOTy u
the State Of Minnesota, showing the manner
in which the Democratic Party have obtained
power in the State, and the manner in which
they have misused and abused that power te
the serious injury Of the whole People.
Original Political Position OF Slavery
In the United States.
Seventy-twO years ago this government was
formed. At that time the subject of Slavery
was regarded by all parts of the confederacy
in but one light. The first Congress, held in
1774, declared that, "God never intended q
part of the human race to hold property in,
and have unbOunded power over others."-
By the second article of the bond of fedora
tive union the slave power was prohibited.
The original draft of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence embodied the pre- constitutional
feeling of our people on the subject in the
following words, which were, however, "in
complacence to South Carolina and Georgia" !"
says Jefferson, erased from the final draft :
"He, (King George has waged cruel war
against human nature itself, violating it's most
sacred rights of life and liberty, in the persons
of distant people, who have never offended
him, captivating and carrying them into slave
ry in another hemisphere, or to incur misera-
bic death in their transportation thither. This
piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infdel
Powers, is the warfare of the Christian King
Of Great Britain. Determined to keep mar
ket where men could be bought and sold, he
has at length prostituted his negative for sup
pressing any legislative attempt to prohibit
and restrain this execrable commerce"
Let it be recollected that our government
was formed on distinguishing trait of charac-
ter separating it from all the other governments
of the world-a trait which was almost an
experiment-atr trait which cannot be too much
dwelt upon and considered. That trait was
embodied in the following words of the Decla-
ration of Independence: "We hold these
truths to be self-evident that all men are
created equal-that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalenable rights that
among these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness"
Liberty, broad, universal liberty, equality
for all mankind, the most ultra republicanism
and democracy that was possible consistent
with the peace and order of society were the dis
tinctiye features and essentials of our govern
ment. With it arose a new era in the world
An era when the theories of SageS and phi
lanthropists of all preceding ages were for the
first time put into national practice. 1t was
hoped, it was expected, that the career thus
commenced would go on through all time
with unbroken vitality and with unceasing
growth. The unfortunate condition of another
race in part of the Union was universally re-
garded with regret and with hopes Of it's
speedy obliteration! This is shown by the
recorded sentiments of the fathers of our gov
ernment. Gen. Washington, the Father of
his Country, expressed the hope that he would
live to see the institution abolished in all parts
of the Union. He said:
at is most serious evil, and should re-
joice in any feasible scheme to rid the States
of such burden"
Thomas Jefferson, the great apostle of De-
mocracy, said
"It is still in our power to direct the pro-
cess Of emancipation and deportation peacea-
bly,, and in such show degree that the evil
will wear off insensibly, and their place be
filled up with white laborers"
Benjamin Franklin, the Sage and Philoso-
pher of the American Revolution, says:
"We earnestly beseech you that you will
countenance the restoration of liberty to those
unhappy men, who alone, in this land of free
dom, are degraded into perpetual bondage,
and who amidst the general joy of surround
ing freemen, are groaning in servile subjec-
ton"
That these sentiments were echoed by the
early government of the Union, is proved as
follows:
1st. The government joined to cut off the
supply of slavery by prohibiting the further
importation of slaves into the country after a
certain period, by making the trade in slaves
AN offence punishable by death, and by pla-
cling it in the same category with Piracy!
I'd. But as if the founders of the govern
ment were not satisfied with the Introduction
Of nutriment to the institution, they sought still
farther to promote its removal by prohibiting
;ts extension beyond the bounds it then occu-
MED 10 1889 by the celebrated Ordinance
in reference: to the Northwestern Territory,
CONGRESS- forb,,. the spread of slavery over
what was then the ,,.nly Territory held by the
United States.
Here then we have abandoned proof of the
light in which the institution was originally
REGARDED. /. By the action taSen by the
first Congress ever convened OF the United
Colonies. 2. By the original draft Of the De
claration of Independence amended in com
DlacenCe 10 TWO SOullcih SIalCo. o' ~ sAA>
whole Spirit of Liberty breathing and perya
ding the Declaration OF lndependence-tne
Common Law of Our .System-the Meagr'
Charta of Our Liberties-the Basis of oul
National Exstence-the Absolute Foundation
upon which was erected the whole Magniticen
Structure of our Institutions and principles
a. By the sentiments expressed by the Foun
ders of the Government. 5. By the Prohibi
ton of the Slave Trade. 6. By the Prohibi
tion of the Extension of Slavery to the Ere,
Territories of the Union.
Let us follow forward the course of time
Has the promise of those first days of tn,
Republic been fulfilled? Has slavery thu
interdicted in its cause, thus clogged in it
result, thus rebuked by the essential princi
pies of our government, shrunk within it
limits, withered and died out? By no means
We propose to show that from that day t
H. Il l.