The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-09-16
The Democratic Platform.

We, the Democracy OF Minnesota, by our Del.
egates in Convention assembled, do affirm
and resolve
Frst.-That the States of the Union are SOW
ereign and equal; and the powers not express
ly delegated to the Federal Government are
retained by the people of the States.
SecOnd-That the people of the Territories
are justly entitled to the undisturbed regula-
ton of their local affairs, free from Intervention
by Congress or by any State. and subject only
to the Constitution of the United States that,
on attaining the number of inhabitants equal to
the ratio Of representation in the lower house
of Congress, such people haye the right to Or
ganize State Government, and demand ad-
mission into the Federal Union; and that, in the
organization of such State Government, the
People, by the will of the majority, fairly eX-
pressed at the ballot-boX have the exclusive
right to adopt any constitution which does not
conflict with a Republican form of government.
Ihird-The Democracy of Minnesota reiter-
ate, and fully endorse the National Democrat
ic platform adopted by the National Demo
cratic Convention at Cincinnati in 1856, and fur
ther declare that the institution of slavery, under
the Constitution of the United States, can only
become pertinent political question within the
State or Territory whereit is proposed to estab-
lish retain, abolish it, that the citizens OF such
State or Territory, respectively. have eXclu-
sive jurisdiction of the subject matter within its
own limits and that, therefore, Congress has
no power to establish or protect slavery in, or
to exclude slavery from, any of the Territories
of the United States.
FouM--That any attempt to reopen the AT
rican Slave Trade, is disgraceful to the age
and country and that the advocates OF this
| inhuman traffic are enemies of the government,
and sordid cOnspirators against the peace,
honor, dignity, and existence OF the Union.
FUM-That American citizenship embraces
persons of all creeds and nationalities, who,
under the laws acknowledge and render allie
<ka k,,,n ant md hat
| the DemOcl attic party recognizes no distinction
! between such citizens, whether native born or
naturalized, but guarantees to all, alike, the
same political rights at home, and the same
governmental protection abroad. And we fur.
| Their declare that the amendments to the Con-
stitutiOn of Massachusetts, placing additional
restrictions upon the admission of foreign born
adopted citizens to the right of suffrage, is an
act of the Republican party. and that we hold
them responsible for it, as an open avOWal OF
principles which are secretly and coverty held
by that party in Minnesota, and wherever that
sectional organization exists; which is mani
tested by the fact that they have placed in NOM
inatiOn for the sufrages OF the native and adopt
ed citizens of Minnesota, James H. Baker, TOR
Secretary of State, Gordon f. Cole, for AttOr-
ney General, and William Window, for Repre-
sentative in Congress, three open and ayowed
Know NOthngs.
Sirth-That all laws of the United States.
duly enacted, should be obeyed and respected
unless declared unconstitutional by the judicial
| tribunals and that the aid and encouragement
given by the Republican party in Ohio, Wis.
cOnsin, and elsewhere, to resist the laws, con-
vict it of being sectional, reasonable, and rev.
dictionary in its objects and aims.
SeUenth-That the principles embraced in
the measure known as the Homestead Bill
were and are of Democratic origin; first in
trOduced into Congress by member of that
party, and, during the last session, voted for
H., foft md
that the provisions of any future Homestead
Bill should apply to settlers thereafter to locate
upon public lands, and those now settled
upon them, as well as to lands subject to pri-
vate entry or to presumption; that the at
tempt OF the Republican party to claim it
as their measure is, therefore, preposterous
and absurd. but that, on the contrary, the
policy of the Republican party has been,
and now is, the distribution of the pro-
ceeds of the public lands amongst all the
States, thus despOiling the public land States
for the benefit of the older States OF the Union.
as witnessed by its advocating the passage OF
the Agricultural College Bill during the last
session OF Congress, in advance OF the Home
stead Bill-thus taking from the State OF Min
neSOta over three millions of acres OF land and
donating the same to the older States thereby
creating State Land MOnopolies in our midst
and dispOsng of the public domain they pro-
fessed by the Homestead Bill to be deslrous OF
donating as homes for the homeless.
Eighth-That all sales OF the public lands are
contrary to the settled policy of the Democracy
of Minnesota, and this Convention pledges the
influence of the party in opposition to any dis
position of the public domain other than to act
tual settlers under the operation of a liberal
)mestead or pre.emptions! aw. That the sale at
this time of the lands now advertised in this
State, would be oppressive to the pioneer set
tiers upon the public domain, obnoxious to the
earnest and frequently expressed sentiments of
the Democracy of the State, and repugnant
to the policy indicated by Andrew Jackson
and endorsed by the President in his lnau-
gural address. This Convention therefore
most respectfully and urgently solicit the Pres
ident to postpone those sales, as means
of preserving a numerous class from actual
ruin, and contributing to the best interests OF
the State.
Ninh-That the covert opposition OF the
leaders of the Republican party IN TINS state TO
the admission of Minnesota, and the open OPP
position of the Representatives OF that party IN
Congress- to the admission of both Minnesota
and Oregon. demonstrate the hypocrisy of
Republican pretensions as being the peculiar
friends of Free States.
Tpntb-That the charges made by the late
Republican Convention that the officers of the
State and the Democratic party had tempered
with the purity of the ballot box to secure their
ascendency at the last State election, is dishOn-
oring to the State and still more so to those who
make them as they know them to be false and
unfounded; and the fact that their candidate for
Governor was repeatedly invited and challeng-
ed to test the question before the legal tribu-
nails of the State, which he and his political
friends declined to do, affords the most con-
vincing proof that neither he nor they believed
what they so vehemently asserted. And in
thus repelling their foul charges, we declare our
unlimited confidence, in the integrity and patri
otism of the present State Administration.
b hot fhn