Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-08-10
Republican Platform of 1860.


States, in Convention assembled. in the dis
charge of the duty we owe to our constituents
and our country, unite in the following declara
tions
First, That the history of the nation during
the last four years has fully established the
propriety and necessity of the organization and
perpetuation Of the Republican party, and thai
the causes which called it into existence arc
permanent in their nature, and now more than
ever before demand its peaceful and constitu
tional triumph.
Second, That the maintenance Of the prinei
Piles promulgated in the Declaration of indie
pendenee, and embodied in the Federal Con
stitution is essential to the preservation of oul
republican institutions; that the Federal Con
stitution, the tights of the States, and the Union
of the States must and shall be preserved
Ind that we reassert these truths to be self
evident, that all men are created equal that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights; that among these are life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to
secure these rights, governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed"
Third That to the Union of the States this
nation owes its unprecedented increase in pop.
ulation its surprising development of material
resources its rapid augmentation of wealth
us happiness oJ NOME anu It's nODOF aOfOau
and we hold in abhorrence all schemes for dis
union, come from whatever source they may
and we congratulate the cosntry that no Re.
publican Member of Congress has uttered or
countenanced a threat of disunicn, so often
made by Democratic Members; of Congress
without rebuke and with applause from
their political associates; and We denounce
those threats of disunion in case of a popular
overthrow of their ascendency, az denying the
vital principles of free Government and as
an avowll of contemplated treason, which it is
the imperative duty of an indignant people
strongly to rebuke and forever silence.
Fourth, TIL It the maintenance inviolate of
the rights of the States, and especially the
right Of each State to order and control its
own domestic institutions, according to its own
Judgment exclusively is essential to that ball
aAce Of power on which the perfection and en-
d5rance of our political faith depends.
aid we denounce the lawless invasion by arm
ID force of any State or Territory, no matter
inder what pretext, as among the gravest of
crimes.
Filth, That the present Democratic Admin.
Istration has far exceeded our worst apprehen-
sions in its measureiess subseryiency to the ex-
actions of a sectional interest. as is especially
evident IN its desperate exertions to force the
infamous Lecompton constitution on the protest
relation between master and servant to involve
an unqualified property in persons-in its at
tempted enforcement everywhere, on land and
sea, through the Intervention of Congress
and the Federal Courts, of the extreme preten-
sons of a purely local interest, and in its gen.
eral and unvarying abuse of the power intrust-
ed to it by a eonfding people.
Sixth, That the people justly view with alarm
the reckless extravaganza which pervades every
department of the Federal Government that
a return to rigid economy and accounta bility is
indispensable to arrest the system of plumber Of
the public treasury by favored partisans while
the recent startling developments of fraud and
corruption at the Federal metropolis. show tina,
an entire change of administration is imperl.
lively demanded.
Seuenth, That the new dogma that the Con.
stitution, of its own force, carries Slavery into
any or all of the Territories of the United
States is dangerous political heresy, at vari
ance with the explicit provisions of that instru
ment itself, with contemporaneous exposition
and with legislative and judicial precedent; is
revolutionary in its tendency, and subversive
of the peace and harmony of the country.
Eighth. That the normal condition of all the
territory of the United States is that of Free
dom; that as our republican fathers, wher
they had abolished slavery in all our national
territory, ordained that no person should be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without
the process of law, it becomes cur duty, by leg
islation, whenever such legislation is necessary
to maintain this provision Of the Constitution
against all attempts to violate it and we deny
the authority of Congress, of Territorial leg.
islature, or of any individuals. to We legal ex.
istence to Slavery in. any territory of the Uni.
ted States.
Ninth That we brand the recent re-openinp
IF ba fpioa,, clo
our national flag, aided by perervsions of Judi
cial power, as crime against humanity. a
burning shame to our country and age, and
we call upon Congress to take prompt and eff
cient measures for the total and final suppress
sion of that execrable traffic.
Tenth, That in the recent vetoes by their Fed
eral Governors of the acts of the Legislature:
of Kansas and Nebraska. prohibiting Slavery
in those territories, we find practical illustra
ton of the boosted Democratic principle O
intervention and Popular Sovereignty, EN-
bodied in the Kansas and Nebraska bill. and s
deuunciation of the deception and fraud invol
we'd therein.
E ersath, That Kansas should of right be i'm
mediately admitted as State under the Con
stitution recently formed and adopted by heI
people. and accepted by the House of Repre-
sentatiyes.
the support of the general Government by du
ties upon imports. sound policy requires sucl
an adjustment of those imposts as to encouragt
the development of the industrial interest o
the whole country; and we commend tha
policy of national exchanges which secures t.
the working men liberal wages to agriculture
remunerating prices to mechanics and manu-
lecturers an adequate reward for their skill
labor and enterprise, and to the nation com
mercial prosperity. and independence.
Thirteenth, That we protest against any sale
or alienation to others of the public lands held
by actual settlers, and against any view of the
free homestead policy which regards the settlers
as paupers or supplcants foi public bounty,
and we demand the passage by Congress of the
complete and satisfactory Homestead measure
which has already passed the House.
Fourteenth, That the Republican party is op
posed TO any change in our Naturalization laws
or any State legislation by which the rights O
citizenship hitherto accorded to Immigrant
from foreign lands shall be abridged or impair
ed: and in favor of giving full and efficient pro-
lection to the rights of all classes of citizens
whether native or naturalized, both at home
or abroad
Fifteenth, The appropriations by Congress for
River and Harbor Improvements of a national
character required for the accommodation and
security of an existing Commerce. are author.
lied by the Constitution and justified by the
obligation of the Government to protect the lives
and property of its citizens.
Sixteenth That railroad to the Pacific Ocean
is imperatively demanded by the interests of
the whole country: that the Federal Govern
ment ought to render immediate and efficient
hid in its construction, and that as preliminary
thereto daily overland mail should be estab-
ished.
Seventeenth, Finally, having thus set forth
,ur distinctive principles and views, We invite
he cooperation of all citizens. however differ