The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-04-03

-, ouosc WHO sympathi1e with Gerrit Smith.
Iney regard the Constitution of the United
; states as an anti-slavery instrument. They
. oeiieve that the Federal Goverdment has
the power. and that it is its duty to abolish
slavery throughout the whole iand-"to
break every yoke. and let the oppressed 20
free This class of men resor, 10 the bal.
ot-oox to right the wrongs Of which they
complain. This party, though more hume.
rous than the GarrisonianS, embrace. in all
the free States but few thousand men.
Its chief strength. believe, is in the State
OF New York; yet there is only polled five
thousand four hundred and seventy voters.
IN an aggregate Of five hundred and forty.
four thousand eight hundred and sixteen;
being but very small fraction over the
one-hundredth part of the entire vote of
the State. 1t cannot show the same rela.
tive strength in any other State and
believe 1t is safe to say, that not one in
two hundred Of the voting population Of the
free States can be legitimatcly classed with
this party.
The next and last class of anti.slayery
"rJ ","T &C 'h.t With which it is my privilege
f'S W act, tuat class which IL
largely represented vn This floor, and which
embraces within its organization an over
whelming majority of the people of the free
States. Ii is that class which is known to
candid people, and to all gentlemen. as the
republican party; TO those who have no
regard for the ordinary politeness, and no
respect Tor the common civilitios of life
whether they tie political editors or mem
bers OF Congress-it is known as the Black
Republican party
This party, Mr.. Chairman, holds tho
political faith Of the fathers Of the Repub-
he We believe that all men have an in.
alienable right TO life. liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness" We beiieve-nay,
We knoc-tha, slavery, socially, morally.
politically, is blighting and a whitening
curse. We know that its influence is del
sterious upon both the opprcssor and the
oppressed. We know it retards the deyel.
opment Of the material resources of tho
country We know it checks the onward
march Of civilization We know it i'm
pedes the progress, as it corrupts the NOR
ais and perverts the doctrines of the Chris.
tian religion. We know it is surely, and
with fearful rapidity. undermining the very
foundations of our Government and that
If its onward course is not speedily stayed.
our country will soon be Republic only
in name
| But, Mr.. Chairman, We mean it shall be
stayed. We say to slavery, thus far, and
no farther" We design to confire it in
the States in which it now exists. Regard.
ing it as great evil, we cannot as honest
and conscientious men. as good and patri.
Otic citizens, consent TO its farther extension
Hence. the great and leading idea, the car
diDal principle. of the Republican organi-
zatiOn, Is the non-crtension, or perhaps
might better say. tue limitation Of siaue-
ry If there is fanaticism in this principle,
we are fanatics. If thus Is a reasonable
principle. we are traitors But those who
so ferociously brand US with those epithets
would do we'll to remember that in SO doing
they are assailing the memory of their own
fathers. and justifying the course of George
I'LL. who published them as outlaws and
set a reward upon their heads
The doctrines Of the Republican party
on the subject Of slavery are clearly and
authoritatively expressed in the following
resolutions, which l quote from the plat
form of principles adopted at Philadelphia.
in 1856:
81. Resoiped, That the maintenance of the
principles promulgated in the Declaration of
Independence, and embodied in the Federal
Constitution, are essential TO the preservation
of our republican institutions; and that the
Federal Constitution, the rights of the States,
and the Union of the States, shall be preser.
we'd
80. Resolped, That, with our Republican faith.
ers, We hold it to be q sef-evident truth, that
all men are endowed with the inalienable right
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
and that the primary object and ulterior design
of our Federal Government were to secure
those rights to all persons within lis exclusive
/ jurisdiction; that az our republican fathers,
when they had abolished slavery in all our ma.
tional territory, Ordained that no person should
be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without
due process OF Law, it becomes our duty TO
maintain this provision Of the Constitution
against attempts to violate il, 10 prevent the
establishment OF slavery in the Territories Of the
United States by positive legislation prohibiting
/ its existence therein. And We deny the au-
thority Of Congress, on a Territorial Legislature,
Of any individual or associction of individuals,
10 give legal existence TO slavery in any Terrific
~ Of the United States, while the present Con-
stitution shall be maintained.
"3. Resoiyed, That the Constitution coniers
upon Congress sovereign power over the Ter
ritories Of the United States, for their Govern
ment; and that, in the exercise Of this power,
it is both the right and duty of Congress TO
prohibit in its Territories those twin relics OF
barbarisrn, polygany and slavery"
The Republican party TO- day. Mr. Chair
man, stands upon this platform. and it will
continue to stand there. Neither the
threats Of Southern disunionists. nor the
pitiful appeals Of Northern conservatives.
nor the persevering efforts Of selfish. time
serving politicians, will cause it TO abandon
the position it has taken And when it
shall have obtained the control Of national
affairs, it will be governed solely by 1.-The
principles promulgated in the Declaration
Of Independence and embodied in the Fed
eral Constitution. And | hesitate not to
say. that these principles, faithfully OBJ
served in the administration Of government
tai affairs, will lead to the abolition Of
slavery in the District Of Columbia, TO the
repeal or essential modification Of the fugi-
tive slave law, and to the limitation of
slavery to the States in which it DOW ex.
lists. If these resolutions from the Reput-
lican nlafform moan apvthin0 they nesn