Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-09-20
which it is proposed to organize the new

Resolved, That we, the friends of freedom, Assem-
bled in conventions in the city of Worcester, the
10th day of September, 1860, do hereby organize
ourselves into political association, to be known
as the Union Democratic Party fthe United States
OF America, upon the following basis and platform
of principles:
or nationality, have natural and ndeieasible right
TO themselves, and no government, association, OF
combination of men on earth, can, by any posslbli
ty, give to one man any right of property IN the
person or labor of another. except by his own vol
untary consent.
2. Ii is the right and duty of all men to defend
their own liberty by the most potent means which
Goa ana nature have placed IN their power, at what
ever cost to their oppressors. Resistance 10 tyrants
Is obedienceto God in black as well as wlnte-ln'
bond as well as free.
8. 1t is the imperative duty of national govern
ment TO protect, imparally, all the inhabitants OF
the country i'll the full enjoyment OF all their natur
al rights; and any administration which, under any
pretext whatever, seeks TO evade this duty, is
false 10 the fundamental principles OF democracy,
false to the constitution, false to every principle OF
moral obligation which binds us together as civil
community, dishonor to the country, and utterly
unworthy of the confidence and support OF any gem
ulne friend OF freedom.
A. The people of the United States, and not the
supreme court the ultimate arblter III all ques-
tons involving the Interpretation oil the constltu-
uon. BY our theory of government the people are
the only rghtil rulers of the country, the courts,
as well the Legislature and the executive, being
mere agents entrusted with authority TO execute Inc
popular will and hence, it is their right and duty
to review and for sufficient reasons to reverse the
decisions of their courts, ana any court Mnlch
should refuse to obey the clearly expressed VIII OF
popular majority would be an intolerable deSpOt'
ism which should be at once demolished
D. The United States constitution iairly interpret
ed Is entirely and unequiy ocaiy on the slde OF Tree
dom. 1t prohibits the existence OF slavery IN the
states and invests the federal government with am
pie powers for its overthrow, wherever found,
whether under territorial or state legislation; and
the friends of freedom ought everywhere 10 insist
upon the immediate application OF those powers to
the removal of an evil which has already made our
country reDrOach TO the OF freedom
out the civilized world.
6. As justice is impartial and all men are by ma
ture equal all laws, to secure our respect and sup
port, must be based upon general principles operat-
ing equally upon all classes of society, securing to
each an equal share in all the natural gifts OF COM
mon Creator.
Z. Slavery is organized piracy, with many features
of barbarism and infamy unknown to any system of
piracy ever practiced upon the high seas, and any
administration, by whatever name it may be called,
which sanctions tolerates it, i'll any of the states
or territories OF the Union, is not only guilty OF all
the crimes inherent in the slave system, but Is also
guilty of treason to the constitution which it has
sworn to support Consequently we shall recognize
no such administration the Legitimate government
OF the republic shall not act with it; nor shall
we recognize any of its acts as having any legal or
binding force other than that which traitors can
give to the statutes which they enact and as all the
powers OF the government are dependent upon the
purse, we shall consent to no appropriations from
the national treasury till it shall become in fact
what its founders designed it should be, and what
they made ii in form, the impartial protector of all
from whom ii required allegiance or submission,
s. Any act which, if done by private individ-
ual, would be crime against natural justice, when
done by an officer OF government is equally Grimm
al, and douby dangerous. 1t is, therefore, the duty
OF all good citizens to resist in all suitable ways the
execution of the infamous fugitive enactment of
1850 and all other legislation intended to subvert
the rights of individuals, whether black white,
for the benefit of a favored few.
Finally: Recognizing in woman the same capacity
for government which we find in man, and the same
necessity for its protecting care invoke her aid
and cooperation in this sublime moral effort to
transform by peaceful political means, sayehold-
ing despotism into model of republican liberty,
justice and equality.
MIR. f. spoke at some length, in explanation
and defense of these resolutions, taking the
ground that the United States constitution is
eminently an anti-slavery instrument, which,
If carried out in its letter and spirit, as it
should be, would set at liberty every slave in
the land. DR.. Calvin Gutter of Warren
thought it not so clear that the constitution
was anti slavery; if it was so, there were
some features in it which might possibly be
construed otherwise He thought it might be
well to amend the constitution in some re-
spect to set the matter at rest beyond all per-
adventure. The chairman, Mr.. Foster, and
Mr.. Douglas, thought the constitution well
enough as it was; it was in letter and spirit
thorough anti-savery, if strictly carried out.
Mr.. Douglas made an eloquent speech in de-
Tense of the principle of organizing a political
party on the basis of an anti-slavery interpre-
tation of the constitution.
AT the commencement of the evening ses-
sion, at half past seven O'Clock, the chair was
taken by Dr. Mann, and VIM. A. Wilson was
chosen secretary pro TEN, and offered another
series of resolutions, alleging the necessity of
organizing political party on the basis pro-
posed, at this time. Mr. Douglas followed in
a speech of some length, in defense of such an
organization. Lucy Stone Blackwell was not
willing to concede that the constitution was so
positive an antislavery instrument She
thought it should be so amended, before action
under it, that it could not by any possibility
be construed in favor of slavery. Mr.. Foster
spoke again in defense of the principles enun-
ciated in his platform. The convention or
journed to meet again this morning at ten
O'Clock, at the same place.
RECEPTION OF JOHN B. GoUGH.-The re-