Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1860-11-17
The Republican Platform.

aSScmblcu, III the ulScnlrSc Oh the uulV
we owe to our constituents and our
country, unite in the following declar-
ations:
FInsr, That the history of the nation
during the last four years fully cstab-
fishes the rropricty and necessity of the
organization and pcrpctuation of the
Republican party; and that the causes
which called it into existence arc per-
mancnt in their nature, and now, more
than ever before, demand its peaceful
and constitutional triumph.
SECOND, That the maintenance of the
principles promulgated in the Decla':l-
ton of independence, and embodied in
the federal constitution, "That all men
arc created equal that they arc cndow-
cd by their Creator with certain inaIicn-
able rights; that among these arc life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
that to secure these rights governments
are instituted among men, deriving
their lust powers from the consent of
the governed lis essential to the pre-
scwation of our republican institutions.
and the Federal Constitution, the Rights
of the States, and the Union of the
States, must and shall be preserved.
THIRD, That to the Union of the
States this nation owes its unprccctcmt-
cd increase in population, its surprising
development of natural resources, It's
rapid augmentation of wealth, its hap.
pincss ut home and honor abroad; and
we hold in ablIorrcncc all schemes of
disunion, come from whatever source
they may and we congratulate the
country that no Republican member of
Congress has uttered or countcnanccd
the thoughts of dis,'nion, in case OF II
popular overthrow of their asccndrncy,
as denying the vital principles of free
government, as an avOw;l of cOntcmrIa-
ted treason, which it is the imperative
duty of an indignant people stcrnly to
rcblkc and forever silence.
FouETm, That the maintenance invi-
olatc of the rights of the States, and
Especially of the right of each State, to
order and control it's domestic institu-
tions according to its own Judgment cx-
clllsively is essential to that balance OF
power on which the perfection and ell
,lurancc of our political fabric depends;
and we lcnouncc the lawlcss invasion
bv armed force of the soil of any State
or Territory, no matter under whatever
prctcxt, as among the gr:lvcst of crimes.
FIFTH, That the present Democratic
administration has far exceeded our
worst apprchcnsions in its mcasurclcss
subscrvicncy to the eXactions of see
tionaI interest, as especially cvinccd in
it's desperate cXcrtions to force the int;l-
nous Lccompton Constitution upon the
protesting people of Kansas; in con-
structing the personal relation between
master and servant is involved an I'M
qualified 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 prctcnsions OF purely
local interest; and its general and un.
varying abuse Of the power cntruste!
to it by a confiling people.
SIXTH, That the people justly view
with alarm the reckless extravaganza
which pcrvadcs every department OF the
federal governments; that II return to
rigid economy and accountability is im-
dispcnsallc to arrest the systematic
plnn,lcr of the public treasury by favor
ell partisans; while the recent startling
developments of fraud and corruption
at the federal metropolis, show that an
entire change of administration is I'M
pertivcly demanded.
SEVENTH, That the new dogma that
the constitution, of it's own force, carries
slavery into any or all of the Territories
of the United States, is Il dangerous pO-
litical hcrcsy, ut variance with the OK
plicit provisions of that instrument itself,
with the cOtcmpOrancOus exposition,
and with Legislative and judicial prccc-
dent, is revolutionary in its tendency,
and subversivc of the peace and harino-
ny of the country.
E1GnrM, That tho normal condition
of all the territory of the United States
is that of freedom. That as our Rcpub-
lican fathers, when they abolished sla-
very in all our national territory, or
tlaincd that "No person should be dc
privcd of liberty, life, or property, with
out due process of law" it becomes our
duty, by legislation, whenever such leg
islation is necessary, to maintain this
provision of the constitution against all
attempts to violate it; and we deny the
authority of Congress, ofa Tcrritori,!
Legislature, or of any individual, TO
give legal existence to slavery in an "
Territory of the United States.
Ninth, That we brand the recent
opening of the African slave trade, "
der the cover of our national tlag, aid