Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1861-09-14
Pre- ambls and Resolutions Adopted
by the Bem Ocr atie Convention, held
at Dcs NIOines, August 80, 1851.

The People of the State of Iowa who
regard the Constitution of the United
States in it's Judicial relations to States
and people as interpreted by the Supreme
Court, aud its political principles as enun.
ciated from time to time by the Democratic
party, and as applied by several success
slve Administrations in carrying on the
government Of The United States, being
assembled by their delegates in conven-
ton, in the Capitol at Des Moines, on the
29th day of Aug, 1861, do make and
proclaim to their fellow citizens of the
Sister States Of the Union the following
declaration:
WHEREAS, In the vicissitudes which are
incident to all governments, to human
society and to civilization, the government
and people of the United States have 10.
come involved in civil war which threat.
ems to be alike disastrous to the form Of
Government which experience has proved
to be most conducive to the happiness of
mankind and to result in imposing upon
the present aud future generations oner-
GUS burdens which it should be the duty
Of a government having any regard for
the we'll being Of the people to avoid, 1t
becomes an incumbent duty upon the peo-
pie for whose benefit alone government is
instituted and who having the right to
either alter or abolish when it ceases to
be administered for their happiness and
prosperity, have also the right to deter.
mine and to direct how it shall be admin.
istered when they find it departing from
the principles upon which it was founded
aud to be precipitating into war and ruin
the fabric Of civil society, instead of pre-
serving the people in peace, promoting
their prosperity and securing their rights.
Viewing, therefore. dispassiona.ely, the
present condition of our distracted coun
try, and with the single purpose of making
an effort to avert impending and other
threatened calamities and of restoring
peace, founded upon that fraternal patri-
o:ism which gave birth to the American
Union, and which preserved its integrity
till the election Of President upon a
principle which was HUSTLE to the Consti
tuition of the United States and antagon.
istic to the vested rights of the people Of
nearly half the States Of the Union do
declare,
Resolrea, That the civil war by which
our country is at present disturbed, is the
natural offspring OF misguided sectional
ism, enscndered by fanatical agitators
North as well as South, and that the Dem
ocratic party of Iowa, having equally op.
posed the extremists of both sections, and
having at all times jealousy conlended
for the administration Of the general Gov
eminent within its constitutional limits,
that party is in no way responsible for
calamities that have resulted from de-
parture from its doctrines, and a disregard
of its teachings.
Resolved, That notwithstanding the man
itestations Of hostility towards the institu
tons of the South by the majority of the
people of the North, We unequivocally
condemn the course the seeded States
have pursued to obtain II redress, Of their
real or supposed grievances, believing as
we do tina, aided by the conservative peo.
pie Of the Northern States, their grievan-
ces, whether real or anticipated, would
have been rearessed and their rights and in.
terests respected and secured IN a Consti'
tutional manner by Constitutional means.
Resolved, That We are heartily opposed
to the doctrine of Secession, political
heresy, unwarranted by the Constitution,
detrimental to the bes, interests of the
whole country, and destructive of the
Union and that glorious heritage of lber-
ty bequeathed to us BY our fathers.
Res0lced, That our obligations to gov.
crnment, the daty we owe TO posterity
and the advancement of political freedom
throughout the world, alike command of
us the preservation aad perputity Of our
Federal Union, and we hereby pledge the
whole power of the Democratic party to
every legal and constitutional means to
maintain the same, whether its destruction
be attempted by the insidious teachings Of
the higher law doctrine Of the Abolition
party; or by the open attacks
OF men in armed rebellion against it.
Rcsoired, That as we are taught and
admonshed by the experience of every
free people whose political existence was
by the assumption OF arbi-
trary power and the violation of funda-
mental principles, to resist the encroach.
ment of Executive Prerogatiyes, we, there
fore, emphatically and unequivocally con,
denim the assumption of unauthorized
power by the Executive of the United
States, or by any officer Of the Govern
ment.
Resolred, That our Union was formed in
peace and can never be perpetuated by
the force of arms alone, and that Repub.
lican government held together by the
sword only, becomes a military despotism.
Resolred, That the Democratic party
are in favor of a Convention Of the differ
ent States of the entire Union. as soon as
the same can be properly had, for such
legislation as may secure equal and full
of all the States, and a
removal Of the agitation of the question
Of slavery from the halls Of Congress and
the States Of this Union.
Resolred, That we repudiate the modern
heresy that the States of this Confederacy
never had an independent existence dis
tinct from the Federal Government, and
are indebted for their present position in
the Unien to that Government, as q gross
insult to the common sense Of the country
and shameless Justification of historical
facts, unworthy Of the source whence it
emanated, and unless promptly met with
n stern rebuke on the part of the people,
fraught with consequences fatal to the lib.
critics Of the country
Resolved, That we are opposed to tariff
of duties upon imports, for the purpose
of otection IA creating monopoliea and