Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1861-09-21
Pre- amble and RESOLUTIONS Adopted
by the Democratic Convention, helL
at Des MOines, August 30, 1851.

The People of the State Of Iowa who
regard the Constitution of the United
States in its 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
sive 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
10Th 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 be-
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 upoA
the present aud future generations oner-
Gus burdens which it sho1ld be the duty
OF Il 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
and 10 be precipitat!ng into war and rain
the fabric Of civil society, instead OF pre-
serving the people in peace, promoting
their prosperity and securing their rights
Viewing, therefore, dispassionate!y, the
present condition Of our distracted coun.
try, and with the single purpose Of making
an effort to avert impending and other
threatened calamlties and Of restoring
peace, founded upon that fratornal 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 hostile to the Coust-
tuition of thc United States and antayon.
istic to the vested rights of the people Of
nearly half thc States Of the Union do
declare,
Resoieed, That the civil war by which
our country is at present disturbed, is the
natural offspring Of misguided sectional
ism, engenderei by tanatlcal agitators
North as well as South. ani that the Dem
ocratic party Of Iowa, having equally op.
posed the extremists Of both sections, and
having at all times zealolsly conteuicd
for the administration Of the general Gov.
ernment Within its constitutional limits,
that party is in no way responsible for
i /
parture from its doctrines, and disregard
Of its teachings.
ReS3lre3, That notwithstanding the man
ifestatons of hostility towards the institu.
tons Of the South by the majority of the
people Of the North, we unaguivocally
condemn the course the seeded State,
have pursued TO obtain redress of their
real or supposed grievances, believing as
we do that aided by the conservative PEG
pie of the Northern States, their griegaa-
ces, whether real or anticipated, would
have been redressed and their rights and 10
terests respected and secured IN a Constir
tuti0nal manner by Constitutional means
ReS0tced, That we are heartily opposed
to the doctrine Of Secession, political
heresy, unwarranted by the Constitution,
whole country, and destructive Of tae
Union and that glorious heritage Of liber-
t. bequeathed to US by our fathers.
ReS0leed, That our obligations to gov
eminent, the duty we owe to posterity
and the advancement Of political freedom
throughout the world, alike command Of
US the preservation aad perputty 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 cf
the higher law doctrine Of the Abolition
Republican party; or by the open attacks
Of men in armed rebellion against il.
Reso'ced, That as we are taught and
admonished by the experience Of every
free people whose political existence was
extinguished by the assumption Of arbi-
trary power and the violation Of funda-
mental principles, to resist the encroach.
ment OF Executive Prerogatises, we, there
fore, emphaticaly and unequivocally con.
denim the assumption of Unauthorized
power by the Executive Of the United
States, Or by any officer of the Govern
ment.
Resolrea, That Our Union was formed in
peace and can never be perpetuated by
the force of arms alone, and that Repub
iican government held together by the
sword only, becomes a military despotism.
Resoicea, That the Democratic party
are in favor Of 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
representation Of all the States, and
removal OF the agitation Of the question
of slavery from the halls Of Congress and
the States Of this Union.
Resolre9, That we repuiate 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 Union to that Government, as gross
insult to the common sense Of the country
and shameless Justification of historical
facts, unworthy Of the source whence it
emanated, aud unless promptly met with
a stern rebuke on the part Of the people,
fraught with consequences fata. to the lib
critics OF the country.
Resofpea, That we are opposed to tariff