M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-01-10
THE DEMOCRAT.
LinsoIn's Principles,

the first Ofthat party, held Springfield
Illinois, on the 9Th day of October
1854, called for the purpose Of organ
king the party in that State, anC
which was represented, as it is said
from almost every county in the State
After the convention was organized
Abraham Lincoln, j. f. Farnsworth
and lchoabod Cadding were appoint
ed committee on resolutiOns. These
gentlemen reported the following res.
Iolution, to which we most earnestly
aud respectfully call the attention OIL
eur Republican friends ofVin.on, who
are Union loving and conservative
men, who are in favor of pcting with
such men as Thos. Ewing, Henry
Stansberry, Swan, Peck, and others,
men Of integrity Of the Republican
party, who are in favor ofcomprOmise
rather than involving tue country III a
war upon our fellow citizens of the
Southern States. EVERYBODY READ
THIs:
RESOLVED, That the times impera.
lively demand the reorganization Of
parties, and repudia.ing all previous
party attachments, names and predi-
lections, we unite ourselves together
in defense OF the liberty and eonStitu.
ton Of the country, and will hereafter
co operate as the Republican party,
pledged TO The accomplishment Of the
following purposes: To bring the ad.
ministrstion Of government back to
the control Of6rst principles; to restore
Nebraska and Kansas to the position
of free territories; that as the constitu.
tion Of the United States vests ia the
States, and not in Congress, the pow.
er to legisate for the extradition offu.
gitlves from labor, TO REPEALAND
ENTIRELY ABROGATE THE
FUGITIVE SLAVE Law; to. res.
triet slavery to those States il which
it exists; TO PROHIBIT THE AID.
MISSION OF ANY MORE SLAVE
STATES INTO THE UNION; to
abolish slavery in the District of Co.
lumbia; to exclude slavery from all
the territories over which the general
government has exclusive jurisdiction;
and to arrest the requirement of any
more territories unless the practice of
slavery therein forever shall haye been
prohibited.
This is the identical resolution that
first brought Mr. Lincoln into notice
as a.publiC man. This resolution was
reported by him SO chairman of the
committee referred TO. 1.-The had been
opposed to these obnoxious and un.
constitutional positions, why, in Gods
name, did he MT make a minority re.
pcrts Why did he not, as 3 true pa.
triot and supporter ofthe Constitution
Of our cOuntry,repudate the resolution
entirelyl These unconstitutional prop
ositiens are what the citizens of the
South say must bs abandoned by tue
North, or the Union dissolved. And
if these positions were constitutional,
are they not inexpedient ard uncalled
for. Why should we war upen aa in
stitution in the South, that in no way
concerns our domestic policy as States
or citizens Of the North : Mr.. Lir-
coin may still be in favorof engrafting
these principles upon the government
as q part OF its policy. If this should
be the case, we cannot sustain him,
for the reason that he would thereby
have to trample the Constitution Of
our country under foot, as we'll as the
decisions OF our Conrts, State and Ma.
tioLal. We now entertain fears that
such is Lincoln's intention, from the
fact that he is SO charged and remains
silent, and from the fact that the N.
Y. Tribute, and the most prominent
men Of bis party, maintain a stu5ern
silence on the subject, and oppose all
compromise. Not one werd have we
as yet from Lincoln as to his course OF
policy on this agitating question:
What is there undignitied in an Amer.
ican citizen, be he President or consta-
bic, in giving his views, Or what his
policy will be, especially when these
views, ss the country is now circum.
stanced, would, in all human proba.
bllity, allay all this excitement and
perhaps prevent blOOdshed and restore
peace.
yU:tl. Ill H. .a.,>anl e. Al