Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-02-14
Position Of the Republican Party.


The Springfield Journal, the home organ
Of the President elect, which is presumed TO
speak his sentiments, takes atrong grounp
against any surrender of principle. I'm the
late campaign our party platform was be.
fore the country the speeches of our lead
ing men were printed and scattered like the
leaves of Autumn--our presses, hundreds in
number, and issuing combined circulation
of millions of copies, all united in proclaim
ing, in language that could not be msunder-
stood, the real principles. aims, objects ani
hopes of the Republican party. Under such
circumstances we formed the belief that the
whole country understood the Republican po-
sition. We have been charged by our enc
mics with favoring the equality of the black
and white races; with a design to interfere
with slavery in the States where it lawfully
exists with opposition to the admission of
any more Slave States; with determine
ton to deny to the South the benefit of Fu-
gitive Slave Law . with aiding and inciting
slaves to escape from their masters; with
approving of the raid of John Brown; and
finally, with cherishing hatred to our South
ern br sthren. Each and every one of the
above charges are base falsehoods. 1t was
dishonorable in our enemies to stoop SO low
t" conquer in the recent campaign: 1t is
crmin to reiterate those charges now. The
Union of the. States still loyal to tho Const i
tution-the ultimate return to duty of those
States which have so unwlsely attempted to
secede-the avoidance of civil war-the sal
walton of the Government, and the restora-
ton Of fraternal affection, all depend, in a
great measure, upon a true understanding of
the position of the Republican party by the
people of the Southern States. To preserve
interests so vast, and to bring about results
SO earnestly desired by all good men, may
we not cherish the hope that the honest and
patriotic men of the opposing parties, North
and South, will take some pains to post
themselves as to the real principles, aims
and objects of the Republican organization
1t would be a little matter to print the Re-
publican platform in the leading Southern
papers. and to accompany it with the ques-
tions proposed by Mr.. Douglas to Mr.. Lin
coin, and his (Lincolo's) answers thereto
If this could be done, the Southern people
would at once understand that the Republi-
can party does not favor the equality of the
hlack apd ,vhite racao-doao not onnooa thn
admission Of more Slave States-does not
propose to interfere with slavery in the
States where it lawfully exists-does no:
propose to deny the South the benefit of a
Fugitive Slave LAWS not in favor.of Incl
ting slaves to escape, nor in aiding them to
do so-did not approve of John Browns In
yasion of Virginia. but severely condemned
it-and, finally, does not cherish hatred to-
ward the people of the South. nor seek to de-
prive them of any Constitutional right. II
the Southern people would read our platform
they would find the whole matter resolving
itself into this: The Republican party be-
liev.s that Congress has right, under the
| Constitution, to exclude slavery from the
Territories, and that it is the. duty of Cong
ress to exercise that right. Il is the free
dom of tie Territories, as such. ..alone. that
we demand. When the people who may in
habit those Territories shall bring them to
the doors of the Union for admission, they
should be admitted with or without slavery
| as said people NAV deternine. This ia the
belief, the doctrine, the principle, that we
urge Republicans to cling to, to the last. Ii
is to this we refer when We say: No SuRREN-
DEa-STAND FIRM BE TRUE"