The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-10
THE CONSERVATIVE PLATFORM.
"Keep 1t Before the Peoples,

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stKeep 1t Before the Peoples
The following are the resolutions adop-
ted at meeting of the conservative men,
bers of the House Of Representatives, held
on the 28th of June last. The events of
year have not abated one .jot or title
from the self-evidence of the great truths
herein set forth; on the contrary, have
only served to establish them upon q
frmer foundation in the minds of all pat
riotic and really loyal men, ~
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Feeling the great weight of our responsible
ty, as members of Congress, we have met in no
party spirit nor for any party purpose, but for
gether how we may best perform our congress
sional duties in the present great and perilous
crisis of our country's fate, and we have come
to the following conclusions, namely:
Resolred, That the Constitution and the I'm.
ion and the laws must be preserved and main
tanned in all their proper and righttul supre-
macy, and that the rebellion now in arms
against them must be suppressed and put down,
and that it is our duty to vote for all measures
necessary and proper to that end.
ResOlred, That the true interests of the coun-
try, as well as the dictates Ofhumanity, require
that no more war or acts of war should be
prosecuted or done than are necessary and pro-
per for the prompt and complete suppression
of the rebellion.
Resolced, That the States are component and
essential parts of the Union, bound together in
separately by the Constitution of the U. s.;
that none of them can cease to exist as such so
long as the constitution survives, and that it is
the exclusive sphere and duty of the states to
order and direct their own domestic affairs.
While the rebellion, therefore, has not annull-
ed or destroyed the constitutional relations of
the sO-called ''seceded states to the federal
government, neither has it Invested those
states OF any rights or powers, municipal or
otherwise, properly belonging to them as men,
bers of the Union. The actual exercise ofthose
rights and powers may for time be interrupt
ed or INSTRUCTED by rebellion, and some le
gitimate authority may be substituted in its
place; but as soon as that rebellion is suppress
ed these states will be entitled, as Of right to
resume the exercise of all the rights and pow
ers, dignities and immunities which properly
belong to them as states of this Union.
Resotred. That the present war, as avowed
by the President and Congress and understood
by the people, was commenced and prosecuted
| Tor the purpose Of suppressing the rebellion,
| and preserving and indicating the Constitu-
ton, the Union, and the laws, and for that pur-
pose only. 1t was great and noble purpose,
| high above any mere sectional or party objects,
and at once it inspired and united in its support
| all loyal men of every creed party and section.
| At the call of the government a mighty army,
the most patriotic, sprung at once into the field
| and IS bleeding and cOnquering in the defence
| OF its government. Under these circumstances
| it would, in our opinion, be most unjust and
| ungenerous to give any new character or direc-
| ton to the war for the accomplishment of any
other than its first great purpose and especially
| for the accomplishment of any mere party or
| sectional scheme.
| ReSOtyed That the many and great victories
lately achieved by our armies and navies, whilst
| they ought to convince the world of the vast
| military power of our government, give us the
| pleasing assurance that our deplorable civil
| war will soon be brought to a Close should the
! proper objects of the war, as herein before de-
| fined, be kept steadily in view. When that is
| done, and when such punishment is inflicted
on such of the guilty leaders as will satisfy pub
| lie justice, and upon such others as have made
| themselves conspicuous for crimes committed
| in the prosecution Of the rebellion, it is our
| opinion that our government should adopt
such wise measures of clemencs as will tend to
bring back cordial reconciliation and peace to
the whole country.
Resolced That the doctrines of the secession
lists and of the abOlitiOnists, as the latter are
now represented in Congress; are alike false to
tHc COuSClullOu !ilu TTcCOllClldUic Will IllO
unity and peace Of the country. The first have
already involved us in a cruel civil war; and the
others the abolitionists) will leave to the coun-
try but little of the speedy restoration of union
Or peace, if the schemes of cOniiScatiOn, enlan-
cipatiOn, and other unconstitutional measures
which they have lately carried, and attempted
to carry through the House OF Representatives,
shall be enacted into the form Of laws, and re-
main unrebuked by the people.
ResOIce8, That Congress has no power TO de-
prive any person of his property for any crinli-
nal offence, unless that person has been first
duly convicted of the offence by the verdict of
jury. And that all acts OF Congress like those
lately passed by the House of Representatives
which assume to forfeit or cOniiscate the es-
tates of men for offences of which they have
! not been convicted upon due trial by jury are
unconstitutional, and lead to oppression and
tyranny. 1t is no justification for such acts that
the crimes committed in the prosecution of
the rebellion are OF unexampled atrocity, nor
is there any such justification as Estate neces-
sity' known to our government or laws.
The foregoing resolutions are in explanation
and re-atlirmatOn of the resolution passed at
the extra session of the present Congress,
known as the "Crittenden Resolution" and
which declared that this war is not wagcd on
our part in any spirit of OPPRESSION nor for
any purpose of Oyerthrowing OF interfering
with the rights or established institutions of
of those States. but to defend and maintain the
supremacy Of the Constitution, and to preserve
the Union with all the dignity, equality and
rights OF the several States unimpaired and
hat rs soon as these objects are accomplished
NO, hi to