The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-08-25
Address of the Philadelphia
Convention to the People
of the United States.

sentsiives of the people in all sections and
from all the States and Territories Of the
| Union, to consult upon the condition and the
wants of our common country, we address to
| you this declaration OF our principles, and Of
the political purposes ':e seek to promote.
| Since the meeting u the last National Con.
! venton. in the year 1860, events have occur
red which have changed the character of our
internal politics, and given the United States
a new place among the nations of the earth.
Our Government has passed through the
vicisstudes and the perils Of civil "A war
| which. though mainly sectional l.. its CHAR
| acter, has nevertheless decided political in
| iluences that from the very beginning of the
| government had threatened the unity of our
| na ional existence, and has left its impress
deep and inefiaceable non all the interests
and utimentS and IT, destiny of the Re-
public. While it has inflicted upon the
whole country severe losses in life and in
property, and has imposed burdens which
| must weigh on It's resources for generations
to come, 1t has developed degree o: nation
al courage III the presence Of national dan
gers, IA capacity for military organization
and achievement and devotion on the par. Of
the prople II the form Of govern mcnt which
they hav- ordained, and to the principles of
liberty which that government was designed
dcuce Of the nation in the perpCtuity Of its
| republican institutions, and command The
respect of the ciyiliz j world. Like all great
contests which rouse the passions and test
the endurance of nations, ths war has given
new s~ope to the ambition al poiitica, parties,
aud fresh impulse to plans o! innovation and
reform.
Amid the chaos or conflicting sentiments
iuseparable from s-ch an era; while the
pubic heart IS keeuly alive TO al! the passions
that can sway the ,-bic judgmen: ard
affect the public action: while the wodntS II
war are still fresh and bleeding on either
side, and fears for ths future take nj ust pro
portions from The me nories and re,eutmcnts
OF the past, it i. a difficult but an imperative
du;v which. or your behalf, We, who are here
assembled, have undertaken to Pc 'orm.
ror the first time. after six long years Of
alienation ard of conflict, We have come
together from every state and every section
0 oar land A, citizens Of common country
under that flag the symbol again OF a com =
, mon glory, 10 consult 10 ;ncr hoS best 10
cement and perpetuaie 1 t union which /
| again the object of our common love, and
secure the blessings Of liberty to ourselves
and our po er!,y.
, In lie first place We invoke vou to remem
ber, always and everywhere, that the War Is
enuc,,. and the nation Is "a 1t Teace. The
shock OF cou,euding arms no longer assaI!s
the shudderlmg heart # the Republic. The
instruction against the SUI ne authority OF
the nation his been suppressed, an! ia =
authority has been again Acknowledged ~
word aud act. III every state, and by every
citizen within its jurisdiction. We are 10
longer required or p-rmntc to re-a or Jrea;
each other as enemies. NJ' ONLY have the
acts OF war been discontinued, AID the "sa-
poEs Of WAT land aside, but the state ot wAr
no longer exists, aal -en.;in-ats. tie
pa,si ,us, lAe relations Of Wax iare ~ longer a
lawful az RI -fu. place anywhere Throughout
our broad domain.
We are "a gaia people %. the United State
flo" citizen oue country, bound By III,
lutte, and OBJ atoms el % common patriot
! ism, having neilHer r-hts nor ln'er est
| apart from common destiny Inc eu,'e'
that deyo!'e u,'n u no" are Eln 10.
duties o., peace a"A no 'o#1sr 'he 1Iues .
war. We h'r@ assembled here 10 YAK
counsel concerning l'.e interests q '1te' "
!. aeci1e no" we may mot "''i,E anu e-'tI'
i, uA's he1' '"e "oI"I, '..e %' i'''s ~ ~; I
!" perfect am p '"s -.-
. secured, ana me DRESSINGS ""'lu' uh-eF
= oeu'2" ifgTI'e:''e. ,,,I. nav sitDnF uP -
, - uaeA' ln'S - 'hS w. "o- VI
Z y.F-, d
-.
vac '.'- -
u Dr' - . -. - ~. 80 H.,
Of - - g. ,-.. r.t,-. ra,b.r ,,,o,, .
i 1"-,I.,,.,'.,.. ;,,,-o,. al ar'Ii,ior H.,
,c -'',' IT,, ona ,j., ,.f t,.r.I
Al 49,, nj. g. we ,., I No., r, h. ~
= - 80 E,u .;,,;,'..,,. III ;,
-, ,,,E al h. Ia,;, nat. ,.,,ns.a,,n1ce.
"a. ,i,l,;,.,I rc.nIr. al Tie war int c'.seI -
H. ,a,,r,o.t ;,,,,or,.ot n,r,i,r,'ars III victor
,lL;.,..i lac 49,. V,,;,,.I G,y.r,,,,....t ha
-, f,,..1 S,J 1o,.:s;ve E;,-, !, ( .I.-..t
N i;-b'J I'D All ,-,r,L.r con,rnvr,., 10. IA.
-, - al L,,,,,., s.n,.;,,,- ,h. al
+ ,a.,,,r..,,,ocr or,r \ ,,;,,,,l ;,,arprps,,
- -. - a,,i G,,;,a1 he tb. q .,,,;,,,io, a.
Z, q" = - ...-...,,,;,,,',.;
M 3;s...,.(,,,I.;i;,,, ~ = - r,I H.,
-. ,,,,t,,,,,...,,a n S,,oul
= a. ~ r,..li,. al - 80 n,
10 .,,, - ,,..-,, ,,,.,,,. ,io s,I ny yyi.Li
t, ~ I-,,,,a5 So, -
n ''e ;,T-l :; ~
r '"' . - - T-,,, ~ ,;a,,a,,J
co"''S' "' 1'"''
ed, ".SOIr's'! anu L" ny 'le ''ult .; a.,
- III .nf '''" P'H',' W, w g" - - ''e ="
-, mos !'i''' ' Ina - ie'i ca ~ &C.
ri OF ne VIZ anu the victory "y "A'IA " wa
e c. 'Sed' sbau'' &c accurately u|:e'''''i'
j, Inc war was c"trh1 on py ihe DoNe-" "'i'c, :.
= q 'Ne 'l'e' H,a'l9 ia H"','r''''oe u Il
ir own existence; pom .! "hich were nle" 'ee
by the lnsurrec'loh Whlch IL sought 10 sup
press. ne Suppression Oh Tue 1nsuFrec',o
accomp.''he1 I''a1 result. me u uoFeF'l'ile'l
OF the CLited States hlai"'alhed .py iorTe
arms the supreme antLori'y over All L
territory ana over al tLe S'a,e' ana peoPl
within IT'S jurisdiction whlch the cons ''.u'io
In cOntcrS upon 1t : hut II acquired thqfeoy u
-. ;'ew power no eniafsed Jurisdietioh, n riShI
mt elther o. ttfr.tof,ai 'Ss -sA'"N or ci''I ou'ho
NY, which 1t dia not possess before IN
II rcbp lion broke out. All the rlohttut pOW(