Maryland free press. [volume] (Hagerstown [Md.]) 1862-18??, 1866-08-30
Declaration of Principles.

ES The following is the Declaration OF
Principles adopted with perfect unanimity
by the National Union Convention recent
ly assembled at PhilaG elphia:
First-We hail with gratitude to AL
rignty God the end of war and return OF
peace to an afflicted and beloved land.
Second.-The ar just closed has main
tanned the authority of the constitution,
with all the powers which it confers and all
the restrictions which it imposes upon the
general government, unabridged and I'M
altered. And it has preserved the Union
with equal rights, dignity and authority OF
the States perfect and unimpaired.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in the Congress
af the United States and in the Electoral
College is right recognized by the con-
stitution as abiding in every State, and as
duty imposed upon itspeople, fundamen-
tai in its nature and essential to the exis-
tence of our republican institutions. And
neither Congress nor the general govern
ment has any authority as power to deny
this right to any State, or to withhold
its enjoyment, under the constitution,
from the people thereof.
Fourth. We call upon the people of
the United States to elect to Congress, as
members thereof, none but men who admit
this right of fundamental representation,
and who will receive to seats therein loyal
representatives from every State in ale
glance to the United States, subject to the
constitutional right of each house to judge
of the election returns and qualifications
of is own members.
Fifth.-The constitution of the United
States and the laws made in pursuance
thereof are the supreme law of the land,
anything in the constitution or laws of any
State to the contrary Notwithstanding. All
the powers not conferred by the eonstitu-
ton upon the general government, nor
prohibited by il to the States, are reserv-
ed the States or to the people thereof;
and among the rights thus reserved to the
States is the right to prescribe the qualif-
cation for the elective franchise therein,
with which right Congress cannot
interfere. No State or convention of
States has the right to withdraw from the
Union, or to exclude, through their action
in Congress or otherwise, any other State
CT States from the Union. The union of
these States is perpetual. At
Sixth Such amendments to the eonsti-
tuition of the United Suites may be made
by the people thereof as they may deem ex-
pedient, but only in the mode pointed out
by its provisions, and in the proposition of
such amendments, whether by Congress or
Convention, and in ratifying the same, all
the States of the Union have an equal and
undeniabie right to voice and vote
therein.
Seventh.-Slavery is abolished and for
ever prohibited; and there is neither de-
sire nor purpose on the part of the South
ern States that it should ever be re-estab-
lished upon the soil or within the iurisdic-
tion of the United States, and the emanci-
pated slaves in all the States of the Union
should receive, in common with all their
inhabitants, equal protection in person and
property. =
Eighth. Willie we regard as utterlYin-
valid, and never to be assumed or made of
binding force, any obligation incurred Or
undertaken in making war against the Wi-
ted States, we hold the debt of the nathn