The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-07-12
National Convention of the
a TnbrOken Union. @

Gail for a Gathering from all the State
4 and Tesritories-1he Nation to o.
into Coa'acil- Voice Of the PeopA
i Myoked.
! WASHINGTON, June 25.-The fol
lowing call has just been prepared, and
has the approval of gentlemen of prom
| inence in addition to those whose names
are appended. It may, therefore, be
regarded as possessing much political
significance.
i A National Union Convention of at
| least two delegates from each congress
sional district of all the States, two
from each Territory, two from the Dis
trict of Columbia, and four delegates at
large from each State, will be held at
the city of Philadelphia on the second
| Tuesday, the 18th of August next
Such delegates will be chosen by the
electors of the several States who sus-
tain the administration in maintaining,
unbroken, the union of the States un-
der the constitution which. our fathers
established, and who agree in the fol-
lowing propositions, viz:
| The union of the States is in every
case indissoluble and is perpetual, and
the constitution of the United States
and the laws passed by Congress in
pursuance thereof, supreme and con-
slant, and universal in their obligation.
The rights, the dignity and the equali-
ty of the States in the Union, including
the right of representation in Congress,
are solemnly guaranteed by that consti-
tuition, to save which from overthrow so
much blood and treasure were expended
in the late civil war.
There is no right anywhere to dis
solve the Union or to separate States
from the Union either by voluntary
withdrawal, by force of arms or by con-
gressional action; neither by the seces-
sion of the States, nor by the exclusion
of their loyal and qualified representa-
tives,. nor by the national government
in any other form
Slavery is abolished, and neither can
nor ought to be re-established in any
State or Territory within our jurisdic-
ton.
Each State has the undoubted right
to prescribe the qualifications of its own
elections, and no external power right
fully can or ought to dictate, control or
influence the free and voluntary action
of the States in the exercise of that
right.
The maintenance inviolate of the
rights of tle States, and especially of
the right of each State to order and
control its own domestic concerns ac-
cording to its own judgment exclusively
subject only to the constitution of the
United States, is essential to that bal
ance of power on which the perfection
and endurance of our political fabric
depend, and the overthrow of that sys-
TEN by the usurpation and centraliza-
ton of power in Congress would be
revolution dangerous to republican
government and destructive of liberty.
Each House of Congress is made by
the constitution, the sole Judge of the
election returns and qualifications of its
members, but the exclusion of loyal
Senators and Representatives, properly
chosen and qualified under the constilu-
ton and laws, is unjust and revolution
airy. Every patriot should frown upon
all those acts and proceedings every
where which can serve no other pur-
pose than to rekindle the animosities of
the war, and the effect of which upon
our moral, social and national interests,
at home; and upon our standing abroad,
differing only in degree, is injurious
like war itself.
[ The purposes of the war having been
to preserve the Union and the constitu-
ton by putting down the rebellion, and
the rebellion having been suppressed,
all resistance to the authority of the
general government being at an end,
and the war having ceased, war mea-
suros should also cease, and should be
followed by measures of peaceful admin
istration, SO Union, harmony and con-
cord may be encouraged, and industry,
commerce and the arts of peace revived
and promoted; and the early restoration
of all the States to the exercise of their
constitutional powers in the national
government, is indispensably necessary
to the strength and to the defence of the
republic, and to the maintenance of the
public credit.
All such electors in the thirty-six
States and nine Territories of the Uni
ted States, and in the District of Column
bia, who, in spirit of patriotism and
love for the Union, can rise above per-
sonal and sectional considerations, and
who desire to see a truly National
Union Convention which shall repre-
sent all the States and Territories of the
Union, assembled as friends and broth
crs under the national flag, to hold
council together upon the state of the
Union, and to take measures to avert
possible danger from the same, are
specially requested to take part in the
choice of such delegates But no dele
gate will take seat in such convention
who does not Loyalty accept the nation
al situation and cordially endorse the
principles above set forth, and who IS
not attached in true allegiance to the
constitution, the Union, and the govern