The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-06-14

uICSoGC1S, WHICH, dCG, IL Gu0 COuSGEuCJlOu
given to it by the Supreme Court of
the United States in the case of Prigg
VS.. Pennsylvania be correct, nullifies
the habeas corpus acts of all the States,
takes away the whole legal security of
personal freedom, and ought. therefore.
to be Immediately " repealed.
IA. That the peculiar patronage and
support hitherto extended to slavery
and slaveholding, by the General Gov
ernment, ought to be Immediately
withdrawn, and the example and in
fuence of national authority ought to
be arrayed on the side of liberty and
free labor.
Is. That the practice of the General
Government, which prevails in the
slave States, of employing slaves upon
the public works, instead of free labor
ers, and paying aristOcratic masters,
with view to secure or reward pOlltl-
cal services, is utterly indefensible and
ought to be abandoned.
16. That freedom of speech and of
the press, and the right of petition, and
the right Of trial by jury, are sacred
and inviOlable, and that all rules, regu-
lations and laws, in derogation of either
are oppressive, unconstitutional and
no. to be endured by free people.
II. That we regard voting in an emf
nent degree, as moral and religious
duty, which, when exercised, should
be by voting for those who will do all in
their power for immediate emancipa
tion.
Is. That this convention recommend
to the friends of liberty in all those free
States where any inequality of rights
and privileges exists on account of
color, to employ their utmost energies
to remove all uch remnants and effects
Of the slave system.
Whereas, The Constitution of the
United States is a series of agreements,
covenants or contracts between the
people of the United States, each with
all and all with each; and
Whereas, It is principal of univer-
sal morality, that the moral laws of the
Creator be paramount to all human
laws; or in the language of an Apostle,
" that we ought to obey God rather
than men," and
Whereas, The principle Of common
law that any contract, covenant, or
agreement, to do an act derogatory to
natural right, is vitiated and annuIled
by it's inherent immortality-has been
recognized by one of the Justices of
the Supreme Court of the United States,
who in a recent case expressly holds
that "G7oy contract that rests upon
such a basis is UOid;;" and -
Whereas, The third clause of the
second section of the fourth article of
the Constitution Of the United States,
when constructed as providing for the
surrender of a fugitive slave, does
rest upon such basis, in that it is
a contract to rob a man of q natural
right-namely, his natural right to his
own liberty; and is therefore abso
lutely Uoid. Therefore
ReSOZUed, That we hereby give it to
be distinctly understood by this nation
and the world, that as aboliti0nists,
considering that the strength of our
cause lies in it's righteousness, and our
hope for it in our conformity to the
laws of God, and our respect for the
rights of man, we owe it to the Sover-
eign Ruler Of the Universe, as a proof
of our allegiance to him, in all our civil
relations and offices, whether as private
citizens, or public funCtiOnaries sworn
to support the Constitution of the
United States, to regard and to treat
the third clause of the fourth article Of
that instrument, whenever applied to
the case of a fugitive slave, as utterly
null and void, and consequently as
forming no part Of the Constitution Of
the United States, whenever we are
called upon or sworn to support it.
90 That the power given to Congress
by the Constitution to provide for call
ing out the militia to suppress insur-
rection, does not make it the duty of
the Government to maintain slavery
by military force, much less does it
make it the duty of the citizens to form
a part of such military force; when
freemen unsheath the sword it should
be to strike for liberty, not for des-
potism.
81. That to preserve the peace Of the
citizens, and secure the blessings of
freedom, the legislature of each of the
free States ought to keep in force suit
able statutes rendering it penal for any
of it's inhabitants to transport, or aid
in transporting from such State, any
person sought to be thus transported,
merely because subject to the slave
laws of any other State; this remnant
of independence being accorded to the
free States by the decision of the Su-
preme Court, in the case Of Prigg VS..
the State of Pennsylvania.
1874
wHIG, BALTIMORE, MAY 1sT.
Re8ozUed, That these principles may
be summed up as comprising a well