Year: 1860

place in our columns. 1t is hoped that the friends
Of the Mum candidate will give it due consider.
alton


From the Rock Island (Ill) Register.


TO THE REPUBLICANS OF 1850.


Fellow Citizens: As it wouli ba a violation Of
moral principle, in me, to vote for your nominee
for President and Vice President, let me frankly
give you the reasons fer my withdrawal from your
party.


1t is conceded tina! every man owes fealty to bis
party, but he is not bound to sacrifice principle in
his devotion to any organization.


Ny connection with the Republican party was
based upon an honest conviction that it was an
abolition party. And here let me state the
grounds for that belief in order that you may ac-
quit me of any want Of fealty to the party. The
republican platform Of 1851 which was the basis
Of the party, is in these words Resolved, That
he times mperatiyely demand the reorganization
Of parties and rcpulatiug all previous party at
tachments, names and predictions, we unite our
selves together in dcleroe Of Liberty and tho con.
stitution Of our country; and will hereafter CO.
operate as the Republican party; pledged to the
accomplishment of the following purposes: to
bring the administration Of the government back
tc he control Of first principles.' = 4 And
That as the constitution of the United States
vests in the States, and not in Congress, the pow
to legislate for the exradition of fugitvos from
labor; 10 repeal and entirely a6rogate the fugitive
slave law; to es,rict slavery to those states where
it exists; to prohibit the admission Of any more
slave states into the Unior; to abolish slavery in
the District Of Colum 5ia; to exclude slavery from
all the territories over which tho general govern
ment has exclusive jurisdiction; and to resist tho
ac cluirement of any more territories unless the
practice of slavery therein slal, have boon Forever
prohibited


That this platform is essentially abolition in its
declaration Of political principles none Of you, my
republican friends will deny To aid in carrying
out these abolition measures | opposed my old
democratic friends and voted with the repu Hicans
with the express Nvowa at public meeting in
Coal Valley township, that while they maintained
these abolition principles the party should have
my humble. cordial and energetic support, even at
the risk of its adopting whig measures which al
ways had my earnest opposition.


All the Republicans admit that this platform Of
1854 was pre.emnently abolition, but they say it
was superseded by thePhiladepha platform oflS56
and that consequently all those including myself,
who made no objection thereto are still bound in
good faith, to act with the party. If the irst part
Of the assertion be true, the last follows as nee.
essary consequence. The repeal of the republi-
can platform of 1854 is, however, a mistaken no.
ton, for if you will read the Phlladep pha plat
form of 1856 you will grant that it does not ex-
pressly supercede that of 1854, and, to me, it is
clear that the platform of 1856 does not supercede
that of 1854 even by implication, hut reasSerts it..
For proof of this let me quote the second resolu,
ton of the Philadelphia platform which is in these
unmisakable words:


Resolved, That with our republican fathers we
hold it to be a self evident truth that all men are
endowed with inalienabe rights, to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness, and that the prelim-
mary object and ulterior design of our Federal
Government were to secure these rights to all per-
sons within its exclusive jurisdiction"


This plain language cannot be misunderstood;
and if this was the design of the Federal Gov
ernment then it is unquestionably true that the
platform of 1856 instead of superceding that of
1854, readopts it as containing tho name and
principles Of the party at the date of its incep
tion. For 10 the first place, as Con gress has 'ex-
elusive jurisdiction in the repeal of all laws enac
ted by that body, it is clear as the meridian sun
that in order to these rights to all persons,
whom it has subjscted to wrong by the fugitive
slave law, it is bound by the Philadelphia plat
FORM TO repeal the usurpation Of the rights Of tho
States, and leave to them the extradtion of fugi-
tvts from labor as asserted to be their duty In
the platform of 1854 This is the clear case GER
tainly. 10 the second place, as Congress has ex'
elusive jurisdiction over the admission of new
States it is bound by the Philadelphia platform
before admitting any new State into the Union, to
know that, these rights. have been secured to all
persons within said State.


If Congress fails to do this it will be false to
the republican theory of confning slavery to its
present limits. In the third place, as Congress
has exclusive legislation in all cases, whatever,
over the District of Columbia, and over all forts,
magazines, arsenals and dock yards It is bound
by both the Philadelphia Platform and the Plat
form of 1854 to abolish slavery in the District OF
Columbia; and by the Philadelphia Platform, it is
further bound linstead of fighting for slavery at
Harpers Ferry to abolish it in all our forts,
magazines, arsenals and dock yards which is one
step at least in advance Of the Platform Of 1854.