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The New York Democratic Platform

The New York Democratic Platform image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
September
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Resolved, Thst in this criáis the watchword whieh shnuld pass through the democratie! ranks, calling them together and consolidating tbem in one erect and determined maas in defonae of our imperiled country, is tlio sentiment of Andrevv Jackson, that " the Union must and shall bo presorved." Resolved, That the claim of any Stato or number of States of a right to rolinuish at will their obligations and ailegiance to the Union, has rio warrant in the constitution - in at war with Ha letter and spirit - is incompatible with good government and the preservaron of the public faith and the ! forcernent of the trcatie.s ; and henever this pretention bas been advunced by secessionists North or South, it bas been resisled and defrateil by tha demoerncy, who havo ever maintained, as thev still do, that secession is revolution. Resolved, That tho soizure of tho ■ forts and property bslonging to the Federal government, followed by the authorizution of privateers against thef oommerce oí tho loyal Wtates, 1 tated tho country into a state ot war; that it is the duty of the government to prosecu'o the war thus forcedjupon it, with all its power and resources, and that it is the duty of the peoplo to rally wilh arms aod" means to tho support of the government, until thestrugglo is ended by tho triumpb of tha constitution and and laws, and the rostoration of the Union. Resolved, That we ho'd next in guilt to the faclion which has risen in arms agaioat the country, tho politicians of tho North, whn, ior yeare, havo orgauized and sustained a By6tern of agitation tending, and itrtended to aliénate tho different secciona of tho country and to stir up betiveen thein an "inoprugsible contlict " ba6ed upon their dornestic instilutions, which it was doclared could on! terminato in the universal predomi nance of one section or the other of the country. ResoheJ, That to the infatuation oí the sume elass of poüticians we can trace the threateüïng prpportions which this "civil wur" has asriumed, and the catastrophes that have attended it. Iu the language oí one ot their representativo men, " Congress adjourned, havingdono and said nothingto strengt heü and encourage the Union men of tho border States. The great and powerful States of Virginia, North Gaiohna and TeoheBsee were lost to tho Union, while three other Staten, Marylaud, Kentucky and Missouri, are etruggling to rnuintain their peskioo in it, bectiuse the repubücan press and the republipan Representativefi were begtiiled intu the popular idea that they tiischarged heir first and highest duty in standing )y and on the Chicago platform;" an :i ster still, when tho people hau rallied without disiinction of party, to tho defense of the Union, tho name predominant iniluence in tho repubücan party by dictating "political battles to be fought," have, according to the same authority, "added another year to the war, a hundred tnillions of dollars to ils cost, and oponed gravee for íifleen or twenty thousand more soldierti." Resolved, That it was the duty of Congress, in the initentioo of this conlliut, to have oncouraged ihe loyal citizens of the South by ampie guáranteos of their righ'te, and by all justaod honorablo concessions, we belieeo it to be its duty now, while putting down rebelhon with arnied iorce, to olTer to tho loyul peoplo of tho disuiïeotod States tho remedy wbioh the Cuns'.itution itself provides for public gi evances - a eonvention of 11 the States ior tho revh-sion.iind arnendmeut of that instrument. Resolved, That tlie democracy of this State wil! sustain no war, nor countenance any peaco, tending to the Beparation oí these States ; and that they will regard any uttompt to porvurt this conflict iuto a war for tha omancipafion of slaves as fatal to all the hopos of the restoration of the Union. Resolved, That it is the duty of the administration, imitating the patriotic spirit of the people, to abandon the parrow platform of tho Chicago convention, which stuud condemued by the nearly two-thirds of the people, and to step iorth upon the broad platform of tho constitution, to expcl corrupl men f rum office, to exeludo írom tu council.s the advocates of soparation or aboütion, and to reconstruct its Cabiuet so aa to conform to the altered coudition oi tho country, and to comtnand more largely lbo public respect aud conüdenco. Resolved, That tho right of f ully and freely canvassing the policy and measures of the administratie] in power ís essentiai to a coustitutional government, it is a right upon which the pillars of our Kepublic rest, and it is denied only by tyraüta. To usu the languugo of Daniel Wi4ter : " It is a homeatead right, a nresidö privilege It has ever been enjoyod in every house, cottage and cabin in the nation. It is not to be drowned in controversy. It is as undoubted as the right of breathing the air and walking on tho earth, It is a right to be rnaiatained in peace and in war. It a right which can net bo invaded without dostroyingconRtitutional liberty. HeDce this right ehould be guarded and protected by tho freemeu of this country with a zealous care, unless they aro prepared for chains and isluvery." Resfilvd, That we thank our brave army in tho field and our navy upon the seas for the noble devotion and he loic courage they havo shown in rallying to the deiense of the country in ns boor ol pei'il, and wo will not forget that it is our dtity to profeet them from being the sport and sacrifice of poli ti;ians, wlio order battles from ideas of political necessity, or tho victin:s of tractors, whc] miike thu poril of tho country tho oounsion of general spoliati,n and peculntion. Resolved, Tl.at the dansers which menuue US tirst mado houd ttiroiigh tho diaruption of the democratie jarty, and tho Lopes of tho country depend upon the unity und vigor of tho dethocrátic party iu ihis crisis. That a democratie yivtory in tbis Stato would bo hnrdly lesa íiuspicious to tho cautie uf tho Union tlmn tho triumph of tho Fedoral arma on tl.e field uf battlo. That, thoreloro, wo hold those deraocrats, who, from motivos of ambition or faotioiiNiioss, aro seeking to divido and dis tri ot tho party, as not only treacherous to its prinoijplea, but disloya! to tho country.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus