The Creed of Black Republicanism.

2

Thursday, August 19, 1858.

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Enquirer, noting the multitude of definitions of modern republicanism, and the difficulty of its organs to get upon common ground, owing to the variety of opinion in different localities, thus defines the republican creed. The Enquirer covers the ground, we think, and places wollydom in its true position:

1. The government by Congress of the territories in opposition to the wishes of the people who live in them. If the latter desire to have slavery, and so vote at an election, congress is to render it nugatory and void by an absolute prohibition.

2. No more slave states must be added to the Union under any circumstances. If the rich and beautiful island of Cuba should ask to come into the confederation, congress must reject the application because it is a slave state, although it is admitted it would add immensely to the prosperity of the country. It is the province of outsiders and non residents who are represented in congress to dictate to the people of new states what kind of constitution they shall adopt.

3. Congress must repeal the fugitive slave law, and refuse to enforce that provision of the United States constitution which says fugitives from labor escaping from one state to another must be surrendered up to the party to whom the labor may be due.

4. Until congress repeals the law, it is the duty of the states to pass laws nulifying its provisions, and to render it inoperative within their borders; although when they came into the Union they agreed to abide by and enforce the whole constitution. The republicans have already done this in several states, so that nulification may be considered an important item in their creed.

5. That part of the constitution which gives protection to slavery is not obligatory upon their tender consciences, because it is opposed to the "higher law of God," in which they are deeply learned. They will swear to support the constitution, but at the same time make a mental reservation to disobey that which they do not like.

6. It is the duty of congress to prohibit the slave trade between the states – that is, make it a crime for a citizen of Kentucky to take his slave to Tennessee or to any other slave state and sell him.

7. It is the duty of the free states, which have a majority in both branches in congress, as well as a large majority of the presidential electors, to unite against the fifteen slave states which they can outvote, and administer the government without any regard to their wish. Every man who is not in favor of this ostracism of the south, of this drawing of sectional lines, is to be called a "doughface" and traitor to the north, and must be repudiated. It will be remembered that they gave Fremont thirteen hundred thousand votes in the free states, and not a thousand votes in all the slave states, and in eleven of them not a human being voted for him, so sectional was the party which supported him.

8. Having elected the president and a majority of congress, the supreme court of the United States is to be re-organized, according to the bill of Mr. Seward, and a majority of abolitionists put upon the bench, who will decide that slavery in the states is unconstitutional and illegal, and that no man can hold property in man.

9. If the slave states attempt to secede from the Union when their constitutional rights are thus invaded, they are to be restrained and prevented by the strong arm of military force. They are to be reduced from the position of equals in the confederacy to that of colonies and dependent provinces of the might central government at Washington. Mr. Lincoln, their candidate for United States Senator in Illinois, says it is impossible for the Union to exist as it is, half slave and half free states, but that it must become all free or all slave. State sovereignty is to be annihilated.

10. The policy of the states and federal government should be to place negroes upon an entire equality with the whites in every respect. The states should allow them to vote, hold office, attend common schools, train in the militia, sit on juries while the federal government should recognize the independence of Hayti, and receive a negro embassador from it, and from any other African state that chooses to cultivate national intercourse with us. The policy that would exclude negroes from the political rights of whites is denounced as a mere prejudice of color. Such are the main features of the republican creed. Reader, how do you like them?