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The Liberty Man's Creed

The Liberty Man's Creed image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
October
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

I beheve all tnen are crented equal; that they nre endowed by tlicir creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and ihe pursuit oí happiness. I believe that every laborer is éntilled (o fair wages for honest work. I believe that slavery is so odious that nothingcan uphold it except positivo law, and that all such law violates inalienable rights, end ought lo be immcdiatoly abrogated. 1 believe that the settled policy of the American Governjaenf, at the time of the adoption oí thc Constiuition, wa? fo lirni'. and localizo, uot to extend and nationalize slavemj I rMlieve lhat thc Consfiftiíion of the United States confers on Congress no power to establish or uphold slavery anywherej but, on thc contrary, e.xpressly prohibits the General Government f rom depriving any person of liberty except by due process of law. I believe that whenever the Unitec States acquire, by cessions of particular States or foreign nations, any territory whatover in which slaverv may exist, that the jurisdiction of the ceding State or nation ceases at the moment oí cession, and that slavery, being thenceforth destitute of the support of positivo law, censes also, and cannot be re-established orcontinued by Congress without a manifest violation of the Constitution.I believe that slavery in the District of Columbia and the Territory of Florido, and in all the States créated öut of any Territory of the United States, is anticonslitutional. I believe that the clnuse in the Constitution which nllows to the slaveholders of the original States a representation in Congress for three fifths of their slaves, is altogether anti-republican, extremely dangerous to the liberties of the people, and ought to be abrogated by an express amendment of the Constitution. I believe that slaveholders have substantially controlled the Government almost from the beginning, and ought to control it no longer, and that their political power has increased, is increasing, and ought to be destroyed. 1 believe that slaveholders have filled and now fill the greatest part of the offices of the Government; and that nearly all the restare filled by dough-faces; and that the power of the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary have all been prostituted to the support and perpetuation of slavery. I believe that the offices of Government ought to be filled by non-slaveholders as true fnends of Equal and Impartial Justice to all men, and that the Policy of this Government should be directed to the establishment of Liberty, the procuring and extensión of markets for free labor, and to the discountenancing of every form of oppression.I believe that whenever Liberty men can obtain the control of any State Leg. islature by electing a majority of itsmembers, all unjust and oppressive enactments will be repealed; men, who cannot be seduced or driven from the advocacy of Freedom and Free Labor will be placed in the United States Senate; and this State itself will become more prosperous and more respected. I believe that whenever Liberty men shall obtain the control of Congress, all laws for the maintenance of slavery in the District and in Florida, and for the special encourogement of slave labor, will be repealed; that the coastwise and interstate slave trade will be prohibited, and that resolutions, declaring slavery unconstitutional in all new States created out of territoriei!, and recommending to theLegislators of the original States the abolition of slavery within their respective limits, will be adopfed. I believe that whenever the Judiciary of the United States shall cease to be the creature of the Slave Power, and the Judges shall receive their appointments from a Liberty President and Sonate, slavery will be declared to be unconstitutional in the District, in Florida and in all States created out of Territories. I believe that slavery in the United States will not survive the accession of the Liberty party to power a single year.I believe that the extinction of slavery by the constitutional action of Congress and the State Legislatures ís absolute!) necessary to the preservation of the Union, to the security of popular rights. and to the restoration of harmony and prosperity to the country, and whenever effected will be incomparably more beneficial to the whole people than any conceivable modification of the Tari ft or Banking system. I believe that it is tho duty of every elector to vote for the nominees of the Liberty party, provided they be honest and en pable, and to vote for no other than Liberty men, so long as the Liberty party shall be distinguished by unswerving fidelity to Right and Justice, and inflexible hostility to oppression and wrong. I believe that it is never expedient to do wrong,and that in voting it is a good rule to vote right this once and the next time too.I believe that if Liberty men will do their duty, being instant in season anc out ofseason, andahvays faithful to their nominations, the anti-slavery strength o the country vvül be concentrated at the ballot box in Jess than four years, that a Liberty Pres'dent and Congress will be elected ia 1848, and that the census o tvf 1850 will not include a single slave. I belicvc that the work has to be done and that it might as well be done in (bu years as in forty. I bclicve that I will do share o it.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News