Whig Creed On Slavery

The severai partios in ibis Suite hold State Conventions (ai the nominntion of Governor once in :wo years ; and the resolufions adoptad at these meetings are considered as nulhorilative expositions of the principies of the party. The late VVliig Convenlion set fortli their Inilh in a full and lengthy creed, embracing the most important points of polilical Belion. We extract so much of it as develops their views on Slavery with the preamble of the whole: Whereas, It is fitting and n'ght that a polili jal party, claiming the confidence and support of the patriotic and honet pcople of tMs Slale, should not onlv possess, but proclnim, on uil proper occasions, those principies of action, and those rneasures of poücy, by which it is governed, and which it seeks to promote; herefore, Resolrcd, That we, the VVhigs of the State of Michigan, in Slate Convenlion assemblee, do set forlíi and p roela i m :he follovving as true doctrines of the Wliig creed: lst. We recognize the principies of ■)oiitical ibfirty and equality set lorth in he Decía rat on of American Independence. We clierish the doctrines ihat the right of self-governm&nt is the unalienable birth-right of man - that the object of all government is the happiness of the whole people - and thnt human libei'y is too bacred a thing to become subect to the laws of property, whereby min may buy, and sel], and traffic in the blood and sinevvs of his fellow-man. 2d. While we concede ;he right of eacli of the independent States of the Union to egislate with regard to its own peculiar inslitutions, and are willing to nbide by the compromises of the Constitution on :he subject of SlavöJ-y, we are onpose.d to the fui'iher extensión of this instilution over the territory of the United Statf s ; and we will, by all eonslitntional means, resist the introdüction of Slavery into any territory now or hereafter lo be acquired ly the Uniied States by conques!, purcbase, or otherwise. A free people. in their nwrch of conquéat and acquisition, bearing the seeds of Slavery, and planting domestic and social Bastiles, wherever its fl.ig is unfurled, would exhibit a speclacle over which tyranny might well rejoice, ns furnishing unanswernble evidenco of the hypocri.sy of Republics. '2d. We cheiish the Constitution of the United States ; and we proclaim our continued opposition lo, and abhorrence of', the numerous and dangerous inroads which hnve been made upon that sa c red instrument by a series of measures which have resulled in ihe anne.xation of Texas to the United Stales, and involved the country, by tho unconstitulional act of i;s Chief Magistrale, in a bloody and e.xtensive war. These Resolutions were reported by a commiltee consiting of J. W. Gordon, S. Barslow, G. VV. Wisner, S.S. Wilkinson, and M. B. Lathrop. The first resolution is a mere abstraction to which every body nssents. The Whgs say they believe in the Declaration of Independence. Well, who among us does not? Where is the demagogue who does not think it for his interest to shout the praises of that instrument? - But the Whigs believe that "the right of self-government is the inalienable birth rigiit of man." If you really believe ihis, gentlemen, why don't you manifest il ■pra-.licalhj? An appropriate case for the application of your principie exists at home, in your midst. The colored people of this State - more than a thousand of lliem - are deprived of "the right of self-government." They ure entirely subject to laws which they have no part in enacting. They are compellcdto be subject to these laws ; and through this compulsión, originated and conlinued frorn year to year in part by the direct action of the Wbig party, "the principies of political liberty and equality set foith in the Declaralioti of American Independence" are every day violated. What do you propose to do about it ? Do you intenc to redress the violated rights? Nay verily; you will do nothing of the kind. Bul you sav you " reengnize" them; and in s.Tsnying, and in refusing to apply them praclically to tho.se who daily suffer from their violation inflicled with your sanction and consent, you convict yoursclves ol the grossesi hypocrisy. You know the rights of the colored man, acknowledge them to be inalienable, and the "true doctrines of the Whig creed," and thenconstantly viólate them ! IIow could you condemn yourselves more pointedly 1 You say that you "cherish the doctrine that human liberty is too sacred a ihing to become subject to the laws of property whereby mnn mav buy anri sell and trafFc in the blood and sinews of nis fellow man." You say a very good ihing : hut what do you do? Nolliing. Il' you b&lieve wliat ynu say, wliy don't ynu net npon il? You allovv this "rac" lo continue from oneyear to anoiher a; the seat of governincnt witliout one word of rpprobation or rcmonstraiiL'e. You a!low the citizens and pul.lic otticors ofthis State to help reenslare tliosc who have regainej thsir liberty, and allow our jnils to be used for tlie safe keeping of persons tlms reduced to Slavery in our own Slale. - Ali, tiseasior toniake professior:s than to act consistenlly. By your woiiks )'0ü are known. The next resolulion invulvcs two posilions: first, that you will let Slavery alone wherever it e.is;s in the States ; and second, ihat you will oppose all furlher spread of it in the territory of the United Stales. The first position sepárales you from the Liberty party, and Trom such Whigs ns Gov. Seward and J. R. dings. They believe in using all the powers conferred by ihe Constitution for the overlhrovv of SJavery. You do not. It does not appear f rom your creed that you would interfere with it any where.in any marnier, directly or indircctly. You would not suppress tlie coastwise trafile, nor that in Washington. You would not have the patronage and support oftho General Government wilhdrnwn froin the inslitution. You would not cease lo fill tlie ofTices of the government with Slaveholdersfisilie Whig party have done herctofore. No; your position is entirely conservative. VVherevcr and however Slavcry now exists in our nation, the uniled Whig party of Michigan cries, "Let it alone ! Let the curse remain as it is ! " Your second position, that the march of Slavery should bs now arrested, is right. All we can ask is to see you faithfully support it. Shall wc ?ee you using "all cons:itutional mrans" to resist its extensión? Yet the cour.se of the Whig papers in the Norlh, practically repudiatlng the Wilmot Proviso, on which all parties could unitE, for the purpose of geiting up an e.xclusively partizan issue of your own, does not look very mucli like pursuing tlie object with a liberal & magnaniinous spirit. Dut we are not disposed to find fault in anticipation. We would tnuch prefer to hope well for ycur course in future. But how can we have any high expeciations nf this characier, when you have so long pretended to lc thr "irue Liberly party," and yet maintained a fraternal alliance with Whig Slaveholders. When Florida was admitted, there were in the Senate 27 Whigs - a majority of the whole body; yet only nlne Senators out of 52 votec' ngiinst it. In reference to the admission of new Slavc Slaes, the Whig of Michigan are entirely silent. They are unwilling to commit thcmselves on a tangible question of this charncter. The allusion to "domestic and social Bastilcs" is well. ■ But did the convent on forget tliere were some at the capital of this nation, sanctioned by U laws % Why not labor for the removal of these, as well as to prevent the establishment of more ? But we hast n lo a close. We have dwelt the longer upon this portion of the Whig creed, because we know that some individuals in ihat party ns well as among Liberty men, have been looking to see if there were not some commni: grounds upon which both pnrtie in this State might unite. We think t must be apparent from this creed that no suffic.ient anti-slavery grounds now exist. The Liberty party are aggressive in their feelings, principies, avowed objecls ar.d public declaralions : the Whigs nre rntirely conservativo. Tlie Whigs would let slavery alone every where : the Liberty party' would abolish it wherever it can b constitution ally done. The Liberty party would fill the nationnl offices only wiih anti-slaverv men : the Whigs would fill them with the ablest and most zealous slavehulders. The Liberty party wishes for no alliance or compact witli the Slave Pcwer : the Whigs earneslly seek for its aid and cooperation, and will sacrifice almost every thing to obtain them. In a word,in all that has reference to slavery as it is, the Wliig and Liberty party in Michigan are exactly unlike each other, holding antngonistic opinions. For our part. we cannot fiud any common ground for working togeiher in removing Slavery ; and in preventing its extensión we confess we are not willing to sacrifico our organization and aggressive anti-jlavery principies for the sole purpose of helping a party to prevent the extensión of slavery, while tliey are doing all they can to fill the offices of the General Government wilh invetérate Slaveholders, who will wield its ponderous and far-ieachingencrgies for the preservation and aggrandizeinent of the greal nationnl curse. No ; if the Whigs are really au anti-slavery party, as is so oftin pretended, let them work out their nnti-slavery, if they have any, in their own way. We also will work in our way, separately from them, until it shall be discovered that we are indeed identical in anti-slavery feelings, principies nnd objects. Should that time ever arrive, it will be soon enough to bccome identical in measures, cundiJatcs, and orgnnizntion. lt will bo distinctly undersiood ihat the prpceding remarksapply to the Whig and Iiljerly parties, as such, cons'dered as organizad bodics, and nol lo the opinions or action of individuáis in ihose paities, which may greatly vary from tlie regular party creed.