Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-14
THE ONLY TRUE PLATFORM.

The Democratic Executive Committee Of the
city of Philadelphia, at recent meeting, in
structed their chairman, James r. Ludlow, esq.
to submit to each of the Democratic candidates
for national, State and city officers, the follow
ing question, to which direct and explicit
reply was requested by o'clock, p. m, on
Friday:
care you member OF, or directly or indi
rectly connected with any society or order
known as, or commonly called Know-noth.
ing or Sons of the Sires of 49, or having
any other name, and whose object is to prevent
any citizen, or class of citizens of this country,
from obtaining any Office or public trust under
the United States or this commonwealth, be-
cause they were not born in this country, or on
account OF their religious sentiments; or have
you assumed, or are you under any obligations
to aid in effecting these objects, or either Of
them"
The names of the candidates to whom this
question was addressed are as follows:
"Thomas B. Florence, John Hamilton, jr.,
James LaAdy, Henry M. Phillips, N. B. Browne
Isaac Leech, jr., Thomas Mander6eld, John ].
Joseph Delavan, George Smith, Townsend
Yearsley, William B. Rankin, Robert B. knight,
George Getz, Daniel McC leary, Isaac w. Moore,
James M. Robb, James w. Fletcher, George
NJ Howell, r. ID. Wilkinson, Robert M. Carl.
isle, John f. Stump Michael V. Baker"
The reply of these gentlemen, (omitting the
formal parts) is as follows:
ITO which, and every part Of which, we an.
swer decidedly and unequivocally in the mega
tive.
"You may also receive this as the assurance
of each of US, that we have no connection with
any political organization other than the Dem
ocratic party; and that we are not in any
manner connected with nor attached to any in
stitutson, society, ORDER having for its object
or incident the prescription or exclusion from
Office or civil privileges of any class of citizens
whatever, on account of their birthplace or re
ligious creed.
1--WE recognise unioersal liberation as a car
dinal principle of Democratic faith; and We
would consider ourselves recreant to this faith
when we abandoned that principle"
This determination Of Democrats to eschev
all the factions and new-fangled parties of thu
day, aud rely entirely on the merit of old fash
toned Democratic principles, is alike homes
and judcious. 1t would be as indiscreet ant
as blameworthy to renounce our time-honore'
organization, and throw ourselves blindly int
the arms Of societies that conceal their design
and purposes, as it would be to unite will
those isms and factions that, with brazei
effrontery, proclaim their odious and infamou
principles from the house-tops.
II Democrats adhere firmly 10 their princi
pies, the day is not far distant when they vii
see these hollow and ephemeral organization
perish before them like sheep with the ROT
They perhaps will have their day. They ma
achieve triumphs here and there; but bull
upon the aeeting sand they will soon be swep
aaway.
We hope that Democrats everywhere vii
initiate the example of the Philadelphia Dem
ocrats, who, in the midst Of formidable op
position, that they might have conciliated b.
concessions, have manfully planted themselves
upon the principles Of their party, and de
clared that by those principles they will stan'
or fall.