Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-12-22

der loo, 10y the party opposed 10 US.
| concur also in the sentiment en-
pressed by Gen. Washington, that
at is contrary to the policy Of this
Government To appoint foreigners 10
office To the exclusion of native born
citizens" do not mean by this
that foreigner should never be ap-
pointed to office. ! mean that other
circumstances being the same, the
American ought 20 be preferred, and
that was the opinion Of Washington.
But there are many foreigners in the
country Tor whom | would not hest
tate to vote and to illustrate nv
meaning, | now take leave to say
that as the Senatorial term Of James
Shields, of Illinois, is about 10 ex-
pire, il I had hundred votes to
cast in the election Of senator for
that State, would throw them all
for James Shields, such is my opin-
ion Of the man. But if another
James Shields, equally worthy, patri-
otto and able were to present him
self as his opponent, horn an Amer
lean on the sod here, would prefer
him to the foreigner though natural
lied citizen. II any man differs
from tina, opinion he is at perfect lib
erty to do so, but do not envy him
in his claims to true American and
patriotic feelings. [ shall not enlarge
upon this subject, FOR my sentiments
have before been publicly expressed.
You will understand me, there
fore, feIIow-ciiizens, as standing on
the platform adopted ny the Amcri-
cans, ut Dover, on the 4th day If
last month, and no other which in
any degree conflicts with it. | win
not support FOR office man who
claims to he Native American, IN
less he plants himself upon that plat
form. II he seeks my vote he must
10 it by protesting my principles
He must not tell me that some other
party besides the American party here
has nominated him for the office. He
mus, come out plainly, and say that
he asks support on the principles of
The Americans at the capital, when
they me, last month publicly in State
IL he asks the support
If the American party, he has no
right TO accept, without our consent,
a nomination from another party, pro-
Tossing principles which we, as Amer
cans, have not adopted.
| did not come here to make a
ticket leave all that to others
only came to explain the grounds
On which | shall act.
A party formed OH these princi-
pies must necessarily be thoroughly
national, and not sectional in its
character. | can have no geosraph-
lcal divisions. No parallel Of lali-
Jude or longitude can divide It into
dlscordant fragments, TO form the
elements Of future separation and
civil war. Ignoring the slavery
question as proper element Of par
" organization, and as utterly un-
fitted for party combinations, 1t
would refuse to test the suitsbleness
Of any men for public Office, by the
question whether he was for or
against the mere extension of slave
y in some territory of the United
States, always content to leave that
Is well as other domestic questions,
10 the people of that territory, who
alone ought to have the right to de-
,ide it, as soon as sufficient numbers
nave settled there to form a respec-
able common wealth. Non-inter-
,ention is the principle now pro-
essed blythe Democratic party itself
,ut it is not the principle on which
hey have acted. Their practice
md their profess ions have never
agreed on the subject. True nom
would have left the
people of Nebraska aud Kansas, af-
Ter a suitable number of people had
to those territories,to have
elected their governor, rs well as
their Legislature. and would have
left the question Of Slavery in the
meantime--lhat is the question
whether, under the Constitution and
existing laws and treaties, slave
hold er could safely carry his slaves
to those territories, as question TO
be decided solely by the courts OF
The United States, and not by leg
islature elected only by handful
OF squa,ters, including every alien
VINO may choose TO go there from
Europe. True non--intervention
would have denied all power in an
Executive appointed at Washington
10 veto the acts of Territorial leg
stature, as we'll as all power in Con-
gress TO supervise its decisions on
hat question. shall not again
discuss the merits of the Nebraska
bill. My sentiments upon il are
we'll known to you all. II has pro-
iuced The very bitter fruits which
anticipated when it was introduce
ed, aud has caused all the violent
excitement in the bosom Of the
North, which | publicly predicted
ia my place in the Senate. ! said
there it would lie injudicioris, and
sminently tend TO alienation between
The North and the South. Yet !
had no Northern prejudices against
he repeal of the Missouri Com
promise line-a line established by
The act of 1920.
ALWAYS thought the creation Of