Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-17
WASHINGTON, d. c.. SATURDAY ]
Our Principles.

1
Our Principles.
FIRST We shall advocate repeal of the
laws Of naturalization, or If that cannot be ac-
complished, then such modification of those
laws, as will prevent future immigrants from
becoming citizens, short Of residence OF
twsnty-on years, after taking the oath of ale
glance to the United States, and of a1juratioa
Of all other powers, potentates, and princes
Second. We shall advocate the passage Of a
stringent law by Congress to prevent the i'm
migration hither Of foreigners, who are either
paupers or criminals, and to send back to the
countries from which they come, all such for
eigncrs of these classes as may, in violation Of
such law, hereafter reach our ports; and to
require the President of the United States to
demand from any government, which may
send hither such classes of its subjects, iaams-
diGte and ample sGtistaction for sueh outrage,
and q proper indemnity against the repetition
thereof
Third. We shall oppose the election or ap-
pointment Of any Joreign-6orn citizen to any
Office Of trust honor or emolument, under the
Federal or State governments, or the employ
ment or enlistment of such persons in the army
or navy in time of soGr !; maintaining, as we
do the opinion, that the natios-5orn citizens Of
the United States have the right to govern the
land of their birth; and that all immigrants
from abroad should be content with the enjoy
ment Of life, liberty and property, under our
institutions, without seeking to participate in
the enaction, administration, or execution Of
our laws
Fburth. We shall advocate and urge the
adoption of such an amended form Of an oath
to support the Constitution Of the United
States, and to be administered to all persons
elected or appointed to any Office Of trust honor,
or emolument under the Federal or State gov
ernments, as will effectually exclude from such
offices all persons, whe shall not directly and
explicitly recognise the obligations and bind
ing force of the Constitution Of the United
States, as paramount to all obligations of adhe-
sion or allegiance to any foreign prince, power,
potentate, or authority whatever, under any and
all circumstances
Fifth. We shall maintain the doctrine that
no one of the States of this Union has the right
to admit to the enjoyment Of free suffrage any
person Of foreign birth, who has not been first
made citizen Of the United States, according
to the uniform rule" of naturalization pre-
scribcd by Congress, under the provisions Of
the constitution.
SiSth We shall oppose now and hereafter,
any "unson Of Church and State" no matter
what class Of religionists shall seek to bring
about such union.
SepenM. We shall vigorously maintain the
uested rights of all persons of native or torsign
birth, and shall at all times oppose the slightest
interference with such vested rights.
Eighth. We shall oppose and protest against
all a6ridsment Of religious liberty, holding
it as cardinal maxim, that religious faith is .
question between each individual and his God,
and over which no political government, or other
human power, can rightfully exercise any su-
pervision or control, at any time, in any place,
or in any form.
Ninth. We shall oppose all "higher law"
doctrines, by which the constitution is to be set
at nought, violated, or disregarded, whether by
politicians, by religionists, or by the adherents
or followers Of either, or by any other class Of
persons
Tenth. We shall maintain and defend the
constitution as it stands, the Union as it ex-
lists, and the rights Of the States, without di-
minution as guaranteed thereby: opposing at
all times, and to the extent of our ability and
influence, all who may assail them, or either Of
them.
Eleusnth We shall oppose no man, and sus-
tnt No m I< If
to, or his support Of, Democratio measures or
Whig measures; but we shall oppose those who
oppose our doctrines, and sustain those who
sustain our doctrines.
7}oelfth And lastly, we shall use our utmost
exertions to build up an american party,n
whose maxim shall be-:
AMERICANS SHALL RULE THEIR CoUNTRYl
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning of
the year 1885:
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attempts to influence II by tenn
poral punishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy
and meanness, and are a departure from the plan
ofthe Holy Author Of our religion, who, being Lord
both Of body and Of mind, yet chose not to prop
agate by coercions on either as was in his almighty
power to do; that the impious presumption ofleg-
iaatnres and rulers, civil Ms well as ccolesiaStcal
who, being themselves but fllible and uninspired
men, have assumed dominion over the faith of
others, setting up their own opinions and modes of
thinking as the only true and nflibe, and as such
endeayoring TO Impose them upon others, hath es-
tablished and maintained false religions over the
greatest part Of the world, and through all time
that to compel a man to furnish contributions of
money for the propagation Of opinions which he
disbelieves Is sinful and tyrannical that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher Of bis
own religious persuasion is depriving him Of the
comfortable liberty of giving his contributions
to the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most
persuasive TO righteousness, and is withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards which, pro-
ceeding from an appreciation of their personal con-
duct, are an additional incitemeDt to earnest and
unremitting labors for the instruction of mankind;
that our civil rights have dependence on our re-
Hgious opinions more than our opinions in physics
or geometry that, therefore, the prescribing of
any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by
Ia ur,on him incanacifv nfh hair, ~