Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-19
Our Principles.

Our Principles.
FIRST. We shall advocate . repeal of the
laws Of naturalization, orif that cannot be ac-
complished, then. such modification Of those
laws. as viii prevent future immigrants from
becoming citizens, short Of residence Of
twsnty-one years, after taking the oath Of alle-
glance to the United States, and Of a5jWatios
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
par.pers or criminals, and to send back to the
countries from which they come, all such for
eigners 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, inme-
diate and ample satistaction for such outrage,
and proper indemnity against the repetition
thereof sleaa. a4l
Third. We shall oppose the election or ap-
pointment Of any JorSiga-5o,n 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 soar; maintaining, as we
do the opinion, that the natipe-6orn 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. YAH
Fburth. We shall advocate and urge the
adoption Of such an amended form Of am oath
70 support the Consultation 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, who shall not directly and
erplioitly 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. s
| Fifth. We shall maintain the doctrine that
no one of the States Of this Union has the right
to- admit to the enjoyment Of frss sst6Sage any
person of foreign birth, who has not been first
made citizen of the United States, according
to the "uniform rule" Of naturalization pre-
scribed by Congress, under the provisions Of
the constitution
SiStA. We shall oppose, now and hereafter,
any "u,siop Of Church and State, /" no matter
what class Of religionists shall seek to bring
about such union.
Seventh. We shall vigorously maintain the
oested rights Of all persons, of native or foreign
birth, and shall at all times oppose the slightest
interference with such vested rights.
Eighth We shall oppose and protest against
all a6ridgment Of Religious liberty, holding
it as cardinal maxim, that religious taith is a
question between each individual and his God,
and over which no political government, or other
human power, can rishtfnily exercise any su.
pervision or control, 1t 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
persona
7sntA We shall maintain and defend the
coRstitution as II stands the Union a. IL en-.
lists, and the rights of the States, without d.
minution as guaranteed thereby: opposipo at
all times, and to the extent Of our ability and
influence, aU who may assail them, or either OF
them.
ElevenM We shall oppose no man, and sus-
tain no man, on the ground lof his opposition
TO, or his support Of, Democratic measures, or
Whig measures; but we shall oppose those who
oppose our doctrines, and sustain those who
sustain our doctrines .stgTR4
nssLftA And lastly, we shall use our utmost
excrtions TO build up an " american party, y
whose maxim shall be:
| AMERICANS SHALL RULE THEIR OouNTRYi
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
In the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning Of
| the year 1855:
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attempts TO influence Il by tenn
poral punishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only TO beget habits of hypocrisy
and meanness, and are departure from the plan
Of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord
both Of body and of mind, yet chose not to prop
agate by coercoDs on either was in his almighty
power 10 do; that the impious presumption Of leg.
isatures and rulers, civil NJ well as ecclesiastical
who being themselves but hllible and uninspircd
men, have assumed dominion over the faith Of
others, setting up their opinions and modes of
thinking as the only true and nfaIlible and as such
endeavoring 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 man to furnish contributions OF
money for the propagation of opinions which he
disbeiieves In sinful and tyrannical that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher of his
own religious persuasion is depnving 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 rghteousness and Is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceeding from an appreciation Of their personal con-
duct, are an additional incitement to earnest and
unremitting labors for the instruction Of mankind
that our civil rights have dependence on our re-
ligious opinions more than our opinions in physics
or geometry that, therefore, the prescribing Of
any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by
laying upon him an incapacity Of being called 70
the Offices Of trust and emolument, unless he pro-
fess or renoInce this or that RELIGIONS op;nion IL