Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-31
WASHINGTON D. c. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OCTOBER 81 1856

allegiance, directly or Indirectly, to any foreign
power, whether civil or cccesiaStcal and who are
Americans by birth, education and training-thus
fulfilling the maxim; "AxERIoAEs ONLY SHALL
GOVERN AMERICA" sii x 1@
The protection of all citizens Ia the legal and
proper exercise Of their civil and religious rights
and privileges; tho maintenance Of the right Of
every man TO the full unrestmined and peaceful en-
jcyneEd of bis religious opinions and worship,
and Jealous resistance Of all attempts BY any sect
denomination or church, to obtain an ascendency
over any other in the State, by means Of any
special priyilegss or exemption, by any political
combination Of its members, or by q division Of
their civil allegiance with any foreign power, po-
tsntate, or orsecclesiastic. ge
K.--The reformation of the character Of our
National Legislature, by elevating to that digni6ed
and responsible position men Of higher quali6ca-
toas, pnrer morals, and more rnselHsh patriotism
X--zThc restriction of executive patronage, es-
pecially in the matter of appointments to Office, 80
far It may bc permitted by the Constitution, and
consistent with the public good. sssr Ia2 7
| XI.--The education of the youth Of our country
4 in schools provided by the State which schools
shall be common to ALL without distinction Of creed
or party, and free from any influence or direction
Of denominational or partisan character.
| And, inasmuch as Christianity, by the Constini-
tions of nearly all the States by the decisions of
the most eminent judicial authorities; and by the
COflbenb Oi tuc poOpc VI AIerlCh, Ii COuSl0ereu
element Of our political system; and, as the Holy
Bible isat once the source Of Christianity and the
| depository and fountain of al civil and religious
| freedom, we oppose every attempt to exclude il
4 from the schools thus established IN the States.
XIL--The American party having arisen upon
the ruins and in spite the opposition Of the Whig
and Democratic parties, cannot be in any manner
responsible for the obnoxious acts of violated
| pledges Of either. And the systematic agitation
Il off hy oekfn al
evated sectional hostility into apoaitive element
Of political power, and brought our institutions
i into peril 1t has therefore become the imperative
| duty Of the American party TO interpose for the
4 purpose Of giving peace to the country and per-
petuity to the Union. And az experience has
shown it impossible to reconcile opinions 80 ex-
| treme as those which separate the dsputants, and
as there can be no dshonor in submitting to the
laws, the National Council has deemed IL the best
| guarantee of common justice and of future peace,
! to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon
\ the subject Of slavery, as final and conclusive
settlement Of that subject, in spirit and in sub
stance. IN Il
| And regarding 1t the highest duty to avow their
! opinions. upon subject SO important. in distinct
and unequivocal TERMS it is hereby declared as the
sense of this National Council that Congress pos
sesses no power, under the Constitution, to legs-
late upon the subject of Slavery in the States
where 1t does or may exist, TO exclude any State
from admission into the Union, because its Consti-
tuition does or does not recognise the institution
of Slaveryas a part of its social system; and ex-
pressly pretcrmitting any expression Of opinion
upon the power of Congress to establish or pro-
hibit Slavery in any Territory 1t is tho sense Of
the National Council that Congress ought not to
legislate upon the subject of Slavery within the
Territories Of the United States, and that any in.
reference by Congress with Slavery as II exists in
the District Of Columbia, would be violation Of
the spirit and intention of the compact by which
the State of Maryland ceded the District to the
United States, and breach of the National faith
XlII---Thc policy of the Government OF the
United States In ts relations with foreign govern
ments, is to exact justice from the strongest and
do justice to the weakest restraining, by all the
power Of the government all its citizens from in
reference with the internal concerns Of nations
| with whom we are at peace. ISL *ss
XIV.---This National Council declares that all
the principles Of the Order shall be henceforward
everywhere openly avowed and that each mem
Der shall be at liberty to make known the existence
Of the Order and the fact that he himself s a mem
| Der, and II recommends that there be no conceal
rnent Of the places Of meeting Of subordinate coun-
ellis. 80, ,,. s.
=. B. BARTLETT, of Kentucky,
President of National Council.
@. d. DEsHLER, of New Jersey,
H. Corresponding Secretary.
JANIS NJ. STEPHENS, Of Maryland,
Recording Secretary.