Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-07-04
Audrey Jackson Donelson.

one ot the most notehle phenomena IN IN
political world at this time is the fact that Gen
a. D. Donelson, of Tennessee, has severed hi
connexion with the existing Democratic party Q
the country, and united with the American organ
lzatlon Gen. Donelson is tie nephew OF Presl
dent Jackson, and was his private secretary du
) ring The whole o! his administration Subsequent
/, ly he resided at Berlin as United States Minister
and more recently still edited the Washingto
; non. lie has always been associated in TIA
minds Of the people with Old Hickory. who's
name he bears. and from early lie he has been i
Identified with the Democratic party. But he ha
now ieli compelled 10 repud.ate that party. Iii
was member Of the recent Philadelphia Convcn
ton, and at the great American mass meeting il
New York city, on the 18th uIi., he appeared ant
delivered an address. This address has been re
ported by himself for publication. and is an able
and conclusive Justification of his course.
In the frs; place Gen, Donelson ailndes to TIN
origin of the notification heresy, and the conduc
at Gen. jackson in the crisis of 1882. lie theT
'N'S'S w Suui SC VI 'i'NSS
Tort appears to be to govern the country by u
mon OF the clements of disunion. The president
has brought into his Cabinet Southern Nulliiel
., and Northern AbolitoniSt. Mobilization in the
South is the highest passport to public favor. and
stretches out lis hands to qualification in The North
for succ1r and aid. The Democrats have surren
dered to the nullifers. This party at the South
had an organ, THE Southern Press, 'whose col.
INNS teemsd with the dirtiest abuse ofevery man
who would not subscribe TO its scheme Of holding
a Southern Congress" with powers to declare
the compromise of 1850 unconstitutional and pro-
vide for resistance and one Of the frs, acts of the
Administration was to give the editor Edward
De Leon Of that dsunion sheet ali important
consular and diplomatic Office.
Referring to Gen. Pierce. Gen. D. said: 81
suppose there is not man in our whole country,
conyersant with the politics Of the day, but what
viii admit that he has failed. sjgnaly failed, as a
! President and statesman" "Dut," said be,
''there are conventions in the South, and perhaps
in The North, where men, calling Themselves
Democrats, speak of supporting Mr.. Pierce 5
measures Now, should like TO know what he
has done, except turn out a few good men who
were true to the principle on which he cana Into
power, and to put in their places men Of nnlfy-
ing sympalhes. This may be called the disln.
gushing measure of his administration The
next in importance are the attack on Greytown
the Ostend Conference, and the recent display Of
our naval force before Havana"
The speaker then turned from these unpleas-
ant pictures to the platform on which he thought
an old Jackson man could stand with consistency
and honor lie said:
lyon will see from The extracts which read
that The Union sentiments of Washington and
Jackson constitute The platform President
Pierce and Mr.. Seward have formed their coali-
| ton in such way as n secure the mreign vote,
and 10 enis, tie Catholics as partizans in that
cause. TO counterfeit this coalition, the Aner-
can party proposes to modify tie naturalization
l1ws and 10 enter into political brotherhood with
no ecclesiasc or sectar:an. whu processes to owe
allegiance to any power higher than the Const-
tuition Of The Uniled States. There is 10 wrong
| mere zone 10 any uuliIl USiU9. Ht
who has acquired the rights of citizenship, as he
values those rights, cannot object to place them
beyond the assaults Of those paupers aud criminals
who are landing on our shores by thousands
| Nur ought the Catholic 10 feel surprised that the
| American mind looks wiz: disrus and apPrehen
sion upon hierarchy which in al! other Countries
/ has sJl.ht to connect the Church and State. and
whose history has been one continual struggle for
dominlon in temporal as well as secular matters.
| We are charged. gentlemen, with establishing
religious test, ana as,ang the great natural
right ofal human beings TO worship Almighty
God according to the dictates Of their own cIn-
| science Thc charge is false.
-''rhe position Of the American party on this
question is as clear as daylight II simply an
nounces TO the Catholic bishops, that if they pos
sess the power TO organize their communicates in
| to political train bands to support system Gan
gerous to liberty and subversve Of the consiiiu-
non, it is lawful to oppose them We say that
it is lawful to oppose them-by orr votes at least
Until they eau show that their allegiance 10 the
Pope is subordinate TO that Of obedience to the
Constitution Of the land. The Pope claims in
! lalibiity-the pswer Of pardoning sins. lie
claims the right of deposing princes and poten'
tates. Let his followers satisfy rs that these
pre,entions are moi claimed by them, and they
will find the American party as wiling to meet
! in the bonds of common and equal citizenship as
anv other class of chuTchmen. | dismiss this
part of the subject with the declaration, that the
idea Incorporated into the platform, that Ameri-
| canS must rule Ameria is as old rs the consl,u-
ton. and has been maintained by all tie early
statesmen OF The land. il is not the prescription
of the Roman Catholic, but timely aud sa!uia-
~ warning TO him that ii the influence Of his
! church is brought into the political arena, as an
element of power. it will be opposed with candor
and lrankness, and trust with Success"
Gen. Donelson s1id there was but one road O.
pan to the true patriot, and that is to unite in the
leading principles of the great American party.
| ain This manner we can elect President who
will not DISGRACE the country with Ostend Con
Ferences in this manner, we can wipe out the
stain which has been cast upon US Of introducing 4
corrupt foreign influence into our national coun-
cils in This manner we can teach those who seek
Ia pse the Catholic vote as a political monopoly
that whilst we respect all the rights of religious
freedon we know how 10 disarm the advocates o
a syslem that makes the allegiance due to the u
nited States subordinate to that which is due to a
iereign po.enae"
He concluded with the remark that the people
would sweep away ''the miserable jugglors who
under the guide of Democracy, wonld sell The
country to the Pope of Rome provided they have
the privilege of lnonopolilng bis iaVors."
These are the sentiments of distinguished
life long. old line Democrat, the chosen friend ant
companion of Andrew Jackson, and the inherito
of the Hermitage. We may add, as also slgnih
cant, that William Fl. Polk brother of the late
President Polk, is now an American candidate 70
} Congress, in Tennessee.