The American patriot., 1855-12-01
PARTIES AND PLATFORMS.

We notice, says the New Orleans Bee, that
.he American party in various States are reno
a.1,ing their platform-whether adrionished
:, nolitical reverses Of the necessity Of 80 do.
;ne or yielding to the suggestions Of mature
experience.
The State Council of Alabama, after abolish.
mo all the passwords, secrets, signs and cere-
monials which may heretofore have been ob.
s,ryed, put forth the following programme:
l. A strict construction Of the Constitution
# the United States.
.. Stern and answering devotion to the
Union under the Constitution as above con-
strued and unceasing resistance to all facti.us
and sectional attempts, emanate whence they
NAV, to weaken its bonds.
8. Congress has no power to legislate upon
the question of slavery, in the States where it
exists, or to exclude any State from admission
into the Union because its Constitution does,
or does not recognize the institution Of slavery
or to abolish slavery in the District of Colum-
bis. The Fugitive Slave Law should be main
tanned and vigorously enforced. No law, or
regulation, shall be attempted by Congress
touching the question of Slavery in the Terri
tories; but that it shall cease to agitate the
question in any form. We regard strict ad-
herence to the principles and views of this
section essential to the peace and perpetuity
Of the Union and we do pledge ourselves, one
to the other, that we will affiliate with no par
ty. nor support any man for Office, under the
government of the State, or of the United
States, who does not publicly and unequivo.
caly avow the principles Of this section with.
out change or abatement.
4. All foreigners who have come 10 this
country under the guarantees Of our laws, and
have been properly and legally naturalized &C.
cording to existing forms, are fully and legally
entitled to all the civil and religious privileges
conferred by cur Constitution and laws and
shall be fully and edectually protected in them.
5. A radical change in the Naturalization
laws is required by the exigencies Of the coun-
try so as to affect all foreigners coming into
the country, after its enactment, and to pre-
vent the transportation and immigration Of
paupers and criminals Of other countries
6. Americans should give laws to America.
7. Entire religious liberty-holding that all
men have right to worship God, according TO
their own consciences, we will maintain a
strict separation of Church and State, and op.
pose all higher 1aw men, whether papal orpro.
estant and that all men who hold or acknow-
ledge right to violate the Constitution, under
any pretence of civil privileges or religious be-
lief or whose allegiance to the Constitution is
subject to be absolved by any foreign power or
earth, are wholly unfit to hold office in this re-
publican country.
g. Practical economy in the administration
Of public affairs, State and Federal
9. Opposition to old party hacks and dema-
gogues, and the promotion to Office Of men
honest and capable.
TO- Purity of the ballot-box and peace at
elections the right of each citizen to his polt-
ical opinions being iualienable.
II. No step backward from the Georgia
platform.
W-T The Grand Council Of Charleston Is. c.
recommends the following to the local Coun-
ellis of that city.
l, Resolved, That this Council recommend
to the subordinate Councils in this city to dis
band their present organization, and discharge
their members individually from its existing
obligations.
2. Resolved, That this Council recommend
to the State Council, and to the other subordi.
nate Councils of the State similar dissolution
8. Resolved, That in the opinion Of this
Council all secresy in political association, any
intermixture (however misconceived) Of secta'
rian with political questions and the admins
tration of oaths in party obligation, should be
repudiated and abandoned by the American
party in this city and State
4. Resolved, That propitious period, when
party acerbity has abated, and rational calm
exists, public movement should here be made
in favor of essential reforms in naturalization
and suffrage.
s. Resolved, That while the American par
ty ofthis community will ever hold themselves
sternly ready, as Southern men, to maintain il
all exigencies the rights of the State and tn,
South, they will not, on the one hand, commi
themselves to blind adherence to federal par
ties and domination, nor on the other urge, a
any impolitic juncture and for premature ends
apolicy which looks to the disruption of tn
confederacy, except Gn the language of tn
Georgia platform) as "a last resort"
MAKING SWEET PorAroEs TO ORDER.-Ther
has been so much said of late of the immens
size and peculiar conformation of pumpkins