Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-20


hH Our Principles. lsaA hR@tss
First. We shall advocate repeal Of the
laws Of naturalization, or If that cannot be &C
conplished, then such modification of those
laws, as win prevent future immigrants from
becoming citizens, short of a residence OF
twonty-one years, after taking the oath Of allie
glance to the United States, and Of abjugation
Of all other powers potentates, and princes. s
Second. We shall advocate the passage Of a
stringent law by Congress to prevent the inn
migration hither of foreigners, who are either
pqupers 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, inanae-
diate and ample satistaction for such outrage,
and proper indemnity against the repetition
thereof I,
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 OF. State governments, or the employ
nlent or enlistment Of such persons in the army
or navy IN time Of scar; maintaining, as we
do the opinion, that the natipe-5orn citizens of
the United States have the right to govern the
land Of their birth; and that all immigrants
from abroad should be centent 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. allla
Fourth. We shall advocate and urge the
adoption of such an amended form Of an oath
to support Tho Constitution Of tho 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
erplicitly 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 wha4sver, 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-
scribed by Congress- under the provisions Of
The constitution. ~ M srs lssTa 4
aSirth. We shall oppose, now and hereaftef,
| any union Of 0hnrch and State, /" no matter
what class Of religionists shall seek to bring
4 about such union.
Seventh. We shall vigorously maintain the
uested 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 abridgment Of religious liberty, holding
1t as cardinal maxim, that religious faith is a
question between each individual and his God
and over which no political government, or other
human power, can rightfully exercise any su-
peryision or control, at any time, in any place,
1 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. f1 .s
| Tenth. We shall maintain and defend the
constitution as it stands, the Union as it ex-
lists, and the rights Of the States, without d.
minution as guaranteed thereby; opposing at
all times, and to the extent of our ability and
influence, dU who may assail them, or either Of
| them. ,snlH at
| ESeeenth We shall oppose no man, and sus-
tain no man, on the ground Of 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
TIeyth. And lastly, we shall use our utmost
exertions to build up an american party"
whose maxim shall be: M,
! AMERICANS SHALL RULE THEIR CoUETRYi
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 Il by tenn
pori 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 coercons on either, as was in his almighty
power to do; that the impious presumption of leg
slatures and rulers, civil well ecclesiastical,
who, being themselves but fallible 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 infalbe, and as such
endeavoring to impose them upon others, hath es-
tablished and maintained false religious over the
greatest part Of the world, and through all tiroe
that to compel man to furnish contributions Of
money for the propagation Of opinions which be
disbeeves is sinful and tyrannical that even the
forcing him to support this that teacher of his
own religious persuasion is depriving him Of the
comfortable liberty of giving his contributions
| 10 the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his pattern, and whose powers be 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 Indictment to earnest and
unremitting abors 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
laying upon him an incapacity of being called to
the Offices Of trust and emolument, unless he pro-
1 fess or renounce this or that religious opinion Is