Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-24
WASHINGTON D. G. SATURDAY FEBRUARY D.
Our PrincipIes.


Our Principles. Il
First. We shall advocate repeal of the
laws of naturalization, or If that cannot be ac-
complished, then such modification of those
laws, as will prevent future immigrants from
becoming citizens, short Of residence Of
twenty-one years, after taking the oath Of ale
glance to the United States, and Of a6juration
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
p0upers 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, imnee-
diate and ample satistaetion for such outrage,
and proper indemnity against the repetition
thereof -
Third. We shall oppose the election or ap-
pointment Of any J6veign-bosn 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 oar maintaining, as we
do the opinion, that the natige-boa7a 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
F6urth. We shall advocate and urge the
adoption Of such an amended form Of an oath
to support the Constitution 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 efectually 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 whatever, 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-
scribcd by Congress, under the provisions Of
the constitution.
SiSth. We shall oppose, now and hereafter.
any union Of Church and State, !" no matter
what class of religionists shall seek to bring
about such union.
SsvenM We shall vigorously maintain the
vested rights of al 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 a6ridsment Of religious liberty, holding
it as cardinal maxim, that religious JaitA is 4
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,
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 rsligionists or by the adherents
or followers Of either, or by any other class Of
persons ~
Tenth. We shah maintain and defend the
oonstitntion 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, all who may assaii them, or either Of
them. nI go nH
Eleventh. 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
7'oeyth. And lastly, we shall use our utmost
exertions to build up an american party, y
whose maxim shall be:
AMERICANS SHALL RULE THEIR CoUHTRYi
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 10 beget habits of hypocrisy
and meanness and are a departure from the plan
the Holy Author Of our religion, who, being Lord
DOtn vi pOuy anu vi Hilnu, yet cnOse not 10 prop
agate by coercions either, as was in his almighty
power to do; that the impious presumption of1eg-
isatures and rulers, civil well as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but hIlible and uninspred
men, have assumed dominion over the faith Of
others, setting up their own opinions and modes Of
thinking as the only true and infable 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
disbelieves, is sinful and tyranncd that even the
forcing him to support this or that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion is depriving 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 righteousness, 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