Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-01
Our Principles.

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 alle-
glance to the United States, and of dbjuration
Of all other powers, potentates, and princes.
Second. We shall advocate the passage of a
stringent law by Congress to prevent the inn
migration hither Of foreigners, who are either
paupers 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, imme-
diGte and ample satiyaction .toa. such outrage,
and proper indemnity against the repetition
thereof
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 or State governments, or the employ
ment or enlistment of such persons in the army
or navy in time Of soor maintaining, as we
do the opinion, that the natige-Bo7n 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.
F5urth. We shall advocate and urge the
adoption of such an amended form Of an oath
to support the 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
explicitly 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.
FVh. 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.
Sarth. 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.
Seuenth We shall vigorously maintain the
Oested 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 rightfuIly exercise any su-
pervision 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 religionists or by the adherents
or followers of either, or by any other class Of
persons.
7snth We shall maintain and defend the
constitution as it stands, the Union rs it ex-
lists, and the rights of the States, without di-
minution as guaranteed thereby: opposing at
all times, and to the extent Of our ability and
influence, aH who may assail them, or either Of
them.
Eleoenth. We shall oppose no man, and sus-
tain no man. on the ground Of his opposition
Whig measures; but we shall oppose those who
nIIr nd "a. L.
sustain our doctrines
TpoLfth. And lastly, we shall use our utmost
exertions to build up an american party" I"
whose maxim shall be:
AMERICANS SHALL RULE THEIR CoUNTRYi
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the Assembly of Virginia in the beginning of
the year 1886:
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 TO beget habits Of hypocrisy
and meanness, and are a departure from the plan
the Holy Author Of our religion who, being Lord
both of body and of mind, yet chose not to prop
agate by coercions on either, as in his almighty
power 10 do; that the impious presumption Of leg
islatures and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but fallible 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-
tablshed 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
disbeleves, is sinful and tyranncal 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 righteousness and is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceedng from an appreciation Of their personal con-
duct, are an additional incitement to earnest and
unremitting lnbors for the instruction Of mankind
that our civil rights have no dependence on our re-
gious 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-
fess or renounce this or that religious opinion Is
depriving him injuriously of those privileges and
advantages to which, in common with his fellow