Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-15
WASHINGTON. D. G. TUESDAY AFTERNOON, MAY Is. 1856.

The Convention of the AMERICAN PARTY
OF VIRGINIA, which met at Winchester, on
Tuesdey the 18th Of March, appointed the under
signed committee, to make publication, over their
names, Of the following:
Basis Principles Of the American Party of
Virginia. 9 &l
Determined to preserve our political institutions
in their original purity and vigor, and to keep them
unadulterated and unimpared by foreign influence,
either civil or religious, wen as by home faction
and homo demagoguism; and believing that an
American policy, religious, political, and CONNER
cial necessary for the attainment Of these ends
shall observe and carry out in practice, the follow
ing principles:
/. That the suffrages of the American people
for political Offices, should not be given to any
other than those born on our soil, and reared and
matured under the influence of our institutions.
2, That no foreigner ought to be allowed to ex-
ercse the elective franchise till he shall have re-
sided within the United States sufficient length
of time to enable him to become acquainted with
the principles and imbued with the spirit Of our
institutions, and until he shall have become tho
roughly identified with the great interests of our
country.
8. That whilst no obstacle should be interposed
to the immigration Of all foreigners Of honest and
industrious habits, and all privileges and immune
ties enjoyed by any native-bom citizens of our
country should be extended to all such immigrants,
kept that Of participating in any of eur political
administrations; yet all legal means should be
adopted to obstruct and prevent the immigration
Of the vicious and worthless, the criminal and
pauper.
4 That the american doctrine of religious tol-
eration and entire absence of all prescription for
opinions sake, should be cherished as one Of the
very fundamental principles Of our civil freedom,
and that any sect or party which believes and main
tains that any foreign power religious or pslitical
has the right to control the conscience or direct
the conduct of freeman, occupies position which
is totally at war with the principles OF freedom Of
opinion, and which is mschievous in its tendency,
and which principle, if carried into practice, would
prove wholly destructive of religious and civil
liberty.
5. That the Bible in the hands of every free cit
ixen is the only permanent basis Of all true liberty
and genuine equality.
8. That the intelligence of the people is neces.
cary to the right use and the continuance Of our
liberties civil and religious; hence the proprety
and Importance of the promotion and fostering ol
all means Of moral and intellectual culture by some
adequate and permanent provision for general ed
ucation.
T. That the doctrine Of availability, now SO prev
alent and controlling, in the nomination Of candi-
dates for Office in total disregard to all principles
of right, Of truth, and Of Justice, is essentially
wrong, and should be by all good men condemned.
8. That, as general rule, the same restrictions
should be prescribed to the exercise of the power
of removal from Office, as are made necessary to be
observed in the power of appointment thereto
and that executive influence and patronage should
DO scrupulously conferred and jsalously guarded.
Q. That the sovereignty Of the States should be
supreme in the exercise Of al powers not express
ly delegated to the federal government, and which
may not be necessary and proper 70 carry out the
powers delegated and that this principle should
be observed and held sacred In Ill organisations of
the American party.
TO- That all ssctarian intermeddliag with politics
or political institutions, coming from whichever
source II may should be promptly resistsd by ali
such means as seem to be necessary and proper for
this end. tf
IL. That whilst the perpstuity Of tho present
form of the federal government Of ths United
States Is actually necessary for the proper develop
ment of all the resources of this country, yet the
principle of fnoninterventon, both ON tho psrt Of
the federal government and of the sevsrd States
Of the Union in the municipal ahirs Of each other,
Is essential to peace and prosperity ofcnr Sountry,
and to the well-being and permanence 81 or inst-
tutions, and at the same time the only rslahle
bond Of brotherhood and union. +.
Ia. The red repnblicanism and lcentious indul-
gence in the enjoyment of civil privileges, are a.
much to be feared and deprecated by al friends
10 well-reguated government and true liberty, a.
any Of the forms Of monarchy and despstsm.
Is. That the true interests and welfare of this
country, the honor Of this nation, the individual
and private rights ofits citizens conspire to de-
mand that all other questions arising from party
organizations, from any other sonrce, should be
held subordinate to and in practice made TO yield
TO the great principles herein promulgated.
ANDREW K. KENNEDY, of Jefferson,
GEORGE ID. GRAY, of Culpeper,
JOSIAH DABBS OF Halifax. .