Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-18
The American Party of Virginia

oomnaigp, but Of n great moral revolution. How.
ever our people may Differ in this they all agree.
that we are in a crisis not merely of parties, but
what is of far more importance, of the country
No studious observer of affairs can deny or
doubt that our State has been much misgoverned'
especially Of lato years. Our Executives ana
Legislatures have not fulfilled the just e&pecta-
tons of the people. The great questions oil our
State policy have been made subordinate to prof.
;tless discussions of defunct federal issues Log
rolling has usurped the place OF lar legislation
Instead of opening few central highways 10
connect the great rivers OF the West win the
Chesapeake and treating them ms works OF para
mount importance, the Legislature has sqn"ndef-
cd our treasure ON works Of local character ana
doubtful eypediency. Our state credit is IN
5;srenute and our finances in disorder, needing
for their restoration men of absolute integrity
and business capacity. Who can doubt that IN
Virginia there is not only room, but an urgent
necessity for a true reform party Does tho
American party supply this want we Fh"'' en-
,eayor to show that it does. 1t proposes TO
change the men and the policy which have been
governing the State; TO stop, as tar as possible
the traddle on questions dead and buried to
meet tie practical and living issues OF the day.
and to accomplish actual good
The Winchester platform presents the basis
principles of the new party 1t Is not drawn
with reference to ATTITUDES and longtudes, not to
cover. under general and ambiguous terms, all
opipions and all shades of opinion 1t is honestly
drawn; and is .as clear as the milky way across
the heavens
1t is thoroughly American. 1t d'serlminates
betw the American and foreigner, and wisely
prefers the former in the distribution OF political
powers 1t maintains the policy OF Americans
ruline America, on the ground, that those porn
opd rearod under the influence of our institutions,
would be more apt to understand and MAINTAIN
Them 1t asks for no amendment either OF the
United States Constitution, or that OF Virginia
Roth of those instruments already exclude Tor
al ppers from certain Offices. While 1t seeks not
to make this principle oonstitutonally manda-
tory. farther than il already is, it presents it TO
the people Of Virginia n useful rule IN the So
lection of Office holders In no sense does it ask
for an er post Gacto law. 1t does not diyest the
naturaliged foreigner of a single vested right
He has still all the civil rights which natives pos
sess. The courts of justice are open to protect
him in lfe limb, reputation. and property. Has
he any right to complain, because portion of
our people think tina. our political administrations
ought to be confined to natives! Assurodly
not.
The American party, while not desiring to i'm
pose a constitutional obligation on their oppo-
nents, think they would act wisely if they also
made the Winchester basis principles their rules
Of action.
Our Virginia constitution makes foreigner
ineligible TO the Office of Governor. Who con
tends that this is in conflict with Bill of
Rights Have not Americans the same right to
prefer natives for Office that the old parties had
to prefer their respective members! Was not
the Inst gerrymandcr of Virginia, by which
great party was totally prescribed from our ma
tional councils a thing of elaborate, secret, noe
turnal connection With what face can those
who prescribe competent natives talk about the
prescription of foreigners. tho vast majority of
whom are VIGOROUSLY unfit for public office =
Truly may it be said that the faces of some poll
tcians are coated with brass.
The American party of Virginia announces in
its Cd principle what may be considered tho crown
ing glory of the Order. 1t proposes to deny to
AUHdtuTUtt-cu IOAtitJtAOiS 'ho '''S'i''
until they have resided within the United
States sufficient length of time to enable them
to become acquainted with the principles and
imbued with the spirit of our institutions" Is
rot this both right and espedent
The fair men of both the old parties must ad
init that the country which is of more impor-
lance than any party, has been, and is being,
seriously injured by the facilities offerd by our
present naturalization laws, as well as by habit
ual frauds upon the law itself. In the infancy
of our republic,we needed immigration, and that
which came of the better sort: but now
we have grown populous aud certainly do not
need the dregs of Europe to teach us liberty
The foreigners are coming in numbers and in
quality, as they never came before. In tho year
1854, nearly half million of raw foreigners
landed on our shores. The immigration, great
as it is, is increasing-not in an arithmetica but
in geomctrcal ratio. In 1882, the foreign vote
was not over $4,000 only 90 years after, it was
$4,000, having multiplied itself than
twelve times. 1t has come to this, that we must
nop check the increase of foreign political power.
or else, at no distant day, it will master as. 1t
is better to meet the enemy promptly at the
door, than to let him in and try to get him out
again The increase in foreign population last
wear was more than one half Of the whole increase
from 1880 to 1910. 1t is not merely that the
foreign tide is continuous and of increasing vol.
ume; it is sapping and deterioratng our republi-
can fabric. After years of foreign subserviency
a spirit of resistance has been aroused which will
not, which cannot which ought not to be allay
ed until the hour of triumph. We feel that our
r. Hou h.