Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-12
NUMBER 152.
From the Lynchburg yirginian.
The American Party Ofyirginia.

Il w HiV III tHo iHiust uut OIiiy OI al animated
campaign, but Of great moral revolution. How.
ever our people may differ, in this they all agree,
that we are In crisis not merely of parties but
what Is OF far more Importance, of the country.
| NO studious observer OF affairs deny or doubt
that our State has been much misgoverned, espe-
cially OF late years. Our Executives and Legsla-
lures have not fulfilled the just expectations Of the
people. The great questions Of our State policy
| have been made subordinate to profitless discus
sions of defunct Federal issues Log-rolling has
usurped the place Of fair legislation. Instead Of
| opening a few central highways to connect the
! great rivers OF the West with the Chesapeake and
treating them as works Of paramount importance,
the Legislature has squandered our treasure on
works Of local character and doubtful expediency.
Our state credit is in disrepute, and our finances In
disorder, needing for their restoration men Of alb
solute 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
the American party supply this wantp We shall
endeayor to show that it does II proposes to
change the men and the policy which have been
governing the State to stop, as far as possible
the twaddle on questions dead and buried to meet
the practical and living issues OF the day, and to
accomplish actual good.
The Winchester platform presents the basis
principles of the new party. II Is not drawn with
reference to attitudes and longitudes not to cover
| under general and ambiguous terms, all opinion
and all shades of opinion. It is honestly drawn:
and is "as clear as the milky way across the
| heavens"
IL Is thoroughly American. Il discriminates be-
tween the American and foreigner, and wisely pre-
fers the former in the distribution of political
power. 1t maintains the pelcy of Americans ru-
ling America, on the ground that those born and
| reared under the influence of our institutions
would be more apt to understand and maintain
them II asks for no amendment either Of the
United States Constitution, or that of Virginia
Both of those instruments already exclude foreign
ers from certain offices. While it seeks not to
make this principle constitutionally mandatory,
farther than 1t already s IL presents il to the people
of Virginia as useful rule in the selection of of
ce-holdcrs. In no sense does it ask for an er most
facfo law It does not divest the naturalized for
egner ofa single vested right. He has still all the
civil rights which natives possess. The courts of
justice are open to protect him in life, limb repu-
tation, and property. Has he any right to COM
plain, because portion of our people think that
our political administrations ought to be confined I'd
nativess Assuredly not
The American party, while not desiring to i'm
pose constitutional obligation their opponents,
think they would act wisely If they also made the
winchester basis principles their rules of action.
Our Virginia constitution makes foreigner in
eligible to the Office Of Governor. Who contends
that this is in conflict with our Bill OF Rghtss
Have not Americans the same right to prefer ma
tives for office that the old parties had to prefer
their respective membersg Was not the last ger
rymander of Virginia, by which great party was
totally prescribed from our national councils,
thing of elaborate, secret nocturnal connection?
With what face can those who prescribe cornpe-
tent natives talk about the prescription Of foreign
ers, the vast majority Of whom notoriously un-
ht for public Officer Truly may Il be said that the
faces Of some politicians are coated with brass.
The American party of Virginia announces in It's
I'd principle what may be considered the crowning
glory Of the Order. 1t proposes to deny to un.
cent engh q time to enable them io bssome &C.
iquainted with the principles and imbued with the
spirit Of our institutions Is not this both right
sRd expedentg
= The fair men Of both the old parties must ad-
init that the co-ntry which is Of more Importance
slsan any party, has been and is being, seriously
injured by the facilities offered by present nat
uralization laws, as well as by habitua frauds upon
the law itself In the infancy of our republic, we
needed immigration, and that which came was Of
the better sort but now we have grown populous
and 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 the year 1854, nearly half million Of for
eigners landed on our shores. The immigration,
great as Il Is, Is increasng-not In arithmetcal
but In geometrical ratio. In 1889 the foreign
vote was not over $4,000 only 30 years after, ID
1000, having multiplied itself more than twelve
times. II has come TO this, that we must now
check the increase Of foreign political power or else
at no distant day, II viii master us. IL Is better
TO meet the enemy promptly at the door, than 70 let
him In and try 10 get him out again. The increase
In foreign population last year was more than one
half Of the whole increase from 1880 to 1910. Ii
Is not merely that the foreign tide is continuous
and of increasing volume; IL Is sapping and de-
teriorating our republican fabric. After years Of
4 IA l-.l
aroused which win not which cannot, which ought
not TO be allayed until the hour Of triumph. W.
feel that our feet on our native heather. Hay.
ing the spirit of true Americans, we win not with
out struggle, be deprived Of our noble heritage,
nor bow 10 the throne OF foreign power.
The Winchester platform nsks for Legislation to
prevent tho ails and pauper-houses Of Europe from
being emptied upon US. II IL the policy OF for.
egn despots 10 cast on us their refuge population.
They hope 10 destroy our FREQ institutions by dete-
riorsting them with their own base alloy.
The fourth principle Of the platform Is In the
teeth Of Sewardism, as well as OF Jesuitical Ro-
manisn. II opposes the higher-lawn doctrines,
whethcr els Atlantic or transatlantic. The Ameri
can order, In warning against intolerance, Is not
intolerant; In opposing those who would prscti-
cally bring about union Of Church and State, do
they become advocates Of such unionf There is
no intcntion 10 disturb the Catholic In his worship,
be Il ever 20 superstitious. The American platform
excludes him from Office and Office alone, because
HE tencts are believed TO bind him to foreign or
domestic ecclesiastics, by an allegiance paramount
20 the fundamental law.
In the great Atlantic citics recently imported
foreigners are the raw material, out Of which ira.
ding politicians manufacture Incompetent voters.
They are bought and sold like cattle In the sham
bles The impulsive and impressibe Irish, the
| 6ckie and thoughtless French, the in6del and
ciaisfic German nov come, In mighty throngs, and
exercise suffrage sfer short residence, before they
have unlesrped old errors and acquired new and
juster ideas of constitutional liberty. IL win be for
an American Congress 10 AZ the term Of residence
which shall be prerequisite 10 suffrage. A natives
have 10 reside In their own country twenty-one
years before voting, Foreigners have no right to
complain n they shall be required 10 wait long.
They have no natural right 20 vote here II they
| bad, the present naturalization law would be a
breach OF n.
| The American party deals not with defunct cues.
tions Il grspples with the living issues Of the day
II cnoins that the old questions which formerly di.
vded parties shall be made subordinate 20 the great
American pripciplcs promulgated In lie platform.