Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-07-30
r hScpn.tifu''.nts

Having been eected to the Legis
lature upon tha nomination OF tn.
American peoitN,, it isawith much re
gret that i tindHt Inconsistent will
my principles Of political action t
support either the creed or the can
didate Of that party at the ensuing
Presidential election
In doing so / mean no disrespecl
to those who compose that party
l consider the immediate, objects ofiti
organizations vindicated. The neces
sity for some reform in the laws .ot
naturalization and aleu- suffrage is &C.
knowledged, The alleged hostility
of the American party to a particu,
lar religions persuasion has been re,
solved INTO the indisputable principle;
that no one who ayows allegiance to
any law higher the Federal and State
Constitutions, each within its proper
jurisdiction, is fit for politicali trust
The obnoxious obligation Of secrecy
has Been abolished. 49,
But another important agency was
expected iromthe American party, tc
-whichit has, ! regret to say, proved
wholly inadequate, and it is this dis,
appointment which has rendered my
opinion, . matter ofpublic duty \
Regarding the question of slavery
as paramount to all others before the
American people, satisfied that the
Wing party Of the North had fused
with the Free-soilers, and that the
Democratic party was paralysed BY
its own dissel,sions, ] had, with many
others, sought in the American par.
ty a love, Of Union, a fraternal atfec.
tion,. and a national pride, which
should reconcile and quiet forever the
differences existing amongst us 4:
The first national action Of this
party encouraged the hope that il
would realize this patriotic expecta-
ton. 1t ANNOUNCED in June, 1855,
that it would maintain the existing
legislationnpon the subject ofslaverg
as a settlement Of the question. I'm
dcrthis declaration some thirty-three
members Of Congress were elected BY
the American party in the Southern
States. Hill f..# N .~..
In February, 1856, this policy was
changed. The pledge to maintain
existing legislation was substituted
by a creed in which not only the sub
ject, but the name Of slaveryis care
fully ignored. The guarantee for the
admission of newiSlave States, speci-
fically given by the declaration Of
1855, is replaced by an article. which
recognizes the right of the legal cit.
liens of a territory ''to frame Their
constitution and laws, and to regu.
late their own domestic and social
affairs in their own mode, subject on.
ly to"-the Wilmot Proviso-or1 ''the
provisions Of the Federal Constitu,
ton" which last phrase, under the
Interpretation ofthe dominant MAORI:
ty iii Congress, means precisely the
same thing! With this restriction
the privilege" Of admission into the
Union is granted IT'D the Territorial
State wherever it shalit.have the re
quisite popplationifo for onerrepresenta.
tive in Congress.
At the same time, upon the same
principle ofneutrality, the American
party nominated for its candidate 6
gentleman ofintegrity and patriotism
but it did not require him to say
whether hewould, if elected, veto {
bill restoring the Missouri restriction
or repeating the Kansas act. Those
who have regarded the pending ques
tion too important to be left in doubI
have been informed that the nominee
is Platform enough, Z and that hi
past official acts afford. a sufficient as
surance Of his future. Taking hi.
signature of the Compromise Of 1850
as the mostIprominent of these acts
we encounter insurmountable Difficult
ties Of construction. The friends O
the Kansas act contend that it is {
Legitimate deduction from the com
promise Of 1850, but thousands whit
advocated that compromise asser,
that the Kansas act is a fragrant VIC
lation Of that measure. IF the infer
ence that the Kansas act resulted from
the compromise Is inevitable, ther,
could be no controversy upon the sub
#ject. But there is q radical difference
upon this subject; therefore the DO
sition of the American nominee up
on this question is doubtful, and those
who are disposed to support him NAV
without impugning his integrity, ash
his construction upon the consistenc,
of the Kansas act with the Compro
mise of1S50, and whether it is hi.
purpose to maintain or repeal it,.
Until some such declaration shall b
make, the Americans Of the South arr
wholly without Assurance against th.