Daily American organ., 1856-03-03
The Washington Union.

The Washington Union.
In recent number of the above-named sheet,
its editors assail the platform OF the American
party. assuming that the nationality contained
in the original platform, of June, 1855, has not
been preserved in the present platform, recent
" adopted by the National Council That
press but simply performs its wonted task in
its assaults upon the action of the National
Council, and in its efforts to create an impres-
sion with the Southern people, that the Amer
lean party has ceased to be national. Its as
sumptions are false and untenable. The Amer
lean party has more distinctly defined its posi-
tions in the present than in the original plat
form, and more emphatically announced its
nationality.
In doing this, it has employed language and
used terms susceptible of but one construction,
language and terms comprehending full and
perfect recognition of the rights of the South,
and yet unobjectionable to any one conserva-
tive man in the nation.
The Washington Union carps at the plat
form, because it does not declare "that Con-
gress possesses no power under the constitu-
ton to legislate upon slavery in the States" ;"
That press is wilfully blind to the declarations
contained in the 9th section Of the platform,
which section maintains "non-interference by
Congress with questions appertaining solely to
the individual States"
If we understand the meaning of the Ian
guage, this section denounces all intervention
by Congress with questions" appertaining to
the individual States, and assuredly slavery is
the most prominent Of all such questions,
The Union is forced to admit that there is
something "approximating to nationality " in
the 7th section. "Approximating to nationali-
ty" indeed This section distinctly and en-
phatically. lays down and enforces the true doc
trine of citizen sovereignty in the Territories,
whilst it gets rid of the ''squatter sovereignty"
feature Of the Kansas Nebraska act We feel
assured that every Southern man and every ma.
tional man at the North, will not only cheer,
fully but heartily endorse the provisions of the
7th section. -...
The great contest which for months past, has
been waged between the North and South, has
grown out of the Kansas Nebraska bilL One
prominent provision Of that bill, to wit the
admission Of aliens to vote and hold office with
out naturalization, is odious to all Americans
North and South. That provision is not only
anti-Amerioan, but it is repugnant to the feel
ings and principles of all conservatives for the
further reason, that it inaugurates the doctrine
of "squatter sovereignty" The 7th section of
the American platform destroys "squatter SOW
creignty," and substitutes citizen sovereignty
in its place. There is not conservative man
North or South who will not rejoice at this
important change.
Let this 7th section become fixed political
principle Of action and legislation and the
agitation of slavery must cease, and harmony
will be restored to the country. If maintained
noW, and enforced by the American party, it
becomes cardinal maxim in national legisla-
ton, and can never be overthrown New
York, New Jersey, Delaware, California, Mi
chigan, and Wisconsin, all free States, sus-
tanned this provision in the National Council,
whilst Massachusetts,, Rhode Island, Pennsyl-
vania, Indiana, and Illinois were about equally
divided upon it. Not one of these States could
stand upon the 18th section of the original
platform, and yet all Of them can without
difficulty, and doubtless wiu maintain the pre-
sent platform, nor are we without hope that
even Ohio, now in the hands of ultraists will
ere long assume the conservative position taken
in the platform.
We say, then, that the present platform rec
ognises the rights of each of the sovereign
States 1T maintains "non-intervention on
questions appertaining to the individual
States ut asserts the true American doctrine
in relation to the Territories--it is national and
conservative in all its provisions, and is not
obnoxious to any well-founded objection from
any quarter.
The Republicans of the North and North
west oppose this platform, and in this they act
in harmony and concert with the anti-Ameri-
can party in power, and it is far from being
improbable that they will continue to act in
concert, till both shall sink together into the
same political grave.
Washington Monument.