Daily American organ., 1856-02-29
The Platform.

The Platform.
The Washington Union of Thursday morn
ing assais the American platform, maintaining
that the Tth section is declaration Of opposi-
ton to the admission Of Kansas as a slave State,
whilst the existing law organizing that Terri
tory remains in force The Union says:
"a hasty perusal Of this section might make the
impression that it pledges the American party to
the admission of Kansas as State, whether her
constitution recognise or prohibit slavery whenev-
er tho Territory has the requisite population for
one member in Congress. Upon more careful
sitting of the language, however, 1t will be found
to be virtual declaration against admitting Kan
sas State so long as the existing law organizing
the Territory remains in force Whilst the Repub-
licans oppose the admission OF Kansas 30 long as
she may apply with constitution recognising sla-
very, land this point is permitted in the foregoing
section,) the Americans pledge themselves to op-
pose 1t 80 long as unnaturalized persons shall be
allowed to vote. The right of framing and regula-
ting their domestic and social affairs in Kansas,
recognised by the Convention, is confined to ma
tiye-b born and naturalized citizens These are re-
cognised as having right of admission into the
Union as a State. But when we turn to the or
ganic law of the Territory Of Kansas we find that
unnaturaized persons who have declared on oath
their intention to become citizens, and who have
taken an oath to support the United States Con-
stitution and the provisions of the Kansas act are
entitled to participate in framing and regulating
their domestic and social affairs. The twenty-thrd
section of the Kansas act is as follows:
90 Every free white male inhabitant above the
age Of twenty one years, who shall be an actual
resident of said Territory, and shall possess the
qualifications hereafter prescribed, shall be enti-
tied to vote ar the first election, and shall be eli
sible to any Office within the said Territory; but
fha aEG ~ nf and of haldipu office
at all subsequent elections, shall be such as shall
be prescribed by the legislative assembly: Provi-
dod, That the right of suffrage and of holding Of
fee shall be exercised only by citizens of the United
States, and those who shall have declared on oath
their intention to become such, and shall haYe ia
ken an oath to support the constitution of the
United States and the provisions of this act !"
The 7th section of the American platform is
clear and distinct in affirming that the perma-
nent citizens of the Territories may regulate,
in their own mode, their own domestic affairs.
1t reads thus
"7. The recognition of the right of the native
born and naturalized citizens of the United States
permanently residing in any Territory thereof to
frame their constitution and laws, and to regulate
their domestic and social affairs in their own mode
subject only to the provisions of the Federal Con-
stitutor with the right of admission into the Union
whenever they haye the requisite population for
one representative in Congress: Provided, alaoayS,
That none but those who citizens of the United
States, under the constitution and laws thereof,
and who have fixed residence in any such Terri
tory, ought to participate in the formation of the
constitution, or in the enactment of laws for said
Territory or State"
This section embraces the principles of the
Clayton amendment to the Kansas and Nebras-
ka bill, which was adopted by the Senate, and
stricken out in the House, at the time that act
was passed, and it conforms to the spirit and
meaning of the act of Naturalization now in
force.
The "squatter sovereignty" principle con-
tanned in the Kansas and Nebraska act is re-
pudiated by the 7th section of the platform,
and the principle of citizen sororeignty is sub
stituted in its place. If there be those who
desire to inaugurate the era of "squatter SOW
ereignty," by reducing the term of probation
for aliens to single hour, and allowing the
cast-of hordes of European prisons and aims
houses to take possession Of Office and power
in the United States, let such men keep aloof
from the American party, and join themselves
to the Anti American forces of this administra-
tion.
Those who favor the doctrine of squatter
sovereignty" and who would allow aliens to
become American citizens the first day of their
arrival upon American sol, those demagogues
who, for the sake Of personal promotion, would
embrace the felons and paupers of the Old
World, as worthy of the heritage left us by
our revolutionary fathers, are privileged to
cavil and carp at the conservative doctrines of
the American platform. If their influence does
not far exceed their patriotism and merit, they
viii fall shot Of effecting their ignoble pur-
poses