The true Democrat., 1856-06-10
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. TUESDAY
JUNE. 1855.
JU NE, 1855. Platform of the American Party. THE PLATFORM AND PRINCIPLES OF THE oR-
 GANIZATION.

ANIMATION. n L-The acknowledgment of that Almisht, o Being, who rules over the universe, who pre- sides over the councils of natons,-who con dncts the affairs of men, and who, in every e z step by which we have advanced to the char : acter of an independent nation, has dstin guished us by some token of providentia 0 agency. 3 1.-The cultivation and development of q , sentiment of profoundly intense American feel ing; of passionate attachment to our country Its history and its institutions; of admiration for the purer days of our national existence of veneration, for the heroism that precipita. ted our revolution; and of emulation of the virtue, wisdom, and patriotism that framed ou, constitution and first successfully applied its provisions.
 I1I.-The maintainance of the union of these ! United States as the paramount political good; or, to use the language of Washington, "the [ primary object of. patriotic desire.'' And hence:-
 lst. Opposition to all attempts to weaken or subvert it.
 I'd. Uncompromsing antagonis,n to every principle of policy that endangers it. Sd. The advocacy of an equitable adjust ment of all political differences which threaten its integrity or perpetuty.
 4th. The suppression of all tendencies to political division, founded on geographical discrimination, or on the belief that there is a real difference of interest and views" between the various sections of the Union.
 9th. The full recognition of the rights of the several States, as expressed and reserved Tn the constitution; and careful avoidance. by the general government, of all interference with their rights by legislative or executive action.
 W.-Obedence to the constitution of these United States, as the supreme law of the land, sacredly obligatory upon all its parts and mem bers, and steadfast resistance to the spirit of innovation upon it's principles, however spe- clous the pretexts. Avowng that in all doubt ful or disputed points it may only be legally ascertained and expounded by the judicial power of the United States
 And, as corollary to the above:--
 l. A habit of reverential obedience to the laws, whether national, state, or municipal, until they are either repealed or declared un- constitutional by the proper authority
 Z tender and sacred regard for those acts of statesmanship which are to be contra-dis- tinguished from acts of ordinary legislation, by the fact of their being of the nature of com pacts and agreements; and so to be considered | uAeu anu SeUClCU naCOnal pOllCy, VA radical revision and modification of the laws regulating immigration, and the set clement of immigrants. Offering to the hon. est immigrant who, from love of liberty or hatred of oppression seeks an asylum in the United States, a friendly reception and pro- lection. But unqualifedly condemning the transmission to our shores, of felons and paul. pers.
 VI.-The essential modification of the na- turalization laws.
 The repeal by the Legislatures of the respec tive States, of all State laws allowing foreign CTS, not naturalized, to vote.
 The repeal, without retroactive operation, of all acts of Congress making grants of lands to unnaturaized foreigners, and allowing them to vote in the territories.
 Vll-Hostilty to the corrupt means by which thefeaders of party have hitherto forced upon us our rulers and our political creeds. lmpacable enmity against the prevalent demoralizing system of rewards for political subserviency, and of punshments for political independence
 Disgust for the wild hunt after office which characterizes the age.
 These on the one hand. On the other:-
 Imitation of the practice of the purer days of the republic; and admiration of the maxim that "otfice should seek the man, and not man the office," and of the rule that, the just mode of ascertainng ftnesss for office is the capabili- ty, the fathfulness and the honesty of the incumbent or candidate.
 VllI-Resstence to the aggressive policy and corrupting tendencies of the Roman Cath. ollie church in our country by the advance ment to all political statons--executive, legis- lative, judicial or diplomatic-of those only who do not hold civil allegiance, directly or indirectly, to any foreign power whether civil or ecclesiastical, and who are Americans by birth, education and training:-thus fulfilling the maxim, AMERICANS ONLY SHALL CO., vERN AMERICA"
 The protection of all citizens in the legal and proper exercise of their civil and religious rights and privileges; the maintainance of the right of every man to the full unrestrained and peaceful enjoyment of his own religious opinions and worship and jealous resistance of all attempts by any sect, denomination or church to obtain an ascendency over any oth- CT in the State, by means of any special privi- leges or exemption, by any political combina- ton of it's members, or by division of their civil allegiance with any foreign power, poten- tate or ecclesastlc.
 IX.-The reformation of the character of our national legislature. by elevating to that digniied and responsible position men of high CT qualifications, purer morals and more unsel fish patriotism.
 X.--The restriction of executive patronage, especially in the matter of appointments to otfice-so far as 1t may be permitted by the con- stitution, and consistent with the public good. XL--The education of the youth of our country in schools provided by the State; which schools shall be common to all, without distinction of creed or party, and free from any influence or direction of denominational or partizan character.
 And, inasmuch as christianity by the con- stitutions of nearly all the States; by the de- cisions of the most eminent judicial author- ties; and by the consent of the people of Amer ica, is considered an element of our political system, and as the Holy Bible is at once the source of christianity, and the depository and fountain of all civil and religious freedom, we oppose every attempt to exclude it from the schools thus established in the States.
 X1I.-The American party having arisen upon the ruins and in spite of the opposition of the whig and democratic parties, cannot be held in any manner responsible for the ob- poxious acts and violated pledges of either.- And the systematic agitation of the slavery question by those parties having elevated sec tlonal hostility into positive element of po- litical power and brought our institutions in- to peril, it has therefore become the imperative duty of the American party to interpose for the purpose of giving peace to the country and perpetuity to the Union. And as experience has shown it impossible to reconcile opinions so extreme as those which separate the dispu- tants, and as there can be no dishonor in sub hitting to the laws, the national council has deemed it the best guarantee of common jus tce and of future peace, to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon the subject of slavery, as final and conclusive settlement of that subject in spirit and in substance.
 And regarding it the highest duty to avow their opinions upon a subject so important, in distinct and unequivocal terms, it is hereby declared as the sense of this national council, that Congress possesses no power, under the ] constitution, to legislate upon the subject of slavery in the States where it does or may ex- ist, or to exclude any State from admission