Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-07-12
WHOLE NO. 522.

-. "'' "'i'"'ou une violence OF their mallg-
In the equally vain hope of moIfvino he ba.
treu OF the homish Church, and Of SATISFYING tho
croaking conseientiousness Of lukewarm friends
one or our cardinal princi les q mean resistance
TO the aggressions of the Romish hierarchy has
been so diluted, that like Douglass Kansas bin Il
is construed one, way in one section, and another
in another. In addition to this, other issues. ex
traneous to the objects and purposes Of the order
have been added from time to tme--dhering in
different sections to enable local politicians TO save
themselve at home regardless of the effect upon
the general good of the order, as a national o.
gdnization. And it has turned out that many who
aided IN originating this great movement--many
who fought for IL with might and main. In the
days OF its pristine purity-fnd themselves left
lar IN the rear and that they have become objects
OF denunciation and abuse by those who have tIus
trayestied its simple and fair lneaments who held
aloof from II in the weakness of its infancy. but
who rushed to its embrace in the strength OF its
manhood!
foresaw the dangers which beset us and pre-
dicted the consequences at the Philadelphia Con
venton In June, 1856, then discovered a grow
ing disposition to try and conciiate the adhcrents
OF the Romish Church in certain States, by aba
ting the stringency OF our opposition to the dan
gerous assumptions of Papacy, and warned our.
friends, that If this was done it would not only be
compromise OF great principle; but that, whilst
1t would fail to appease the bitter hatred of Roman
ism, it would lose US the confidence OF the rural
population, whose resistance TO Popery was ner-
haps the strongest element in their attachment TO
American principles. there Witnessed struggle
between the Northern and Southern delegates "a
to who should obtain triumph, in fitting in the
slavery plank of the platform. For myself |
wanted no such plank in it. used every effort
in my power to prevent its insertion. | saw
plainly that when the American party had to walk
that plank" it would do SO to its sorrow-6rst,
because the question Of slavery was cxtraneous to
the aims and ends OF our organization; secondly
because, from the very inherent nature of the
ord:r, it could accomplish its mission only "a
national party, embracing true-hcarted Americans
Of every shade of opinion on the other and minor
questions, undivided and undstracted by sectional
or local issues.
did not wish to see the American party usno
the question of slavery agitation, as an election.
eering hobby-as the anti-A american party il doing.
laying down platform to be construed as ami.
slavery in one section, and pro-slayery in another
And even If | had wished it, knew very wcll
that with the materials of which the American
party was composed, no such game could be sue
cessfully played out. 1t will be recollected H.
many that then warned my Southern friends.
that even it they could succeed in obtaining the
strongest pro-slavery platform they might desire.
yet, If thereby disruption Of the order followed
Gas feared, believed and predicted would bc the
case) with the loss Of national unity we should
lose the talisman OF our strength. then told
them that the loss OF harmony and concert Of ar.
tion would weaken US far more, than the pltIortn
would strengthen us even in the South.
But other counseIs than mine and those WHO
concurred with me prevailed. The slavery oues
ton was interpolated upon the three "poiutsp
pure and simple" Ito use phrase of late E,
ropear diplomacy )--repudation of that po,tiot, of
the platfrom did follow in most of the Northern
State Councils-the Southern elections durino tia
summer and fall of 90 showed who was RIGHT ma
who was wrong--and we are now reapinr The b;t
ter fruits of our dssensions on the subject of aIa
very. y. ..a. .
/ am now, as have ever been, since the frat
inception of the American movement an Au,at;
can of the original type. Others may alter or mod.
ify their creed as they choose but for myseIe
will admit the statue OF no other foreign Deity in
my political Pantheon, till the great problem Il
solved, whether our country is to be controlled
and governed by the American people or by a pin
bald rabble from other lands--whethcr we are to
enjoy Protestant freedom of conscience, or wl,etb
er we arc to bow in ahject slavery to the bebpsts
OF Rome--whether the Union is to be preserved
or undermined by faction. 'T'is true, have NV
opinions on the various questions growing out Of
slavery, as firm and fixed as any man in the land.
but do not intend to allow these opinions 10 IN.
terfere with my support of or mar INV attachment
to, the higher and nobler ends of Americanism /
am willing to recognise, to counsel with. and 10
act with, any and every man, in the maintenance
and support OF American principles no matter
what may be his opinions on the subject of slavery
prooaded ne is willing to subordinate those opin.
ions, as am mine, to the three great cardinal
principles OF Americanism. Any man. either North
or South, who holds his views on slavery as frat
and foremost, and who sustains American pripci.
piles as ancilary only to the carrying out his pecu
liar sentiments on the subject of slavery. either
pro or con, is not reliable dDaerican and if
ever the country is saved from foreign influence,
Romish aggression, and the horrors OF disunion. Il
will not be through his aid or instrumentalty.
Entertaining these views have, from the be
ginning, exerted all my humble influence To pre
serve harmony and concert OF action in tho
American party, to suppress discord, and to keen
our forces united Tor the great struggle before MS
we nave not only to combat foreign domination.
Papal tyranny, and disunionism, but we have ~
contend with party which has openly allied itseIf
with the two former, and which encouraoes the
latter oy the bestowal of place aud profit on its
advocates In order to our success, oil the eIe-
ments OF opposition should be united. Our dissen
sions on the subject of slavery only inure to the
dement, Oh this same party, which has the assurance
TO call itself Democratic; which manages to use
slavery agitation an element Of strength; which
assemblies notorious Free-soiIers and rampant
Fire-eaters at the same council-board which
procaims the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise
to be in aid of slavery at one end of the country
and in favor of freedom at the other; whose late
platform at Cincinnati, fixed up to gull the South.
was " swallowed" by those who intended TO 'puke
il up again" (see Mr. Benton's late speech at 81.
Louis . whose antecedents prove that its mana.
gers and wire-workers are ready to sell the Soutb
to the North to-day, or the North to the South to-
morrow as viii best enable them to hold on 10 the
spolis oil office. IL they can combine, without re
gard 10 their variant views on the question of sla-