Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-21
Georgia Platform.

The American party Of Georgia, in convention as
sembled, adopt the following platform of princi-
pies
l. The maintenance of this Union of co-equal
sovereign States, as our fathers made it, as the
paramount political good--paramount in its adapt
alton to the security OF our rights and the happi-
ness Of our people.
.. The means by which we propose to maintain
this is obedience TO the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, and all laws passed in pursuance there
Of, as sacredly obligatory upon individuals and
States
3. We regard the great doctrines of religious
liberty and the separation of Church and State as
cardinal principles of our government--as well set
tied and as firmly established as the right Of trial
by jury and the writ Of bdJeas corpus, and there
fore we viii oppose the elevation to Office of any
| and all persons who deny the great American doc
trnes OF liberty and conscience, or who favor the
union of Church and State, or who recognise any
civil allegiance to any foreign power, prince or
potentate, whatever.
a. The purity of the baIot-box-the peaceful
administration Of our laws-the safety of our peo-
ple--the integrity of our government--the excla-
sloR of pauper and criminal immigration, and the
enforcement Of our neutrality laws, demand in
our opinion, material modification of our natu-
ralization laws and radical revision of our immi-
grafton laws. BY this VIC do not seek to disturb,
in any manner, the privileges of those of our for
eign.born citizens who's are naturalized under our
existing laws, and we wish all Of them who agree
to our principles to become members of the Amer
ican party. aI n.
5. The Territories of the United States we re-
gard as the common property Of all the States as
co-equal sovereignties, and such open to settle
ment by the citizens Of the States with their pro-
perty as matter of right and that no power re-
sides either in Congress the Territorial Legisla-
ture, or the people of the Territories while Ter
ritory, to exclude from settlement in any Territory
any portion Of the citizens of this republic with
their property legally held in the States from which
they emigrate. We repudlate therefore, the doc
trine commonly called squatter sovereignty in the
Territories. # aa HEE
6. The right to vote is a privilege of citizenship,
and should not be extended to foreign emigrants
to Territory before they are naturalized.
Z. The agitation of the subject of slavery should
cease. The rights of the South are plain, palpa-
BILE, well defined, and understood, and we believe
they should not longer be treated as open ques-
tions. We win maintain our guaranteed constitu-
tional rights, and our right of property in slaves
Georgia has solemnly declared what she will re-.
gard as future grievances on this subject, and what
her remedy will be when these grievances shall
be inflicted. We will stand by the Georgia plat
form. We believe the continuous agitation of this
subject is made by selfish politicians for personal
and party promotion and is hurtful to the South,
the institution Of slavery, and the permanency OF
the Union.
8. RESOLVED, That this convention now proceed
to select delegates to National Convention Of the
American party; and We recommend that said
convention assemble after the first Of May at such
time and place as shall be agreed on, and REFER
our part, the time and place of assembling to the
President Of this Convention, and our two mem
bers in Congress. And the American party of
Georgia urgently invite all national men every
where without distinction of old party lines--who
are in favor of the maintenance of the Union by
obedience to the constitution and the enforcement
of the laws, to meet with US in that convention.
o. We instruct our delegates TO the National
Convention to insist upon the adoption of the fore
going principles in spirit and substance before GO
ing into a nomination and that the nominees be
pledged to carry out the same in the administra-
ton Of the government and the appointments to