Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-01-03


us and TO those who may come after us, the
assurance, that here, freedom will always
be secure. -.. .... d..
1t challenges full discussion and close.
scrutiny Of its principles, and the ground Of
lis action. &is . .......
Profoundly CONVINCED Of The urgent ne.
cessily to the welfareand perpetuity Of any
Government, and, moa Of all, of one spring.
ing only from, aud resting exclusively upoT,
the consent and support of the people, thai
a spirit of.gendine and active nationality
should bsAkept constantly jealous and active;
persuaded, and fortified in this belief by the
sad and fruitful experience Of other nations,
showing that where those who are native to.
the soil do not predominant in the control Of
its affairs, the Government is ever pervert-
ed from lis original design warned by the
rapidly increasing numbers Of foreigners
nocking constantly 10 our shores, none Of
whom have ever known true freedom, and
many Of whom oonfound liberty with wild
and reckless license, while others are vi
cious paupers and fugitive criminals, Of
great impending danger; alarmed at the
great and increasing power given 10 citizens
of foreign birth by party movements and
combinations, which barter office ard power
for their aid and consulting the recorded
wisdom Of those who laid the solid iounda-
tions of our liberty, admonishing us TO avoid
these perils-thc American Party demands
a reformation, instant and radical, Of the
naturalization laws; security against the
continual influx Of foreign criminals and
paupers and requires that they, who, COM
ing from abroad, seek here an asylum
should be content to enjoy equal laws and
perfect protection, without seeking 10 ad-
minister the Government to lis destruction;,
1t does not seek to deprive any class Of
our citizens ofthe protection OF the laws;
on the contrary, it pledges its strong arm to
secure TO, and, if necessary TO defend for,
the adopted, as well as the native citizen;
the enjoyment Of every right guaranteed Ly
the Constitution and the laws. But it does
claim the right, as the exclusive privilege Of
native Americans, 10 control the Governs
rent and It's administration.
Remembering the lessons taught by thoss
who framed our Constitution, touching the.
absolute necessity of an entire separation az
Church and State; assured that such 4
union would be fatal TO the liberties Of ffioA
people; appealing 10 the unvarying testimo-.
ny Of history, to show that ecclssiasticalr
dospotsm, while it is most insidiolIs in lis
advances topower, is, Of all others, tliefnoss,
intolerable; impressed by recent events at
home and abroad, and by the opinions, avow-
cd and earnestly maintained, of some per:
sons and classes in this country, withsthe
belief that claims Of spiritual over tetapora.
authority may be made satisfied that such
claims, by whatever authority made, are ut
terly inconsistent with true freedom, and
knowing that wherever made and aoquies-
ced in, religious as well as civil liberty is at
an end-the American Party demands tbs
absolute exclusion, from office and power,
of all who hold or owe civil allegiance to any
foreign civil or ecclesiastical power, or who
seek TO secure for any sect an ascendancy
inconsistent with perfect freedom of reli-
gious opinion and action,
The American Party seeks to deny TO no
one the largest liberty, and the perfect exor-
else of religious opinion; it vindicates the
rights OF all, Of whatever sect, 10 this but
it demands the absolute divorce Of The civil
and ecclesiastical elements, and will guard
alike with jealous care against any infringe
ment of individual right, and airy encroach-
ment upon the civil BY the ecclesiastical au-
thority.
Contrasting the earlier, with the present
days Of the Governments tLe pure and stern
virtues of those who constructed and first
administered it, with the prevailing ilnpuri-
ty and corruption Of those who now, in .aaI
ny cases, attain high places and direct pub.
lie sentiment; the modest merit of thos6
days, which, with a just sense Of its respon-
sibility, declined, rather than sought office;
with the raging lust for place and power
which now characterizes all classes and all
sections of the country; md penetrated
with the conviction that the changes exhib-
tied by the contrast lead to no good, but on
ly evil results-the American Party seeks
TO restore the purer days of the Republic,
TO elevate again the standard of public vir!
tue, and to draw from the ranks of the peo-
pie, rather than from those Of the politicians;
the guardians Of their public honors and
public trusts.
Directly connecting itself with what has
gone before, another topic is suggested!