Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-06-08
PLAN OF ORGANIZATIONS

PLAN OF ORGANIZATION
heSofTed, That upon the adjournment of this
Present Nsuonai Council the same stand adjourned
until called together as hereinafter provideS
ResOlUed, That the American party in each State
ana Territory and in the District of Columbia he
authorized to adopt such plans of organization as
'hey respectively may think best suited to the views
tiles. " eioi 'O00i'
heSoSved That the President of this Council be
authoHzrd to select National Central Committee,
composed oil thirteen members, OF whom i've shall
constitute quorum, who shall select chairman
au correspond with the authorized Representatives
VI Tue American party throughout the United
states, and call together this National Council at
sucn TIME and place as they may think proper.
ADDRESS.
Called by the passing away of another year to
meet the members of the American party in Ma
tiOnal Council, the occasion demands re-sfirma-
ton OF our opinions. We are ready to-day a,
aforetime to give reason for the faith that is in
u.s. and as ready to-day before to stand fast
| by our vows OF devotion to our whole country.
Neither dismayed by defeat nor disheartened by
pposition-neither discouraged by the past, nor
without hope for the future-we meet together
| both to counsel one with another, and to show to
the people of the United States by our presence
and our numbers here in open convention that as a
party we hopeful and determined as to our f.
ture course of action.
The dominant party at the North and the domi-
nant party at the South, by appeals made to
tiOns of country and the passions of the day,
temporarily successful But temporary triumph
| is no evidence of permanent success. Nor does a
victory secured by passion give evidence of true
attachment to principle. A true soldier will never
be disheartened in sustaining good cause because
| al one many defeats.
The Dine hundred thousand American voters who
sustained the American candidates for the two first
Offices in the gift of the people in November last
ma yenioy the consciousness Of an honest work well
meant and well done. They neither counted the
cost of defeat nor faltered in the discharge of a
! great public duty, and had the thousands of men
who agreed with them in opinion as to the iustic
OF their principles and the fitness of their candi-
| dates acted upon the same convictions of public
duty, the result would have been far different At
the North, tens of thousands voted for Mr. Fremont
| upon the plea that there no chance for Nj.
| Fillmore, while tens of thousands voted for Mr.
| Buchanan at the South upon the plea that vote
| for Mr.. Fillmore would secure the election Of the
| candidates of the miscaled Republican party. 1t
was cruel and uncalled.for sacrifice of principle
upon the altar of expediency, and one of those
ri6ces Of principle which, if persisted in in private
| fe as is sometimes the case, in the consideration
|
common disaster. When patriotism becomes the
rule of action and true love Of country points
out the path of duty, nothing excuse the yield
| ing up Of that which is right for that which ls
merely expedlent
We do not, however, seek to recall anything in
the past calculated to wound the feelings of those
who were tempted in amOment of dependency or
essness to forget their obligations to their
| country or their associates in princp
| i. Ia
| drawn away by the temporary expedients and pas
sions of the hour have returned TO the fold of the
American party. They have been taught in the
bitter school of experince that the word of promise
| may be made to the ear and broken to the hope.
! Where there pledge to secure, and the power
! to effect pure ballot-box-the want of which is
one of the great evils of the times-and TO accom-
bsh which ought to unite the good men Of all par
ties-there has been either criminal indifference
to the evil itself or a bold participation in that
wrong. So in the promises made at the North to
| secure a pure franchise through the agency OF a
! registry law, where all could see and know who,
under the constitution and by the laws, were enti-
! ed to vote.
In no instance that we can recall to mind have
either OF the two great organizations opposed to the
American party endeaVored to secure those whole
some reforms which essential either to an intel
igent or honest exercise of the rights of franchise
|
York, to secure practical reform under the natu'
ralizttion laws, so that, while the clause would no
extend the five years residence previous to natural
| izaton provided by the laws OF the UHIted States
! would nevertheless, secure a small portion OF thi
limited residence before the alien allowed l.
vote, the attempt has failed by the combined OppC
sition of both the Democratic and Republican pa
ties, who not unirequently work together at th
North to destroy the American organization. An
| a.. Hain
franchise for white voters, and open and earnes
opposition to all reforms, proposing simply remedi,
measures for admitted great public evils, there b.
also been enacted in New York a successful mea
ure looking to such an amendment OF the COnstltu
ton as would secure a general system Of sufrdg
to the negroes OF the State Thus in one part {
the Union a State Constitution is opened to sustdi
the question of negro suffrage, while in another pa
Of the Union the alien has had conferred upon hi
privileges wholly unknown to the native-born CIT
zen. To-day, foreign pauper foreign Grim
nal driven or banished from the pest or prison hOr
SEES OF Europe, is made in all things, and regardle,
of his residence in the country, equal with ii
citizen whose service has been lifelong patriotic
and useful in the land Of his birth. Tomorrow
again, States in another section Of the country b,
come revolutionary in their plans OF opposition (,
the Federal Government, ana exhaust their patrio
ism and labor in measures of mere speciality al
favor for the negro.
We seek to avoid such anomalies of legislation
both our Federal and State governments. The
tendency Is neither toward humanity nor mercy
They benefit neither the white nor the black
and, whether well meant or i'll meant result in tia
spirit OF strife and unchartableness in differeu
States aud among different classes of people whic
the true men of the country cannot fail to deplor,
Higher aims and nobler objects animate th
American party. We know of no political difereI
| kat nf fb nd tha r;fyhf
of the South. All are subordinate to the consttu
ton of our common country. The union of tn
States the rights OF the States the privileges OF e.
people in the States, aud under the UniUn, is GU,
chief glory and our greatest good. When differel
ces of opinion come, as come they will, they mus
be settled, not by elimination and hate, but by
erence TO that great principle of common right an
common protectiOn-THE CONSTITUTION OF tn
UEITED STATES; aud it there snail uuortunatel
again be differences OF opinion to what is gran
ed and what is denied by the Constitution, the j,
dietary OF the land, through the authorized court
Of the nation, can alone make up and decide the
nal issue. The constitution and the law must, Their
fore, al all times aud in all places become our ru
Of action.
federation Of opinion the freedom Of speech an
OF the press the right OF the people peaceably {
assemble and petition the government for redre
Of grievances, among these specified constip
tOual personal rights, anu cannot De abridged e.
cept as the abuse of these privileges is restrain,
by the laws of the land. Equally explicit d
rights Of tie States over their own territories, al
interference with them becomes both public Abu,
Of power and all act OF personal mpertinence. J
all men, in all sections OF the country, could reai
where their powers commence, aud where tht
cesse-if they could understand that they are
more responsible for other mems sins than they al
secure in their own self assumed virtues, all YOU
be comparatively well
There are many aud vital questions upon Whc
the American party sgree, aud 10 these all 9th,
subject, should be subordinate. They are, In brie
condensed in the following spirit Of our National
Platform. We hold, fot example, as cardinal mal
inns OF public justice aud private duty to the follow
Ing rule Of faith aud action:
lsG The Federal Union must be maintained.