Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-13
THE AMERICAN PARTY AND AMER
ICAN PRINCIPLES.

THE An ERICAN PARTY AND AMER
ICAK PRINCIPLES.
There probably never was party that rose
SO rapidly, or fell SO suddenly as the American
party no one against which so much false
hood has been uttered, or which has been the
object ofso much and such persevering calumny
and bitter hostility. And whyS Why did it
spring into existence with such mysterious
speedf and then fall SO suddenly Because its
principles and objects conceded with the sem
| timents, feelings and wishes of the mass
of the American people, and its voice, uttered
at first in cautious whispers, lest it should
awaken the hostile thousands who bowed at
the footstool of foreign power, and acknowl-
edged the supremacy Of a foreign potentate,
! struck q responsive chord in the American
heart; because, thousands Of political adven-
turers and schemers, seeing its rising popu-
larity and strength, sprung hastily into it for
selfish and base purposes, for time apparently
I increasing its strength by swelling its num-
bers, but really weakening, by demoralizingit,
and attempting to use it for the attain
ment of their own unworthy ends. More
Judascs found their way into It, in proportion
to its numbers, than were found among the
| Apostles; and, unfortunately, their tr0achery
was more potent in mischief than the treason
Of Arnold turned out to be. Like Arnold, how,
ever, these traitors escaped to the enemy after
their treason had been consummated, there to
find promotion, though not vnaccompanicd by
that scorn and contempt which base treachery
ever brings down upon itself from all honor
able men.
The american party fell when, under the
lead of these selfish demagogues, it undertook
to grapple with a subject with which it had
nothing to do, and which has finally broken
down the Democratic, as it had already ami
hilated the Whig party. The American party
was run upon this rock by the National Ooun-
Gil, held at Philadelphia in June 1856, and its
prestige was utterly destroyed in Virginia BY
Mr.. Flournoy, its candidate for Governor, re-
fusing to go before the people and vindicate
its principles, but SLOWING Mr. Wise to have
the field and the stump all to himself, and to
utter all the calumnies and falsehoods against
it which his prolific brain and heated immagi
nation could beget, and to scatter these broad
cast all over the State, from the Eastern Shore
to the Big Sandy.
With the defeat Of the party In Virginia
thousands and tens of thousands left itwho had
been drawn to Thy the supposition that it was
to come into power in the Presidential cam
paign of 1866, while other thousands abandon
ed it because it was not pro-slavery, or anti
slavery enough to suit them, after the passage
of the Kansas Nebraska act.
Being thus weakened, the foreigners whose
audacity had been for time cowed by
its rising power, and the Roman Catholics who
hated it as the devil hates holy water or the
sound of a consecrated bell, both opened their
batteries of calumny and falsehood upon it and
were vigorously seconded by the Democratic
party, whose allies they were, and continue to
be. These batteries are still kept in full play
and the munitions of falsehood and SANDER
seem to be inexhaustibe.
Owing to this fire upon, and misrepresenta-
ton of the American party, tens of thousands
are prejudicsd against it who, in their heart,
aye, in their heart of hearts, approve and cher
ish the principles upon which it is based.-
This fact was made strikingly manifest to us
but few days ago in conversation to which
we listened between two prominent men in
their own State, which is one of the North
western States. One of the gentlemen, Judge
H., Democrat speaking Of the breaking up
Of the Democratic party, and its having be-
come thoroughly sectionalized, said he did not
know where to look now, for national party.
The other gentlemen, Mr.. T., replied that the
American was such an one. But the American
party is so biggoted and prosecuting, SO OPP
posed to the Catholic religion, and so hostile to
naiuralized citizens, that can never have any
thing to do with IL; it is the most proscriptive
and iliberal party that was ever brought into
existence. No, no, can join no party that
wars upon any religious sect said the judge
These remarks brought out Mr. T., who is
not unknown to fame, who began by saying,
Judge H., kno W you to be fair, candid, up
right man, willing to acknowledge your error
il convinced you are in one, and therefore
ask you TO hear me few minutes, while en-
deavor TO disabuse your mind, and show you
exactly what American principles are, and how
Ear we are opposed to foreigners. As to any
opposition to Roman Catholics, as religious
sect, we make none but hold that all men have
perfect right to worship God according TO the
dictates Of their own copsciences But we are
opposed to religious politics, and political re-
ligion we are opposed TO any set Of men band
ing together under the name Of religion, to in
terfere with and control the political affairs Of
our country, or the elections Of our Presidents,
Governors, Members Of Congress, &c. If Ro.
man Catholics viii let our political affairs alone
and confne themselves exclusively to religion
and benevolencc, we shall entertain no more
hostility TO them than 10 any other religious
sect, and shall heartily bid them God speed in
all their good works II is not their religion
that we object to, but their political interfer-
ence with our affairs.
Mr.. t. then went into an explanation Of the
views Of Americans in regard to haturalizing
foreigners, and in regard also TO placing natu-
rallied citizens, not familiar with our institu-
tons or imbued with the feeling Of Americans,
who have no national feeling save that Of the
country from whence they came--in Office.