The native American., 1838-01-27

lly, and form calm, il not sound Judgment, ol
the causes which threaten the peace and welfare
lof the Union.
Your memorialsts, therefore, filed with senti-
ments of the most devoted attachment to their
native country, its constitution, its laws and in
stlhltlons, venture to appear before you on sub
Iject which is viewed by them as Of vital conse-
|quence, and claiming the exercise Of your wise
and timely interposition. a4
Inframing the Constitution of the United States,
i was deemed proper to clothe Congress with the
power heretofore exercised by the several States
of the confederacy, to enact laws for the naturali
zation Of foreigners. II was wisely foreseen
that the prudent and cautious exercise Of such a
power would add to the physical strength ofthe
new republic, whose infant but Hercnlean ener-
gies had not yet recovered from the exhaustion Of
IA long and toilsome struggle for freedom and in
attract 70 our shores men Of skill and
|knUwi6dgs in the mechanic arts, then existing
here but to very limited extent, or in rude and
imperfect degree; and draw from foreign coun-
tries the capital necessary for the trade and conn
merce essential to our future prosperity. But it
was not, for it could not have been, anticipated by
the sages who framed the constitution, or by the
people who established it, to secure the bless
ings of liberty to themselves and their posterity,'
that this great power would be SO used as place
a large portion Of the power Of this Government
in the hands of adventurers from every cline, be-
fore they could have time to acquire knowledge
of our language, much less before they could have
leaned the first principles Of republican govern
ment.
Under monarchical governments, the duty Of
the people is simple and easily defined. 1t is
comprised in two words: s'to obey In re-
public, especially such republic as this, the du-
ties, rights, and obligations of the citizen are
multifarious and complex, and require many years
OF study, contemplation, and practice, to compre.
hend and properly appreciate them. They form
the objects Of inquiry in childhood, the lessons
for study in our schools the questions for debate
in our Juvenile societies, and the topics Of con
versation in our domestic and social circles
Each one feels that he is part Of the whole, and
equal, in all respects, to any other individual
part-for the governed of today may become
the governors of tomorrow. Those whose first
lessons in Legislation were learned in the simple
municipal legislatures of obscure villages or towns,
are often seen in the most august assembly in the
world, and listened to by an enlightened auditory
of their fellow citizens, while the streams Of elo-
quence and wisdom are flowing from their lips
And why is it so! 1t is because the people of
the United States understand the nature and ap-
preciate the objects of their Government. Be
cause they examine with care, and scrutinize
with jealousy, the pretensions of each other, and
form just judgments Of the qualifications Of the
candidates for the offices provided under the con-
sttution. Because, having no country but this,
all their affections are centred here; having no
home but this, all their aspirations are breathed
most devoutly for the perpetuation of this, their
last and only hope.
Can this be SO with the foreigner! Worn out
by the expressions he has endured, or by the
tolls he has undergone in his native country, or
impelled by his wandering propensities, he aban-
dons his native home to seek new one here,
with all his foreign habits, prejudices, and pre-
dilections, s'lumb' ring at his back" Can it be
believed that he can disburden himself so COM
pletely Of these, and have SO learned to fulfil
the duties Of citizen of the United States, in
the very short term of five years, as to be quail
fed to exercise all the political privileges of one!
Can foreigner be supposed capable of arriving
lat that perfection of political knowledge by a
sort of intuition, which native of the soil must
be long years of habit, study, and instruction in
acquiring! Surely cannot be. And, if it were
even possible, is it just to your own native cti-
zens, to those ''who have borne the heat Of the
day, and the burden thereof to extend all your
dear-bought rights to those who have done no
thing to merit them!
But your memorialists complain not merely Of
the manifest injustice of dividing with foreign
ladventurers and exiles the dearest privileges Of
the native citizens of the United States, and
thereby divesting them of portion of their natl-
raj rights they fear that the rapid and extraordi-
nary increase of the foreign population, and the
facility with which that population acquire the
rights Of citizenship, will, ere long, expose the