The native American., 1839-04-27
THE NATIVE AMERICAN.
ADDRESS
" the .Nafire american Committee 10 the c;
ti-ens Of Nc'r Orleans.

wittee 10 prepare an address to you on the subject
OF Foreign naturalization in the United States.
have en,!eavored 10 perform that duty with q deep
and solemn conviction Of the importance and re-
sponsibi!ity of the trust which has beea coniided
10 their hands.
In discussing this momentous topic, while we
have determined 10 speak boldly, freely, and une-
quipocally on suhjectwith which we believe the
destnes OF our beloved country 10 he bound up,
and on the proper management of which we con-
slider the duration Of our 6lood-bought institutions
in great degree To depend, we have also cndcav-
ored in its discussion to adopt the utmost calm
ness and miidness consistent with truth, and 10
dsest our minds Of every feeling Of prejudice, or
passion
We feel the delicacy OF ONT position, that while
we are deputed to raise the voice OF warning 10
the native-horn Patriots of our country. We have
also to seek 20 allay the prrndces or apprehen-
sions 81 large portion Of our population, who
possessing equal rights with ourselves may have
acquired impressi ms hostile to our views, or NAV
have adopted the opinion that the efforts now ma
king throughout the United States to obtain re-
pe'i Of the NATURALIZATION laws, comprehend also
disposition 10 abrdge, ahrogate or diminish
those rights in the slightest degree.
In the first place, then. we distinctly state,
"once for all''-what sho1da he wcN understood
by cuery memjsr Of orr repu5Fe--that there eX-
ISIS no irhual or power III the United States
which could in aay shape, manner or form, in
terere in the slightest degree with the rights OF
naturaized citizens, as guaranteed to them by the
laws and constitution.
Ii both Houses Of Congress, and every Leg Is
iture in the United States. aIGed by the whole
Judiciary were 10 pass any retrospective or e.
post fncto law infringing, in the slightest degree.
~ -, AZ,
zens in the United States, that law, whatever it
might be, would be null and void in its very es-
scnce; and it would be the presogauve OF natu-
raizetl c,lizens TO resist it 10 the deatE-n which
resistance, they would he sustained by the acqni-
cscence oi every honest man, and the approving
voice Of the whole civilized world.
We state this iact plainly anu distinctly in the
outset: and we will hereafter consider ailecta-
linn, or base. malicious ard saniero,'s misrepre-
seHtaon any attempt to nslnuate t!r2t the efforts
now making TO procure repeal OF the na'uraliZa-
ton laws are intended, calculated. 70 Interlere
With or I!nmlsh in the slightest degree, the po
l;cal rights, immunitics or privileges Of natural
lzed American citizens
We consider them politically as j" bone Of our
bone. and flesh of our ilesh.' and We are ready,
sach, 10 give them the right hand CT fellow
ship We are ready also TO award the need al!
gra,i.ud, to the memories Of those noble and gal
liant spirits vho, during the incpiancy o! oar re-
pnhlic : hurried from other lands, 10 mnis,en.
with ;hei: blood, the tree Of American Liberty,
and to all other naiuraiiaed citizens who have
contributed to establish the unexamplel greatness
and prosperity Of our beloved country. M 10 the
present period. But we can 60 NJ farther. The
calm and unrutflet sreamlct which formerly me-
an,Iered almost imperceplibly through the field Of
husbsndman, irrigatng and iertilizing the soil,
and producing luxurious and heneiren, harvest,
when convened BY elemental accommodations into
the raging torrent, may sweep away and destroy
every ves;ige of his lahois.
Such il may be said, IS the present condition
OF our beloved couatrv. So long as foreigners
entered III moderate numbers into .the States and
Territories Of the United States, and became i'm
p rcep,bv merged and incorporated into the
. .nat body o. the American people, and were
g ,Auallv imhued and indoctrinated into the prin
C lies of virtue and patriotism which formerly
inntel the whole American community, SO long
cir advent was an advantage and benefit to our
C nn,ry ; bn! when we see hordcs and hecatombs
o beings in human form. but destitute Of any in
te rctRal aspraions-the ou:cast and offa OF So
ci 1v-the paper, the vagrant and the convict,
transported in mvriads 10 shores, reeking
with the accumulated crimes of the whole civil
izea and savage world and indicted, BY our laws.
10 equal rights, immunities and privileges with
the noble native inhabitants of the United States,
we can no longer contemplate it with snpne IN
difference We feel constrained to warn our
conn,rvmf1 that, unless some steps be speedily
taken to protect our Institutions irem these accu-
nalated nroais upon our national character, from
ihe indiscrminate immigration and naturalization
Of f,reign"rs, in vain have predecessors, whe-
,her native or naurazed, toiled and suffered and
fought, ava hed, and died, to achieve our liher-
ties. and tahlsh our hailowed institutions.
We consider the efforts which now making
III the Unl'ad States to procure repeal of the
naturalization laws, having direct tendency
!, secure the permanent welfare, happiness and
! verify, no. only Of our own descendants but also
O. those Of naturalized citizens, and even Of
aliens and Foreigners; and although we OCCASION
al Y meet with base and selfish spirit, whose
m tt, is. ''lct future generations take care Of
themselves vet we believe tina, there is no more
sacred or more universal principle implanted in
the human bosom than that which animaes the
parent and the patriot to transmit, un,tnpaired to
his posieri,y, those Institutions which ministered
1 or fulfilled, the measure Of his own happiness.
If our apprehensions of the dangers from io-
reign influence in the United States be founded in