Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-08-08
ADDRESS.

The undersigned having been appointed al
committee to prepare an address to you, on the
subject of Foreign naturalization in the United
States. have endeavored to perform that duty
with deep and solemn conviction OF the I'M
portaace and responsibility of the trust which
has been confded to their hands.
In discussing this momentous topic, while
we have determined to speak boldly, freely,
and unequivocally on subject with which we
believe the deslinies of our beloved country to
be bound up, and on the proper management OF
which we consider the duration Of our blood
bought institutions in great degree to depend,
we have also endeavored in its discussion to
adopt the utmost calmness, and miIdness con
sistent with truth, and 10 divest our minds OF
every feeling of prejudice, or passion.
We feel the delicacy of our position, that
while we are deputed to raise the voice OF war
uinp 10 the native born Patriots Of our country,
we have also to seek tc allay the prejudices or
apprehensions Of large portion OF our popula-
ton, who possessing equal rights with ourselves
may have acquired impressions hostile to our
views, or may have adopted the opinion that
the efforts now making throughout the United
States to obtain repeal of the naturalization
laws, comprehend also disposition TO abrldge,
est degree.
In the first place then we distinctly state
"once for alp chat should be nell understood By
every member Of our republic, that thele exists
no tribunal or power in the United State, which
could in any shape, manner, or form, interfere
in the slightest degree with the rights oil nat
uralized citizens, as guaranteed to them by the
laws and constitution.
lfboth houses Of Congress and every Legls-
lature in the United States aided by the whole
Judiciary, were to pass any Retrospective or
Er post fdeto law, infringing in the slightest
degree the political rights guaranteed to natu-
Yalized citizens in the United States, that law
whatever it might be would be null and void in
its very essence, and it would be the preroga-
tive of naturalized citizens to resist i! to the
death, in which resistance they would be sus,
tanned by the acquiescence Of every honest
man, and the approving voice of the whole CT
vzed world. ... DID, ......
We state this fact painly and distinctly in
the outset, and we will hereafter consider as
affectation or base, malicious and slanderous
MISREPRESENTATION, any attempt to lnslnualt
that the efforts now making to procure repea
ofthe naturalization laws, are intended or cal
culated TO interfere with or diminish in The
slightest degree the political rights, immuni
ties or privileges Of natuTalized American cit
tzens .t .... ..-..
We consider them politically as ''bone o
our bone, and flesh of our hesh," and we are
ready as such to give them the right hand O
fellowship We are ready also to award the
need Of gratitude to the memories of those no
BILE and gallant spirits, who during the incipien
cy of our republic, "hurried from other lands
20 moisten with their blood, the tree Of Ameri
can Liberty" and to all other naturalized citi
zens who have contributed to establish the un
exampled greatness and prosperity OF our belo
we'd country, up to the present period. But we
can go no farther The calm and unruttiec
streamlet which formerly meandered almos
imperceptibly through the field Of the husband
man, irrigating and fertilizng the soil, and pro
ducing luxurious and benlfcent harvest, wher
converted by elemental accumulatons into th'
raging torrent, may sweep away and destroy
every vestige Of his labouEs.
Such il may be said is the present condition
T, Of our beloved country,-so long as foreigner
entered in moderate numbers into the state
and terri.oriesof the United States, became i'm
perceptibly merged and incorporated into tn
great body Of the American people, and wer
gradually imbued, and indoctrinated into tn
principles Of virtue and patriotism, which for
merry animated the whole American conmun
ty,so long their advent was an advantage an
Rbeneflt TO our country, but when we see horde
and hecatombs OF beings in human form, Blu
Institute Of any intellectual aspirations
Iutcast and offal society---the pauper, the va
srant, and the convict, transported in myriad
eour shores, reekihg with the accumulate
rimes Of the whole civilized and savage worlt
Adfinducted by our laws, to equal rights, in