The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1840-10-03
NATIVE AMIlAIlIUANo
From The Ne,o orlean. Native .american.

l III BALLOT DOX.-ll Tic lHyStcIlcS
of q ballot box were all told, we believe as
many truths, stranger than fiction, would
be given the world as if the Bulletin had
succeeded in discovering the use and orr
gin of the mysterious vaults" "gold
crosse and oil, in st. Peter street.
Yesterday voter was examined be-
fore Judge Canonge, relative to the st.
Bernard election. The sum total, as n
Scotchman would say, of his evidence
was this: that he is native of France
has been fourteen years in this country
was never naturalized-voted at the last
election, but knows not for whom!
We should call this man voter with
out any particular political predictions,
most decidedly."-Picayune.
Awful indeed would be full disclosure
Of the "mysteries of the ballot box" The
frauds and corruptions that precede it
the falsehoods of the partizan press and
the demagogue stump speakers-the per
verting Of the true issues before the peo-
ple--the appeals to passion, prejudice and
personal mnlignity-the false yet specious
sophistries that set at naught the most es
tablished principles Of law and testimony
the humbugging, adj captandum, ap.
peals to the fancies and ignorance of the
multitude, and the deception, bribery and
perjury, and sometimes even force, pfac-
tised at the polls-all this presents pic,
ture that must excite in the rejecting
mind the gloomiest forbodings as to the
result of our experiment of popular self
government
Against one, and we think the most
prominent one, of these dangers which be-
set the ballet box-the heart of our repub-
ican citaael-onf efforts are especially di-
rected. The alien SUI ely has no business
there. The period of previous residence
now required by the naturalization laws is,
in oil conscience, short enough. For free
dom's sake, let not that brief time be anti
cipated. When the citizen exercises the
elective franchise, he is practically a self
governor; he is doing that which the citi-
zen of no other government is permitted
to do to SO full an extent; he is doing that
which requires the highest intelligence
and virtue, and the safety and practicable
ty of which has been denied by the ,theor-
list and practical statesmen of all previous
ages, and even by many in the present age
of advanced civilization.
Whatsa burlesque upon this the neblsst
right OF the freeman is presented by the
facts stated in the above extract. A mis-
cradle, ignorant, jabbering alien, voting
he knew not for whom! He knew not
even the person whose elevation to office
he was aiding. What could he know of
the principles of the candidate, the meas
ures he would advocate, and his qualifca-
tons for public station? What brought
this miserable creature there to act, if not
to sttcr.a perjury? OF course he was led
there by the awhippersin" of party, who
sceur every lane, alley and howell in the
land, filled with vice, poverty and ignor-
ance. He was led there to desecrate free
dom's most sacred rite, for the poor pur-
pose of swelling party triumph! And
yet do we not daily hear commended, and
IN the highest terms, the activity and en-
ergy of those who manifested their parti.
Fan devotion by bringing up voters to the
polls? Voters indeed oftentimes mere
machines, with tongues to make an oath
and hands to deposite piece of paper, on
which, like this alien, they know not what
characters are written.
In an article published in che of our
previous numbers, we laid down the
course which the judges at an election
precinct are bound to pursue, whenever
person who claims to be a naturalized
citizen offers his vote. In all cases the
certificate of naturalization should be pro-
duced, and reasonable proof required of
the genuineness of the certificate. This
is the best testimony Of which the nature
OF the case admits, and where the law has
made no provision for the admission of
secondary evidence, this rule must be OBJ
served. If this rule were strictly observed
in all eases, one of the chief sources of
fraud and corruption at the ballot box
would be stopped.
II the Native American party have eff
fected no other desirable object, they have
done much in this respect by compelling
a compliance with the above rule, wherev-
er their influence has been felt. By our
professions, by the principles we advocate
and the cause to which we are pledged,
we Of the Native American party are pc
oaliariy the guardians of the ballot box
From this, our just position, let as not
swerve, bat with unremitting vigilance
and unquailling decision, let us stand
there IT'S chosen sentinels, and holding up
the 9gis of the law-let lis forbid the en-
trance of the alien and the stanger
1t is scarcely necessary to add, that we
have remarked thus on this single III
stance, not because we esteem it, of itself,
of any great moment, but because we
know it to be faithful exemplar of a
thousand similar ones that occur a, every
returning election.