Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1840-02-27

Wi
e Immigrants have any such knowledge. =
e will il be coniended that the five years mower
Y ate, prescribed by the naturalization law, !
!. sufficient to imbue them with the rcqulslt,
It science? This could hardly be supposed |
those immigrants were generally intelligent
y and should devote themselves to the acquisition
!. of such scicnce-how much less reasonably
t can it be supposed in regf d to those, who come
/ here in gross ignorancS and whose circum
stances and habits almost entirely prevent any
application to the means of such acquisitions
And is not this the case with a thouSandto one
Ioi those who come 10 the United States from
foreign countries?
Viii il be said that upon these principles OF
reasoning, tie ignorant Natire american,
SHOULD be denied the right suffrage? This
does not follow. man brought up in an en-
lglnc-room, familiar from infancy with all the
details Of the operations tdabe performed,
Knight be safely entrusted with the conduct of
he engine, though utterly unable to answer
scientifically one question in regard to the
chemical or mechanical { incip pies involved in
the operations under his direction. So, he
who has grown up amidst the institutions Of
his country, through ignorant of general
science, and even Of letters, may have that sort
OF acquaintance with those institutions, which
result from early and constant association and
observations acquaintance often OF farl
more practical Importance than that which is
the result of the most diligent and laborous
abstract speculation upon the theory of gov
ernment Besides, the affections of the Native
determine to, and rally around, these institu-
tlons; warrantlng in the most ignorant of
them, if viruous, their hearty support This
cannot, with any reason, be expected of the
foreign immigrant. Either his early, and
therefore stronger affections, we're consecra-
ted to other aud different institutions; or, if his
early associations taught him to abhor the
government under which he grew up, the
probable effect is to render him FESTIVE TO all
governmental restraint, so that no calculation
an reasonably be made on the atfectionate =
ttachment OF the foreign immigrant, to the 81
Institutions OF our country;-wEeher he come, II
rom country where he grew up under CD, p
ressIon, or from one where he enjoyed the al
ghts and privileges Of a citizen. In the we'll
Isructed foreigner, the deductions Of reason
I'd considerations of advantage to his posteri.
; might IN some measure supply the place of -
We OF country; but, in the ignorant immi.
ant, there would be regret for institutions Il
hich were the object of early affection; or.
ere would be chagrn at finding, that the hr
'erty which invited him from the land of on q
esSlon, was chastened and restrained by le- q
1 requirements and interdictions-in both Is
SEES, precludlng that love ofcountry SO inds- w
nsabe in good citizen NJ
Excluding, then, all weight derived from
c defective moral character of a large pro.
rtlon orthose who immigrate to our country; -
loving nothing whatever to q conspiracy oil
reign despots, and foreign superstition, a.
inst our civil and religious liberties; and put
g The question upon the simple ground of
mpetency IN those immigrants safely to ex
else the influence which the right of suffrage
YES them over the character and destinies
our country,-l' have no hesitation in be.
wing that the Law OF Naturalization ought III
be either wholly repealed, or so modified as
secure less hazardous exercise of the i'm.
RANT right OF suffrage by foreigners than is 1
W allowed. Foreigners themselves, who an
sclato the institutions of our country, and
10 intend to entail them upon their pos,cri.
should esteem it privilege enough to secure
ln.I
recover, carefully guard those institutions,
or nothing else, for the sake of their pos
ity, from the hazard to which they are ex-
'ed from the inc0mpetency Of foreigners to
4rcse guardianship over them. And, may n
not expect to find intelligent and virtuous Pr
elgners among the foremost to secure those pu
ttuliOns from an influence so we'll cacula- ioI
to dsorganlze, if not wholly to subyert wi
mi Nc
could not have refused to makcithe desired inc
iress; because the enterprise in which Won Gu
engaged, will probably lead to violent col of
ons. This apprehension could not exist, if cor
contemplated repeal were not necessarU La
hit had not been already too long delayd ant
were not necessary, such is the democratjc fly
dency OF our institutions, and the hberal
t'"'ents generated by them, you would have
N unable TO get up party in its support
would deserve or receive any other notice -
n that implied mi the scorn and contempt due
FOOLISH and lmpotent agitation. If it had
been already too long delayed, the opposi.
to measure SO decidedly national and
rtotlc, would not have been in sufficient force :,
hreaen violent collision. If, then, there is "
ger OF such collision, this is only an argu-
NJ Tor early, prompt and vigorous effort to
c'uate the object of the enterprise; for,
ny moments delay only increases the force
The party who array themselves against its
cess.
'elther could have refused to deliver the ~
RED address before your Association, be- OirG
SO OF what consider understandable meas publ
y or lnconsequent arguments of some en- lore
AL IN al.
"a IN the enterprise. Some things have III u
| lnnn- and .itIn., L. Lon M