The native American., 1840-09-05
WHAT WE CONTEND FOR.

The Revision of the Laws of Naturaliza-
ton;
The Establishment of National Charac-
ter;
The Encouragement Of our own Arts,
Commerce, Agriculture, Manufactures, Lite
nature and Science, and American Industry,
Talent and Productions.
These are some Of the objects to advance
and promote which our paper is established.
To the first, the revision of the Laws oil
Naturalization, our energies shall be more
particularly directed. Among the thinking
portion OF the community, the necessity Of this
measure is admitted. Those who have never
given the subjecta serious thought, look upon
our party as selfish and ungenerous, endea-
voring, by unreasonable measures, to advance
our own interests at the expense of others
This is, truly, a false ground, assumed by
our enemies to overthrow our benevolent pur.
poses. We have raised the voice Of alarm,
not so much for ourselves as for our pos
terity. We see in the future, consequences
of a most evil tendency, from the vast and
pernicious immigration that is OVERLOOKING
our very streets, and suf1ocating our every
alms-house. Our own citizens are highly
taxed to support the pauperism of other coun-
tries, and the morals of our community are
laid waste by the unwhoesome feelings and
innate principles Of individuals from other
governments. Here we are met with the
assertion, that many immigrants to this coun-
try are of that caste which would be bene-
fit to any nation-that many bring with them
large amounts of specie, which they circu-
late throughout our country. To this we
say, that where we get one good citizen,
we are burthened with fifty bad ones-and
that the feelings Of all are in opposition to
our own, as their acts plainly show, and their
clanish habits prove; and that, among the
German population especially, where one
dollar is circulated for the public good, fifty
are horded up to its utter detriment: among
the Irish, if their money is spent freely, it
is in way to corrupt us, rather than to push
forward our moral capacities. But, aside
from all this, is it just, is it reasonable to ex-
pect of the American people, to receive,
school, and train up, the vicious, the lazy
and the cast-off of all Europe, bearing their
heavy tax, and risking our institutions in the
attempt, for the good and benefit of them, and
the countries from which they come, to the
undoubted detriment ofus and our own, mere:
ly for the use of laborers, or the addition of
thousands to our population This is as I'M
reasonable as it is unjust. We say, therefore,
that revision Of the Laws of Naturalization
is necessary, and that the sooner it is COM
menced, both for the present and for future
generations, the better. What do we ask !!
Nothingbut what sound policy and pure patri-
otsm demands. Can it be said that we
are injuring any man, when our objects do
not extend beyond our own limits I? If the
citizens OF the whole world claim the pro-
lection of the United States, then indeed we
are acting with high hand against those
who were born under, and are sworn to pro-
teet, the governments from which they come.
If we claim the inhabitants of the world as
our political brothers, and if they are subject
to our laws, then we. are uncharitable. II
the subjects Of other governments will fight
for us--not against us, as in days but just
gone by-then are we injuring citizens Of
other climes. But, how can this be The
objects we have in view, cannot affect an in.
dividual BOW within our jurisdiction. When
a foreigner is in the United States, and has