Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-05-04

OUR ALIEN LAWS. n.

! Ou SobJrSh III OUT
Territory and other paris Of our country. indu.
ces rs 10 offer few thoughts on The elective
! franchise. and upon The course which ought TO
be pursued towards foreigners emigraiing 10
The U. States. fhe following proposition we
think. is alike founded on justice and policy
"thai all men VINO wish TO become citizens of
our Republic. ought TO be allowed the right of
suffrage on such terms as afford fair presump.
ton that they understand the principles Of our
Government; but no, Otherwise" We have
advanced SO rapidly in intelligence sihce the
discoveries Of Phrenology and Mesmesisln.
| that We iurn up our noses a, The so-called wis.
dom Of Our ancestors. "What, require of
/ foreigner five years residence that he may
/ learn Repnblicanism Why, many native
born cant read better than Po,ta " atomic
] you exclude men from the ballot box on &C.
coun, Of their ignorance. many Of the natives
are as ignorant as savages." This is The crack
argument Of Moses. The impor,an, dis,inc.
lions between error and truth have been so re.
/ peatedly dlsregsrded BY some minds. that they
become disofdercd. and cannot perceive the
diffrrenre if they would. Now we would ex.
c'ude TO man from the halo, box in conse.
Pnence of his ignoraece. The design Of our
Naturalization Laws Is 10 give tire and op.
poriuniiy TO every foreigner TO understand the
principles of our Governmen, if he will; the
very purpose fnf which the RICH, Of the native
Is suspended 81 years. We would catecbise
no voter on his knowedge of politics. bu, we
do say he ongh,o pass through period of pro-
baton sufficient 10 enable him to understand
wha. he is about. And shall we require no
apprenticeship a, all. because individuals may
be found both native and foreign. who have not
Improved its opportunities Shall the infant
vote before be is bapi;sed the foreigner be.
fore he knows what i, means! Assuredly they
shall, says Moses, for should you require a
probationary term. some q them would not
improve ii VIVA, classic reasoning. If we
should abolish all laws that have failed 10 &C.
ecmp'ish their end 10 every instance. we would
leave little Of the codts cf either God
~ mn. H,sil, ,hls aiserel to the
IN 81 weighiy objection 10 our proposition. VIC
shall proceed 10 establish it. When we cay
ha, .'all men ought 10 be allowed 10 vote" we
mean foil as muo as we say. No apo,hecary
has a drug more sickeuing than the false ho.
low Professions Of politicians, who avow their
a'achmeo, 10 The whole human brotherhood.
meaning only those who have power TO elect
them 10 office. Those whose grinding oppres.
sion has marked as The doomed victims of pop.
nlar odium. and who alone need their sympa.
ihies. they spun with course. barbarian con-
tempt. But we wonid limit The right Of suf.
frsge to TO class of men whatever be their
cline. Oar great reason for this is, the right
of suffrage is natural right, Ii you concede
this. says an ohjec,cr, you have no more right
TO wress i. from foreigner OF any other man,
than you have TO take his life. We answer,
the exercise of natural right may be suspend.
ed. but suspension is not extinction. The Dec.
laraiion of Independence ranks the spursui.
of happiness" alas the right TO marry, with
na,Oral rights, bu, 10 our Territory this RICH,
is suspended I'LL the parties reach the age of
fourteen. So with many oihe. natural rights
that of The miner 10 control his property is sus.
pended for 81 years. Let Us bear in mind tina.
the exercise Of natural rights may be righiful.
ly suspended, but this is not humiliation.
Bot The nigh, Of suffrage IS a natural right
Liberty. Personal Security and Private Prop.
cry, constitute what are more strictly termed
natural rights. Bu, The righ, Of suffrage 10 The
very weapon by which these rights are guard
ed. 1.-THE ls'Ier are the gifts OF nature. so is
the power ihs. protects hem. WHAT'S liberty
worth. or properly worth. il we have no voice
in framing the laws by which these rights are
affected Every animal has been furnished
by raure with defensive armor; the RICH, Of
sGaiase is the natural, onnipotent panoply OF
man. The wolf iad0ced the sheep TO dismiss
their wa'ch dog; and then be made havoc Of
the helpless frld. The Despo, has not. nor
can have any ether motive 10 wrestling the law
making power from his subjects. than to ena-
bic him 10 bis Triple grasp on life. liberty AID
pr perry. ard qdeuch every oreaihins alter
g. ejum in he bosom tina, eonceised It. The
GoJ.provohirs crime Of a iyrsni consists in
his imrious.y striking down the night of suf-
fisge. tie ,,ning sword ,ha, the Almighty hss
stationed 70 guard the paradise Of human free
Jum; while his mesnnsss is seen "a 'ramPling
upon The victim he has thus disabled. No