Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-01-02

trust the space we have occupied, will be
found not to have been uselessly employed.
The last Milwaukee Democrat which came
to hand contains the proceedings of meet
ing of foreigners and friends of foreigners,
held at the Court House, in Milwaukee, on
Friday, the 22nd ult. The object of the
meeting will be fully shown by the following
petition to the Legislative Assembly, which
was adopted by the meetings
To the Honorable, the Legislative Council
and House Of Representatives of the
Territory Of Wisconsin:
The Petition of the undersigned, free white
male inhabitants Of the Territory Of
Wisconsin, respectfully sheweth-
That your petitioners. understanding
that certain action will be taken by your
honorable bodies, during the present or
some future session of the Legislature, on
the subject Of the people of the Territory
| forming Constitution and State Govern
ment, deem it Of the utmost Importance to
a great proportion Of the free white male
inhabitants Of the Territory, who have
large interests at stake therein, the. law
should be passed forthwith by your honora-
BILE bodies, authorising all the free white
male Inhabitants of the Territory, above
the age Of 81 years, to vote for the dele
gates to be chosen to form the said Cons;-
tuition and State Government; and also to
vote on the question Of the expediency Of
the formation Of saiG Constitution, when
that question shall be submitted to the peo-
pie; and your petitioners pray that such a
law may be forthwith passed by your
b honorable bodies accordingly.
And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.
Accompanying the Petition was a prcam-
BILE and various resolutions, spiritedly and
ably drawn up, supporting the matter of the
petition, which were adoptedby acclamation
Several able speeches were also made on the
occasion. The great length Of the procee-
dings forbds the idea of our publishing them.
To the object of the meeting we givc'ou
hearty assent, and with democratic Lcgis-
lature, we think the prayero of the petition
will be granted. Upon what ground can it
Justly be refused. Who are the persons as
king this privilege? Are they not those
who have the same interest at stake in the
future character Of our institutions, that the
most highly favored among us, have. Their
lot has been equally cast upon the soil of
Wisconsin, and shall they not have a voice in
the formation of those institutions, which
have precisely the same influence for veal
or woe upon their fortunes, as upon those
who claim TO have been favored in the place
of rilcis birth. In what particular are they
incapacittaed from correctly exercising the
privileges Of those who have no better right.
except that they are older Americans. The
spirit of our institutions is not so difficult TO
catch, that it requires years within its infiu-
ence TO become imbued with IFS power. 1t
was in fact, this spirit which led them TO aban-
don the anti-repubican institutions of their
native land, TO live under the more liberal
institutions Of this country. To quote from
The Milwaukee Democrat; ''The very char
ac.eristic which prompts to the exchange of
their native country for one which they re-
gard as decidedly preferable, to renounce the
communities in which they have been born
and educated, from stronger liking TO ours,
is something which we regard as a guaran-
ty for their thorough and lasting attachment
10 our institutions. In coming TO blend their
interests and fortunes with ouIs, they have
given the highest and strongest practical
proof which the case admits, of their love TO
our country and 10 its government. There
is, in the nature of the case. a freshness. a
fervor, an enthusiasm of attachment, in our
adopted CITIZENS, 10 ouI social condition and
political institutions, which it is next TO inn
possible for a native American TO realize.
The evils of monarchical governments, of re,
lgious oppression and intolerance, and Of
aristocratic institutions of feudal origin, which
WE so slightly and vaguely comprehend from
the little we read and hear on the subject
are, in their case, evils which have been seer
and felt, and of which they have had album
dant and bitter experience. The structure
of society and civil government here canno
fail TO interest them by its novelty, TO be en-
HANGED in their estimate by contrast witt
what they left behind, and to be doubly en-
deared By the vast advantages it confers up
on those who come under its operations.
cannot be that our ado pied citizens will fai
TO love our country and its institutions th'
more, fiom the personal exaerienee the.
have had of the privatioa of freedom and o
. equal rights in their native land. The cir
cumstance of their not being Americans b.