The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-07

Laws, the "Natlve American Party and
the Civil and Religious Rights OF Adopted
Citizens.
GENTLEMEN THE undersigned citizens Of New
York, IN view OF The approaching Presidential cleo
zion, and the great interests involved therein and
being DESTROYS to vote understandingy, and with
strict reference to the principles OF the candidates
before the people for the offices OF President and
Vice President, very respectfully submit TO your
consideration their opinions, with the they
have, and the views OF several high authorities
with reference to naturalization and the rights Of
adopted citizens-and they earnestly desire that
you will severaly make known, al as early peri
cd possible, your respective sentiments, and pro-
bable course oil policy, on these questions, should
some or either OF you he called on TO perform the
duss o. these hga offices a. the
and so what, alterations are required IN the natu-
razation laws
And whether you approve or disapprove Of the
organization in this country of political parties
founded on the exclusive principle Of deprlving
portion Of your fellow-ctlzens, however well quail
flied, Of the advantages attending participation in
the hOnors aud emOluments OF office, because OF
the place OF their birth, or on account OF their re-
liglous belief? AS also any reasons you may think
proper give for the conscien ious views you en-
terrain on these important subjects
A faction or class have arisen in our city, as
Stunning the name Of sNative Americans" pledged
to oppose the naturalization Of our brethren from
other lands, or, which is nearly the same thing, to
exclude all foreigners from naturalization until
they have been resident among US twenty. one
years, and also TO exclude them from all Offices of
honor, power, and trust, and from the exercise OF
the right of suffrage, after they naturallzrd.
This party has possession OF the city government,
and its leaders and presses, aided by the vast pa
uondge OF the corporation, advocate the principle
Of national or favored religion-of prescription
from office and equal rights OF large bodies OF our
fellow-cltiZens, because they do not conform To
the spiritual doctrines Of the combined sectarians
now in power and, generally, OF the exclusion
LIZ 1881 ntT For htrt und
pecially il Of the Roman Catholic persuasion, be-
cause Of their birth place and religious opinions
The body OF persons thus banded together upon
prosecuting, intolerant principles, have disturbed
The peace Of society throughout the Union, wounded
the feelings Of their fellow men without cause,
and risked both life and properly in New York by
their violent, ill-advised publications., while their
adherents in the sister city OF Phllade phla have.
oitencr than once, within the last few months
in open rebellion against the laws, melting portion
of the people to deeds OF reason blood, and arson;
resisting the constituted authorities, civil and mil
tary, even unto The death, until, in the words OF
address agreed TO on The 10th ut., at a meeting
OF citizens, "of the highest standing in their
era pursuits, and of the highest character for
probability and usefulness, and presented 10 the
Governor of Pennsylvania, in independence Hall,
(whence had issued sxy-eight years before, the
great Declaration of American freedom, peace,
flight for ever from that city.
At the civic election here last spring, majority
OF the voters of the party called wing, abandoned
their party organization and candidates, and united
with the :. Native Amercans," as did lesser
number Of those called democrats, thus.enabllng
the most intolerant faction ever known among us
to obtain the control OF the city government
We desire 10 be frankly informed whether Ell
Their of the candidates for the Presidency is pre-
pared to support the prayer Of such petitions for
repeal of the naturalization laws were submitted
TO the Senate OF the United States at its last SEES
SION, with the apparent sanction of Mr. Archer, o.
OF lis members!
When the constitution Of the United States was
agreed to In convention, the fathers Of the republic
went INTO a full consideration OF the question Of
naturalization, and in accordance with their judy
ment, and the powers of that constitution, General
Washington deliberately approved a naturalization
law, which only required probation OF two years,
without any previous notice whatever. The au-
thor OF the Declaration OF Independence would
have been still more liberal to the stranger One
Of the charges brought by the men OF l776, IN their
Declaration, against George Ill, Was IN TINS form'
He has endeavored prevent the population Of these
States for that purpose obsrucng the laws for the natu
ralization Of refusing to pass oher to encou
rage their migration hither and raising the conditions Of
new appropriations of lands"
II the fathers OF our republic, most of them native
born British SUBJECTS, thus denounced the British
king "a tyrant," unfit TO be the ruler OF free
peoples" because he Constructed the laws for the
naturalization Of foreigners ;"-if the venerable
Franklin, as may be seen by reference to the Jour
nal Of Congress tor 775, went so far TO propose
receive all Ireland into our contederacy ;-if,
been settled by emigrants from England, Ireland,
scotland, Wales, France, Holland, Germany,
Sweden, and Denmark if the Federal Constu-
ton expressly auihorizt our present naturalization
laws ;-f our greatest and best statesmen have de-
tended and approved them ii the law OF 1902 has
been found to answer expectation, as well in time
OF War as Of peace ;-if America is the land, not of
one class, one tribe one people, not OF those alone
who are born In it, but Of the oppressed of other
chimes !; if it is, as the world admits 'sthe land OF
the tree and the home Of the brave ;''-if cil,zens
OF toregn birth have been as faithful to the Const
tuition as those native born, and we have never
heard OF any attempt to prove that they have not
been so and if the beginning of civil di cord is
dreadful IN It's effects now, and would likely be
finding divided people, we desire to know
wherein the conduct OF the "Native American par
~" OF 1874, and their abbcttors, is less wicked and
detestable than was that OF George Ill. and his
since :?
The iIlustrous Jefferson lin 1901, in his first mes
sage TO Congress, indicated the true policy of our
country with regard to foreigners. These were his
words
~ cannot omit recommending revisal of the laws on
the subject Of naturalization Considering the ordinary
chances OF human le denial Of citizenship under
ton OF those who ask III and controls policy pursued
from their first settlement, by many of these states and
shall We refuse the unhappy ugses rom pde.. that
hospitality which the savages of the wilderness extended
to our fathers arriving in this land Shall oppressed hu
indeed has wisely provided that for admission certain
offices Of important trust, residence shall be required
sufficient to develope character and design. But might
not the general character and capabilities of citizen be
safely communicated to every manifesting bona
fde purpose Of embakng his life and fortunes perma
nently with us with restrictions, perhaps to guard
against fraudulent usurpation Of fag abuse which
brings so much and loss ON the genuine
citizen and much danger to the nation Of being jl..
VOWED in war; that endeavor should be spared to do.
tect and suppress it."
It is curious fact that the Father Of the Native
American party Of this city, and probably in the
Union is one Of prescribed race-Mordecai
Manassah Noah-a political Jew who, when adj
vocaling the claims Of Messrs Harrison and Clay,
in alliance with Mayor Clark and the wings, in
1885, coarsely denounced foreigners, especially the
Irish, as "most Of them extremely poor and igno-
rant, many Of them very depraved," urged the en-.