American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-12-30

proud, or pageantry IRON the powerlul-blast
love by perfdy, or poison friendship by deceit;
all these are trivial caamties that have their
cure in life, or their balm in time but there is
no remedy for the frauds eff religion-no balm
for the wrongs of violated conscience.
Sir, thank God that have this opportuni-
ty Of disabusng the popular mind of the spuri-
Gus impression, that the people whom | have
the honor to represent cherish any desire to
letter or interfere with the sacred rights of con-
science, which no men on earth respect moro
profoundly than they DO.
So far from interfering with freedom of con-
science, sir, we will resist any sect that shall
ever attempt to invade its sanctity--we will re-
sst any sect that attempts t. combine, as such,
to accomplish political object whether that
sect be Baptist, Methodist Presbyterian, Epis-
copalian, or Roman Catholic. Let them at
tempt it when and where they may, and they
will encounter from US the most determined
hostility, the most unyielding resistance. If
this be fanaticism, if this be bigotry, let gentle
men make the most of it.
MIR. Speaker, all that have said has been
drawn from me by the latitude that has been
giveH to this debate, which ought to have been
confined to the naked question of reference.
have avoided touching upon the merits of the
main question, which we ask to bring in pro-
per form to the consideration ofthe House, and
which, repeat, Il select committee will alone
enable us to accomplish Will the House per-
nit US to place before the nation such records,
drawn from the proper departments, as will
show that, unless some remedy be applied to
this great and growing evil, THE DAY is NOT
FAR DISTANT WHEN THE AMERIcAN-BoRN vo-
TER WILL FIND HIMSELF IN MINORITY IN HIS
OWN LAND! Or will you continue TO tell us
that because we are not as liberal as we ought
to be to foreign ignorance and foreign crime,
you will shut out this appeal, which comes up
to you in all its freshness from the hearts of the
American people.
God has implanted in those hearts, sir, the
principle on which we act. 1t is that love of
home, or love of native land, which, in times
of peril, rises to glory. Shall we deny to the
people of other lands what we claim for our
selves? Yet miscaled liberality i'll some of our
wings and democrats would deny this sublime
attribute to the foreigners who flock among us.
They compliment them by the denial of vir-
tue, whose lustre is the pride and boast OF all
men and all nations, and this SANDER on their
character they call ''liberalty;" and, with that
inconsistency which always distinguishes men
who confound natural relations, and who for
get that love of America and love of American
institutions, if virtue in us, would be vice
in them, they charge the Native Americans
with being ''illberal, ;" because they are true to
the eternal principles Of enlightened freedom
Shall VIC be ''liberal" to foreign ignorance, and
say that nature has reversed her laws, because
"accident" or "necessty" drives the alien from
! his homestead, where bis heart has struck deep
its roots, and his affections have londIy blossom.
ed-or shall we be faithful to our own creed of
freedom, to our own constitution, TO the sacred
! &C, fl,an NJ - fol
by asking that the alien shall be naturalized in
mind, in heart, in soul, by residence suili-
GENTLY long to wean him from his first love,
and engraft on his understanding the knowledge
that dignfes freeman, as wise and patriotic
| in the exercise of the right of suffrage. 1t is an
easy matter to play the sycophant, the fatter-
CT, or the demagoguc, even OIL this floor, in or
! der to win the smile, or coax the vote OF the
! FOREIGNER And could this be done without pc
riI to our freedom, we might be saved the trou-
| bic Of profcrrng justice to good nature. But
crisis has now arrived when the solemn mag
ntude of this question forbids that it should be
treated with The indifference or levty that
would arbitrate its decision by a frivolous sen
timent. Sir, disclaim all pretensions TO "li-
! beraty" on this question, in which lies coled
up the future happiness or misery of millions
of unborn American citizens. We are now
struggling for national character and national
identity, and not for the need of courtesy, or
the extent of generous disposition. Westand
now on the very verge of overthrow by the i'm
petuous force of invading foreigners. Europe
can no longer contain the growing population
that is swelling her to bursting. She must
dsgorge it at any price, no matter what. Each
hour will behold this tide Of foreign emgra-
ton, rising higher and higher, growing strong
! I'D ~neb,pr bnldor nd hnlInr
The past furnishes no test of the future, and
the future threatens to transcend all calcutta
tons of this formidable evil.
View this great subject in any light, and it
still filings back upon US the reflected rays Of
reason, patriotism and philanthropy. The love
of our native land Is an innate, holy, and ira
dcable pa.so" Distance only strengthens it
time only CO contracts the feeling that caus-
es the tear TO gush from the eye of the emf
grant, as old age peoples by the vivid memory
the active present with the happy past. In
what land do you behold the foreigner, who
denies this passion Of the heart? 1t is natures
most holy decree, nor is it in human power to
repeal the law, which is passed on the mothers
breast, and confirmed by the fathers voice.
The best policy of the wise statesman is TO mo-
del his laws on the holy ordinances Of nature.
If the heart of the alien is in his native land
if all his dearest thoughts and fondest affections
cluster around the altar of his native gods-let
us not disturb his enjoyments by placing this
burden of new affections on his bosom, through
the moral force OF an oath of allegiance, and
the onerous obligation of political duties, that
jar against his sympathies, and call on him to
renounce feelings that he can never expel from
his bosom. Let US secure him the privilege at
least of mourning for his native land, by with
holding obligations that he cannot discharge
either with fidelity, ability, or pleasure. Give
him time, sir, to wean himself from his early
love. WHY should he not, like our own sons,
enjoy twenty-ono years of infant freedom from
political cares, to look around HIM, grow fami-
liar with the new scene in which he finds him
self placed acquainted with all the
,,.,.,, III int rinntn rnlatinns hu which man is