American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-07-14

worth, who would secure to his conpatriots yet
to come amongst us, the blessings of political
protection, the safety Of person and property,
it is right that we should make known the
grievances which we propose to redress, and the
manner in which we shall cndeavor to effect
our object.
1t is an ncontrovertible truth, that the civil
institutions of the United States of America
have been seriously affected, and that they now
stand in imminent peril from the rapid and
enormous increase of the body of residents Of
foreign birth, imbued with foreign feelings, and
Of an ignorant and immoral character, who re-
ceive, under the present lax and unreasonable
laws of naturalization, the elective franchise
and the right of eligibility to political office.
The whole body of foreign citizens, invited
to our shores under constitutional provision
adapted to other times and other political con-
ditions of the world, and Of our country espe-
ciaIly, has been endowed by American hospita-
lily, with gratutous privileges unnecessary to
the enjoyment ofthoSe inalienabe rights Of man
life, liberty end the pursuit Of Happiness, -pri-
vilegcs wisely reserved TO the Natives Of the
soil, by the governments of all other civilized
nations. Bat, lamliarizcd by habit with the
exercise Of these indulgencies, aud cmboldcncd
by increasing numbers, vast majority Of those
WHO CONSTITUTE llltS lUICl1ll bOiI, now CHILL
an original right, that which has been so incau-
tiously granted as iavor;-thus attempting to
render inevitable the prospective action ollaws
adopted upon principle of mere eXpedcncy,
made variable at the will of Congress by the
express terms of the Constitution, and hereto
fore repeatedly revised to meet the eXigencies
Of the times.
In former years, this body was recruited
chiefly from the victims of political oppression,
or the active and intelligent mercantile adven-
turers of other lands and it then constituted
a slender representation of the best classes of
the foreign population, well fitted to add
strength to the state, and capable ofbeing read
lily educated in the peculiarly American science
of political self government. Moreover, while
welcoming the stranger of every condition, our
laws then wisely demanded of every foreign
aspirant for political rights, certificate Of prac-
teal good citizenship. Such class of Aliens
were followed by no foreign demagogues-
they were courted by no domestic demagogues
they were purchased by no parties-they
were debauched by no emissaries of Kings. A
wall of fire separated them from such bane
full influence, erected by their intelligence, their
| know ledge, their virtue and love of freedom -
But for the last twenty years, the road to civil
preferme 1T and participation i'll the legislative
and executive government of the land has been
laid broadly open, alike to the ignorant, the
vicious and the criminal; and a large propor-
ton of the foreign body of citizens and voters
now constitutes a representation Of the worst
and most degraded of the European population
victims of social oppression or personal vi
ces, utterly Invested by ignorance or crime, of
the moral and intellectual requisites for politi-
cal self-government.
Thus tempted by the suicidal policy of these
United States, and favored by the facilities re-
sulting from the modern Improvements of ma
vipation, numerous societies and corporate bo-
| dies in foreign countries have found it econom-
ical to transport to our shores at public and
private expense, the feeble, the imbecie, the
idle and ntractable, thus relieving the burdens
resulting from the vices of the European social
systems, by availing themselves of the gener-
Gus errors of our own.
The aims houses ofEurope are empted upon
our coast and this by our oacn inritation-not
casually, or to trivial extent, but systematic
callv, and upon an increasing scale. The
Bedlams of the old world have contributed
their share to the torrent of immigration, and
the lives our citizens have been attempted in
the streets of our capital cities by mad-men,
lust liberated from European hospitals upon the
:
ed to America. By the orders of European 60
vernments, the punishment of crimes has been
commuted for Punishment to the land Of the
free: and criminals in irons have crossed the
ocean to be cast loose upon society on their ar
rival upon our shores. The United States are
RAPIDLY becoming the lazar house and penal
colony of Europe; nor can we censure such pro-
ceedings:-They are legitimate consequences
of our own unlimited benevolence; and 1t is
ofsuch material that we profess to manufacture
free and enlightened citizens by a process oc-
cupving FIVE short years at most, but practical
w oftentimes embraced in a much shorter Pc
riod of time.
The mass of immigrants, formerly lost
among the Natives of the soil, has increased
from the ratio of in 40 TO that of in I. like
advance in Is years will leave the Natives of
the soil minority in their own land! Thirty
years ago these strangers came by units and
tens-now they swarm by thousands. ct is
estimated that 800, 900 will arrive within the
present year, Formerly, most ofthen sought
only for an honest livelihood and provision
for their families; and rarely medded with
those institutions, of which 1t was impossible
they could comprehend the nature; no,e each
new conner seeks political preferment, and
struggles to fasten on the public purse with an
avdity, iii strict proportion to his ignorance
and unworthiness of public trust-having been
SENT for the purpose of obtaining political as
cendancy in the government of the nation
having been SENT to exalt their allies to pow
er-having been SENT to work revolution
from republican freedom to the divine rights of
monarchs.
From these unhappy circumstance has arisen
ali imperium IN imperio-a body uniformed
and vicious-foreign in feeling, prejudice and
manner, yet armed with a vast and often a
controlling influence over the policy of a ma
ton whose benevolence it abuses, and whose
kindness it habitually insults-a body as dan
gerous to the rights of the intelligent foreign
er, and TO the prospect of its own immediate
progeny, as it is threatening to the liberties of
the country, and the hopes of rational freedom
/ L L Il. l.. L