The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-15
Gen. Scott and tsse Amen r.aws--Mors De
umenta-- atou.,sllny neNcsopeIneMts.

Gem. Scott and tho Alien I.aws--More De-
cuments-~ A tou.;,lng Devciopcrncnts.
We lay before our readers, in this mornings
Hnp ND, the most remarkable and important docu-
inent which has yet light during the present
campaign. In Itself, as passing anonymous
nun ication to newspaper, il amounts to II slo o.
Iothrg but in com ectioa with the fact that Gen
Scott 10 the author II becomes matter of the deep
et interest and of the grayest moment, especially
10 that immense hody of our population bern with
OF tho limits Of tho United state, which he pro-
poses exclndo forever from the right TO vote The
document in quest is from The Ndtioadl iaieili
gfucr, CT December, 1871, aud bears the signature
of " Amegicus" We are, however, authorized to
ray that this o Americas is General Sco.s-tha
he is the wrier Of the article; and, furthermore,
that if required, prepared to provo it, accord
ing 10 the images in such made and pro yided
We shall accordingly treat the document as if il
! were signed by Winfield Scott in his own name; and
We challenge any of hi7 most honest.psrtizans, or
any of the most interruptions of the . higher law
demagogues 10y whom he is surrounded, TO y rofata-
ton of this indictment.
What, then, docs 'Ancricus," alias Gen. Scott,
pr nge to do, il order to rid himself and the
try the terors of foreign born population He
imply proposes 20 amend the existing naturalization
laws in a row law, as follows
| Ito reduce tile term OF naturalization from five
| years to three years.
20 exclude al aliens orere from tie right any
gublic elections trhaiete'. erccpt
Such aliens shall have served two years In the
army rvy who sbal thereby Dc onLi cd to the rights
Of ctz, nship, including the right of suffrage
Athens shall he exempted from Involuntary servicc
In The militia the army or navy Gust as free negroes
and lnGia-E }
The law TO go into operation six months aler its
passage.
That is The plan. There we have the result of the
years of anxiety, apprehension, and socitude of
Gen Scott respecting our foreign born population,
and his views for tho prevention Of the dangers
which, in Las mind they threaten to Our political
institutions Re sd the article The itaiics are from
copy except in those two sentences which urge lnost
pontedly tie degradation Of the alien. Those We
have marked. es the pith OF tho entire argument
His bin is simple and to the point--his argu-
ment is concise aud Logical; and yet a atrocous
abomnation Than this whole document OF "Ameri-
GUS in isIestricons andinits tendencies, was never
heard Of in the pal,niest Gays Of the alien and
sedition lows. The restrictions proposed are bar
barrie and despoc; their direct tendencies would be
to anarchy, bloodshed and civil war.
| There is intrinsic evidence, in this document
itself, Of its paternity. In the feature forever
Guiding the alien from the right Of suffrage, il cor
| responds with the Generals naive American letter
/ oflSil; and The ideo Of making a favorable excep
/ tion of all aliens who may have served a term in
1 the army navy, is embodied in the letter Of
acceptance. (Sve the documents appended 10
! ''Americus , In the communication Of 1884, how
ever, two years service recommended, which, in
the ette. Of acceptance OF 1852, reduced TO
years service, proper tide to the fun benefits
Of citizenship der The constitution. But the
most striking conoboatiyc evidence of the anthem
ciiy Of this paper of 1S4i, is in the hurry in which
it prepared. Nearly every letter. of late years,
Of public character emanating FROM General
Scott, bears the same direct testimony of great
hurry. We see it in the letter of ISL 10 which he
says that in November, 1910, 4" fred with iodig-
nation at certain things which had occurred in
the elections, lie sat down with two friends ut the
Aston House, to draw up the schedule Of a native
American party; sec it in his war conospon-
deneo with Secretary Marcy, where lie was ia such
hurry to reply that be could not stop TO eat his
dinr.r but contented himself with q hasty plate
If soups" it in his letter accepting the shg
nominstion; and we have the same appeal in this
remarkable documen. IF 1911, in which be says he
has " not the time for defamation on POLISH but
merely to present few notes, suggestive OF the
more elaborate argument which nigh. otherwise
have been expected.
Tins document il, however, sufficiently clear snd
elaborate tor all practical purposes and is mani
festIy the result Of much study, elaboration, and
research In his letter of II, Gen. Scott says that
his Grst impressions Of the necessity Of an amend
rent of the nstur ization laws were the resolt OF
'the stormy elections OF the spring Of 1885" From
80 70 -, period Of nine long years interviewed,
during which appears that with .ery Presidential
election, be regularly seized with conydlsion |
of native Auoricanism. Thus, in 1910, he wos |
fred with indignation" and hurried up to the
Aston House to organize Lila new party; and thus
IN December, ~, Polk being elected, anu the ur-
gency Of the case admitting ofne delay be published
hs plan for restoring the purity Of elections, in
the most otious and despo,.e foin OF an alien law
which any public man in this country ever daceu,
even under the disguise o. fictitious signature to
propose to the American people.
1t is not I'll isiS, when the prospect Of q vng
nomination made it nocesanry stroke If policy,
that Gen. Scott, upon an invitation to do 50, re-
tracts these hard old federal principles. But. undt-
such circumstances, wat faith can be placed 10 his
retraotion Bic has said that his principles arc
con7ictionf," and there, We apprehend, lie speaks
the language Of the truthful old soldier AS a ,Oi,-
tcian however, his recantation IL little better than
a deatb-bod repentance. The whig party, in
the campaign Of 1910, repudiatcd National
bank an ''obsolotc idea and yct upon succeed
Ing TO power, il 1871, it required two votoes from
John Tyler, Ct two different bills for National
bank, before the scheme Yves defeated The ex-
tcrted promises Of politicians, under the drregs q
popular election, amount 10 nothing. We must
Therefore, hold General Scott. and every other
General to those "prnciples" which their "co-
yictions."
w