The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-01
NATURALIZED CITIZENS.

The Richmond (Va.) Times, in its dispeasure
at the views held by Mr.. Soule on the subject
of Intervention, styles him foreigner, in birth,
education, and training, and adds:
"But this French Democrat did not confne
himself to an calculation of Gen. Washington's
views of our foreign policy. We learn from
the Republic that he, q foreigner, had the ef-
frontery and bad taste to impute want Of
American feeling to such men as Webster,
Crittenden and Fillmore"
Were Webster, Crittenden, and Fillmore, de-
fcient in American feeling, the imputation
would come with as good grace from Mr. Soule
as from any other Senator
The practice of discriminating between ma
tive-born and naturalized citizens finds no war
rant in the Constitution of our country, or in
common sense They are equal in all points,
except that of eligibility to the Office of the
Presidency. The foreigner who leaves the
place Of his birth, and becomes naturalized
among us, is an American citizen, and is fairly
presumed to have identified himself with the
interests and destinies of our country. The
Constitution and Laws recognise him as an
American citizen; he is such by choice; we
are citizens by the accident of birth 1t is no
presumption in him to exercise all his rights as
a citizen it is sheer impertinence in us to ques-
ton his rights, and to designate him contempt
uously as "a foreigner"
The ungenerous spirit displayed by the TimeS
newspaper does not we rejoice to believe, per
wade the masses Of our population. They vel
come the stranger to their shores, and regard
him as one of themselves the moment he has
declared his purpose to become an American
citizen. What stronger evidence could he give
OF his attachment to this country, of his appre-
citation of it's institutions, of his claim upon
their fraternal feelings, than the abandonment
of the place Of his nativity, and of the rights II
c)nterredi
Were the habit of dsparagng our iorelgh-
born population general, how long would II
be ere the two classes of citizens would be
arrayed against each other in deadly hostility
Then, instead of the rapid incorporation Oh
emigrants into the mass of American citizens
the disappearance Of foreign antpathies ana
characteristics, all the elements OF antagonist
would be developed into fearful activity. The
emgrant would learn to hate the natlve-borh
American; he would cling to his own nation
atty; we should soon have two great Parties
divided by the prejudices of birth, each abhor'
ring the peculiarities of the other, and cuu
waiting its own and in this way the energies Oh
the country would be wasted in a struggle
which would utterly prevent the growth Oh "a
homogeneous population and a eon'"o" "''
tionality
All attempts, therefore, to d''e''" u. NC
tween naturalized and native-porn ci'ihens' !"
arouse the prejudices of one e'"S" against ''e
other to excite iealousies between them, to or
oan;,. them socially or politically according to
the accident of birth, we regard as ill-judged,
wicked. and pregnant with the most baleful
consequences
Tur COMPROMISE IN MIssIssIPPI-The LIE
sislature of Mississippi has under considcra-
ton the Compromise measures Four out Of
committee Of FIVE have made report, recog'
nising their finality, and approving their pr'n.
ciples. The remaining member, in behalf Of
the Secession members, has reported the very
resolutions in favor Of acquiescing in the Com
promise, which the Union party in the state
Convention last November adopted 10 rs clear
that the struggle between the two factions
one, not for Principle but for Power