The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-10-20
Judge Douglass Defamation OF GENERAL
Scott

Judge Douglass Defamation OF GENERAL
Scott,
We notice that Judge DOUGLAS persists in
disappearing the position Of General Scorr
on the naturalization question. In speech at
Galena (lil.) on the Eth instant, the Judge
is reported to have remarked:
General ScoTT was OPPOSED to the NATuRALI-
zATIoS OF ANY FOREIGNER UNLESS HAD SERVED
ONE YEAR IN THE ARMY NAVY; that he had 80
lald II down in his nter OF acceptance Of the Wing
nomination; that il General ScorT's views were
carried out, NO FoREIoNER COULD EVER BECOME A
CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES UNLESS HE SHOULD
SERVE IN THE ARMY OR NAVY; and there were
about three hundred thousand foreigners coming
into the country annually, and the army Of the
United States consisted only of ten thousand, the
vast majority of the emigrants coming to this
country could NEVER BE NATURALIzEp."
The least that can be said with regard to
this declaration is, that the speaker who uttered
1t knew 1t to be contrary to truth, and only ut
tered 1t for the purpose OF misleading natural
lzed citizens
Early In the campaign, when the same
speaker made exactly the same assertion, we
were inclined to view it as an inadvertence,
Springing from an imperfect knowledge of the
whole subject. The Judges exhibition of his
ignorance on plain point of constitutional
law strengthened the impression, which has,
however, been effaced by his subsequent course
1t is now apparent that he desgnedly misrepre
sents the Wing candidate, and attributes to
him intentions widely different from those de-
veloped in his published letter of acceptance
The accusation is grave one to prefer against
Senator Of the United States, andA Judge to
BOOT but it cannot be, and ought not to be,
b'lnked. Judge and Senator are both lost in
the bitter and INSCRIPTIONS partisan.
To show how groundless is this complaint
against General ScorT, we need only refer to
the paragraph relating to the subject which
occurs in his letter of acceptance. He therein
states that if elevated to the Presidency he
would
Recommend or approve of SINGLE ALTERATION
IN our naturalization laws, suggested by my mill
tary experience, vzs Giving to all foreigners the
right OF citizenship who shall faithfully one
year on board OF our ships in our land forces,
regular or volunteer, on their receiving an honor
able discharge from service"
he proposition is not to lessen the privi-
leges of foreigners who desire to become ma
turalized according to the forms now prescribed,
but to extend those privileges by making one
years service In the army or navy a sufficient
title to citizenship. The assertion that elf
General Scorr's views were carried out. no
foreigner could ever become citizen unless
: he should serve in the army or navy" is,
then, positively and in every particular untrue
The Galena Qll.) .4duertiser notices in this
c"n"exiOn the opposite Interpretation which
another Illinois Democrat has placed upon Gen
eral SCoTT's proposition. Mr.. w. A. RICH,
ARDsoE, Representative from that State, dis
cussng the suggestion in July last, said:
~ do not understand that General ScoTT or the
Wing party propose to change the naturalization
laws in any way except in the particular referred
TO in hs letter. He and they INTEND THAT FIVE
YEARS IN CIVIL PURSUITS SHALL BE sTILL NECESSARY
TO ACQUIRE THE RIGHTS OF cIrIzE NsHlP by the emf
grant. What, then, fellow citizens, is the position
General SooTT assumed 1t is this: One years
service in the army in war enables the foreigner
to learn as much of our Government and insttu
tions as five years in civil pursuits. +" Cen
eral SCoTT thinks that years service in the
army under its rules and regulations would BE
FULLY EQUAL TO FIVE YEARS OTHER PURSUITS
g" You do not want this unjust distinction made
bet,oeen those foreigners ,rho one year in the
army and those Dho fue years. term Of natu-
radiation IN OTHER PRoFEssIoSs. = When
General ScoTr was for closing our doors against
all 'foreigncrs,' we opposed it; and now General
ScoTT desires TO go TO the Other ertremer'
General ScorT's error, in Mr.. Richardson's
estimation, is, that he is too favorable to for
eigners. We leave the twin Democrats to set
tie the quarrel.
Slavery Withdrawn