Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-27
From the New Orleans Creole
The Opinion of Bishop Hopkins, Of Yer.

fset .@ mont. EG 9s A}aH
The following extract from late account Of
Bishop Hopkins in regard to the question Of natu-
ralzation, is significant. The Bishop is an Irish
man by birth, but has the intelligence to perceive,
and the patriotism to admit, the great error and
the danger Of our present system of comforting
citizenship:
He regarded universal suffrage as the grand
exponent Of the genius Of our nation. The system
had worked well, because those who originated it
were endowed with virtue and intelligence, and
had built up government whose foundation-prin-
ciple honDrs the capacity Of our race"
/. The Bishop proceeded:
But the sixty years Of our existence is but brief
period In the history of a nation and already we
are hearing complaints from every quarter Of the
land that our institutions are in danger, and the
eclipse Of our glory is approaching. With these
fears the speaker did not sympathize at ALL All
the evls complained Of came from another class Of
errors than those of principles or laws. II il not
that the principle touching the elective franchise
is wrong or impracticablc, but the power involved
has been lightly conferred on large class Of low
foreigners. The law is good enough, but the poo
pie are not the same. They not Of the charac-
ter contemplated In the law which provided for
their admttance to the administrative power Of the
country. Here, then, is the great evil: a charge
must be preferred against the judiciary Of the
country, serious as the act of making such charge
really is. Tho naturalization law demands certain
qualifications and the court must be satisfied that
the applicant has these qualifications, or citizen
ship must not be conferred. But how does the
matter new standg Two Witnesses coming for
ward to testify TO the character Of the applicant
is sufficient, without amy effort being made to dis
cover whether those witnesses have any character
at all whether the applicant can read or has ever
had read to him the constitution, or Is attached to
its principles and Is well disposed to the order and
well-being of the United States.
The lecturer would cxoneratc the Judiciary from
all intention to do wrong; but the fact Is too pal
pabe for denial, that one Of the most important Of
all acts Is made but the cmpticst of forms Tho
judges have reluctance TO exercise judicial pre-
negatives. Custom is powerful Many outside
influences operate to prevent due attention to the
obvious meaning Of the law. II Is matter Of just
pride that our system refuses TO demand any prop
erty qualification, but Il makes demand for some
thing better. 1t demands In the foreign character
an understanding Of and attachment to the consti.
tution and disposition IN behalf Of the well being
Of the country Tremendous issues are here folded
up The courts should be satisfied that these
qualifications exist and therefore inquiries should
be made by which II may be asccrtancd whether
the applicant has been good citizen ut bone,
whether he Is capable Of understanding the con-
stitutop, and what evidence he has given Of being
wcll disposed to good order in the nation.
Iti no part Of our political duty to make war
aganst any form of religious faith but with faith
f administration Of the naturalization law, he was
willing TO leave the rest with perfect trust in D
vino Providence. The comforting the right Of
citizenship should be most solcmnly imposing
ceremony There should be specific days for II !;
names OF applicants should be published for thirty
days previous; on the day appointed, an address
should be delivered on the nature, intcnt and Inn
portancc of the law full time should be taken for
due examination Of applicants and the labor Of
the judiciary should be 10 teach the whole cofpmu
nifty what none can teach 50 well as they, the dig
nifty, duties and honors Of citizenship, showing
that the demand Gar better than property qnali6ca
tons, was most wise aud just. When this Is done,
then we may hope 70 find corrective infused into
the fostering mass Of corruption IN our midst, and
men win be made TO know that the common ques-
tons at law are nothing to the importance Of this
trial for citizenship IN the republic.