The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-11-08

t terms, launching fiery philippics and indlgnaI
denuncation at an order of which it knew nea
to nothing, but which it assumed to be 1ro]a
) horse filled with dreful instruments and devllls
enginery devised for the destruction OF demOe
! racy. The Washington Union took very con
f spicuous part in the onslaughts on the kno'
: |nothings. It's own leaders were heavy wit
. the weight Of metal aimed at this secret organ
ization, and it was assisted. we will not say Ell
GENTLY by a corps Of ponderous auxiliaries
who fred volley upon yoley attheir grim, silen
and mysterious antagonists. utchange make
change. The know nothings, unimpressible
impalpable and invisible as air. pursued thei
aims, and in the course of few months hav
utterly annihilated the administration, absorb
ing large materials from both parties, and leay
ing both in a powerless minority. No soone
does this pregnant fact impinge itself distinct,
on the somewhat blurred retlna OF the Union
optics, than it hastens to indite an article il
which, after reiterating the principles Of de
mocracy, and talking grandly of its mission
and it's objects, it holds the following remarka
BILE language:
I'm taking its position it should be carefully
borne in mind thatthe democratic party neither
assumes that the naturalization laws as they
now exist are perfect, nor that foreigners have
not on some occasions subjected themselves te
just censures, nor that the Roman catholic re-
ligion is based upon the true christian creed
Citizenship is boon granted to foreigners by
the liberality of our institutions, and this fact
cannot be too carefully weighed and apprecia-
ted by our foreign citizens. They should con-
stantly remember that the high privileges con-
coded to them have been granted upon the rea-
sonable expectation that they would surrender
their distinctive native nationalties, and become
fused and assimilated to our native citizens in
all their feelings, sentiments, and devotion to
our liberal institutions. It becomes them now
in view Of the late significant expressions Of
popular feeling, to consider well whether in
their past conduct they may not have given &C.
casion to much of the opposition which exists
against them Native Americans are Justly
proud Of their high prerogatiyes, and they are
naturally jealous Of anything like foreign inau-
ence upon their insttutlons;in these sentiments
and feelings we participate to the fullest extent
and tits because we do that we so earnestly re-
pei the imputation that the democratic party
has pursued, or will ever pursue, IAN ncendiary
policy in order to conciliate the foreign vote.
Naturalized citizens ought to see, in the inn
mense increase of foreign immigration within
the last few years, legitimate reasons for an ear
nest investigation by native citizens of the proba
BILE influence of this increase of foreign popula-
ton upon our Institutions This is fair and
legitimate subject for discussion, and if it shall
result in the conviction that our naturalization
laws are defective and require to be amended
and reformed, the naturalized citizens ought
neither to be surprised nor to complain
The foregoing paragraph stands in striking
contrast to the tone previously assumed by the
organ Of the administration. After Eliminating
furious anathemas against the know nothings,
after assuring foreigners of the attachment and
protection of democracy, after wagirgaa war of
determination upon all who ventured to moot
the question of change in the naturalization
laws, behold! this athlete of the democratic
faith, wrestling no longer with doughty weap-
ons and tireless arms against the invading cur |
rent, throws himself headlong in the stream,
and seems ready to be carried along by its re-
sistless course. We, who have been for years
critical readers of the Union, can scarcely credit
he evidence of our senses, when we see that
ournal indulging in a quasi-vindcation of the
Know nothings, almost avowing the mperfec-
ion of the naturalization laws, asking adopted
citizens whether their conduct has not justified
hem, admitting ''the late significant express
lions of popular feelings" repudiating the
harge of counting the foreign vote, and ac-
that leading principle Of know
lothinglsm is a legitimate subject of discussion,
md that, if the naturalization laws are defective
aturalized citizens should notcomplain of their
amendment.
What does this abupt and startling transition
ignify? Is the Union, like the Vicar of Bray,
etermined to remain in the majority? Does it !,
ehold looming visibly in the future a powerful
American party, which shall extinguish and +
Intimate all others, until its objects are attained?
S it anxious, with the keen instructive abhor-
ence Of minorities which marks your genuine {
emocrat, to be on that side which may here S
tter control the division of the spoils? Or are
re to conclude that the Union, after vainly try
g to crush American principles, has been !
armed by ''the late significant expressions Of t
opular feelings" thatits policy is futile, and its
curse ruinous-that the sober second thought
as influenced it as much as considerations of ]
lterest, and that henceforth that journal is
repaired honorably and impartially to examine !;
le ISSUE presented Dy the American party, and 7
} uphold them, if in its Judgment they are de- e
landed by the public veal? Let us in charity '
dept this hypothesis. But what will all the Il
organs, great and small, say to this 7
'arvellous change in the metropolitan Journal? 6
New Orleans Bee /
r --o~~~0-~~0~~~1~1~-o-~--> S
The liberty Of the press appears to occasion {
finite trouble every where except in the Uni :
ID States. In Buenos Ayres, the government
the new republic undertook to establish the t
eedom ofthe press in a country where itnever +
etore existed; but no sooner had tie press : =
lade use of its freedom, to comment upon DO d
teal matters, than the government had sent k
message to the legislature, demanding that :
be imposed upon it. ~
Rev. Thomas Chiffon, alternately lawyer, s
olltlcian and clergyman, recently died in Ky. y
! 1873, he was a member Of the Kentucky =.
glslature, then clergyman, and subsequent n
twice elected member of congress, as a b
ackson man. Afterwards he became friend p
Mr. Clay, and being a candidate third $ >
me, was defeated. This was in 1881. butt 4