Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-04-28
wpIc pREIuDIuE AGAINST OUR FOREIGN POP
ULATION.

AN QueClalOu " ,u.
y, n,s,aos,on have always characterized Inc wing
Marty. both 10 It's general policy and 10 the bearing OF It's d
diyiduaI members. This naughty disposition Is sigoa'y IL
narrated in the conduct of the Wing party towards Tue To-
,eieu.born population Of the country. Ordinarily lney
affect q nervous dread and distrust OF the character ="
the foreign. born citizen, and seem unwilling 10 connoo ~
him the rights and franchises of an American Hee"a"' :
Is very true that, in an emergency, when the pressure 9
nend,no election compels a resort to extraordinary means io'
recruiting the ranks of tho party, that the moS' gu - ~
clp,,ve aristocrat of them all becomes enathofeo Vi Ne
,veo, cs,msn accent" and "the rich Irish brogue'-out tue
occ,.,o, oysr. the lordly Wing re!apses iato his haoiluai
oontennt for The unfortunate fugitive who seeks IN TINS
country an escape from the expressions and extoruons OF
his native land.
The organ of the Wing party in Vireinis, caring nothing
at this particular time for the good opinion Of our foreign
BON citizens, has recently given expression II "S pre-
yaIioe and Characteristic Wing sentiment. An TWO very
remarkable editorial articles in the Wig OF 'his week le
foreign population of the United States are ridicuieo Win
norc;,s.. sarcasm and denounced in the bi.terest terms OF
t,v.c,ive. We venture TO affirm that the reader will ac'
knowledge, after perusing some choice selections from Inc
violent philippic of the Wing, that never before DID any pup
lie journal speak in such scornful and contemp'uous iau'
euaae of the immigrant population OF the United sIa'eS.
In the editorial column of the Wing, of the Oath, we tnd
the substance of a speech against the Homestead 6Ih' IN
which q Wing Senator from Kentucky gave expression 10
the Characteristic contempt OF his party for the fore'gn'oorn
ei,Izen. 10 language not less remarkable for violence than
for vulga,Ity Of abuse. The Wing Introduces the speech
with tho following words of commentator and concur
renee:
"Ws presen, our readere this morning with o rich treat,
IN tho speech delivered bv Senator Thompson OF Kentucky,
LAST week, against the Homestead bill. We have not met
with any thing for q long time which emoodies mote llu9h'
fulness, wit, humor aud sound, practical sense"
The eclire speech from beginning TO end ia but one Tarl
ously expressed and illustrated sentiment oil hatred ana
loathIng for our foreign population. The single ioea lha'
the immigran Mt is an inferior and degraded animal anu Is un-
worthy of respect and confidence as q member OF society, Is
ruua through every possible change and presented With
the utmost emphasis Of expression. And This q Richmond
journal, speaking for the Wing party of the State, accepts
and spplauds rs "truthfuloess, and sound practical
ssnse"l We invite the readers attention TO a few specimens
of the 'truthfulness, wit, humor, and sound, PRACTICAL sense"
which the Whig 80 cordially commends
Mr.. THOMPSON of Kentucky said the amendment was in
tended TO extend the grant made by this bill not only TO all
Americans aud foreigners now in the United States, Out also
TO all foreigners who may come here, upon their ming o
declare tlon of intention to hecUme citizens. 10 the Dill,
ad especially TO the amendment, he was entirely opposed.
In the other end Of the Capitol II had lately been declares
that a proposition 10 give lands Tor the support OF these un
fortunate people, the insane, who by visitation Of God were
unable to provide themselves. was Unconstitutional; but the
Senator from OHIO finds no such difficulty 10 the p;oPosi
ton TO give homes and lands TO all The vagaoonds' paopets
and crimiusls which The arm Of public justice or poiilicai
events compel TO come to our shores and 10 the idle and lazy
losfers of our country.
He wished 10 Know any gOou CAUSE VI oheHuB INC oo"us
10 all those foreigners who seek American shores to all
those who leave their country, perhaps for that counlry's
good, or who leave it because they are somewhat liberal,
yet no. liberal enough to fight for liberal principles and 'ns"'
The industrious American pioneers have been made made
TO pay for their lands, and Il 10 given away 70 me ctT,na y
and will fly to this country like buzzards TO a carcass ~hIeh
they will stick TO till they eat il up.
They are 10 have none OF the proceeds OF is sale; they
are 10 derive no benefit of any kind from i'll but they are
further told that while none of you shall have any OF II, we
will give il. to some Hessian whose ancestors ou. HH re yO vo, !,
for hire In the days Of the Revolution. We viii not give !.
to your people for shoots or school.houses, but we VIII give
1t 10 some Dutchman with such a hieh pack ana { ~
broad that IL will take three generations 10 hcR MI" NO
tho shape OF an American gentleman.
"vaeabonds, paupers, criminals, ragamufins, buzzards"-
such are the terms with which a Wing Senator character
ICES the foreian born citizens of the couutry-this Ia the IAN
Rusge of vulgar abuse which The organ OF the wing party
10 Virginia admires and appiauds as "TRUTHruLSEss an'
sc11nd, practical sense" Its unreasonable perhaps to expect
either identity of taste or uniformity Of oploion even among
members of the same party in every possible particular and
therefore the Whig may not be without license for lts excess
sive dislike of our foreign populations; but we suggest that
something more of moderation and decency might have been
displa we'd 10 the expression OF Its hatred and disgust. ii the
Wing chooses TO regard the foreign population as a danger
Gus element of American society, it might, in a respectful
and dscorous way, have recommended a repeal OF the naiu.
raliz,,ion laws. We submit that there is neither occasion
nor excuse for 90 violent an outourst OF passion as ina INTO
which our neighbor has been betrayed at the expense ooln OF
dignity. and good taste. The Wing might look upon our for
eign.born citizens as very sorry fellows, without stigmatizlng
them as 'vagabonds, paupers, criminals, rogamufhns, DUE
cards" and other dirty things. Our nelshoor might also nave
been less indiscrimiua,e in It's denuncialion, for even the
mos, inveterate Native American must acknowledge that
some, at least, Of the refugees from oppression are worthy
and respectable persons. So too, although the German form
be not the model Of symmetry, according u the fasli
dious taste Of Mr. Thompson and the Wig, It was certain.
~ very unklud not 10 make a,onement for the sneer at the
"hiph back' and abroad fesl' of the "Dutchman," by some
recognition of those sterling aud es,imable qualities which
the German character possesses.
If the Wing had been betrayed into a violent anatnena
against our foreign population by a sudden gust of pas.
sion, there might be some apology for tho injustice ana DIT
terness of its language; but we are npprehensive that our
pelehbor ia Tho victim of q chronic prejudice and a hereditary
hatred which will never yield to the persuasion of reason or
q more generous feeling. Not content with a single cruel
blow at our foreign population, the Ifhig returns to the
charge, and In an article Of the 26th, with something less OF
hardness aud something more OF discrimination, sus'a'ns
its attack of the previous day. The first paragraph will con-
vey a correct idea of the temper Of The article
FOREIGN PoprLATloN.-A portion Of the foreign popu.
iation in this country appear TO be actuated oy a settled
determination 10 make themselves exceedingly obnoxious 10
our native born citizens. and 10 excite their preludlces and
even their hostility in the highest pitch. Not content TO
come here, and quietly erjoy the protection and advantages
pire after something more-they desire power, nnd wish to
exercise q preponderaiing influence in shaping our lnstiu.
lions aud controlling our destiny. Judging by their unseemly
and ex:ravaRant demonstrations In sumo parts of The coun-
try, they appear 10 regard themselves as the only truly en-.
~lishteped and genuine Republicans Oh earth, and, therefore,
specially commissioned 10 instruct our people In their fell-
9 eious, moral, and political duties, and to take upon them.
selves oil tho burdens of civil legislation and social reform.
ForRetful whence they came and what they have been used
to ali their lives, the moment they land upon our shores, In
stead Of going TO work and behaving themselves as dutitol
citizens, grateful. for The hospitality they receive and the prisi-
leges conferred upon tnem-they begin to put on ridiculous
aod offensive airs. and lay claim TO rights which their mod
esty, II nothing else, should induce them 10 foreSo, until, al
least, they become pretty we'll acclimated.
This rebuke of our foreign population, though moderate
aud discriminating, is unsnd and unjust. The results OF
our observation do not warran, the charge tn lat our foreign
population are arrogant aud overbearing- given TO !" immo-
des. and upseemly demonstrations and " ridiculous and of.
fenslve airs" Here and there an individual scamp may be
found among The multitude of sober, Industrious aud
hooest fo,ei2n.born citizens. just as exceptional in.
stances Of villlny occur among our native population.
But we do not concede that any 'porHon OF the foreign po-
pulatiou of this countrvn are the mischievous men whom