The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-09-13
From rhe Washington Irnin,

Prior to ih. Ams rican revolution, the narrow
mind d and jealous disposition oil the British
king was displayed in his Efforts to prevent the
liberal aud r.edom loving OF other na'iohs oe
coming citizens in the colonies Hehce tue
complaint in the Declaration OF independence
against The Crown for obsiracting nataraiza-
ton, aud refusing to pass laws to encourage
emirralinn hi,her. The martyrs in the cause
IT y, .litical freedom IN ali parts oil the world
". re invited by the Declaration to join those
siruy cling for liberty, and TO SHIRE IN The fruits
Of Am, rcan Independence, from which polit Cal !
il tolerance and bign,ry were TO be expelled
When success had crowned the tolls and hard
ships of the patriot, and our present constitution
was being formed, the futhers of The republic
inserted pr.vision clothing Congress with the
power /" IL IS ab,sh a uainrm rule ut natural.
zatinn." Congress has exercised this power,
an. prescribed rub rqu,nng residence 1T
1--WE years. aud satisfactory proof of good con-
dacl and ai,achmtn, tn the principles OF The
ccnsiit ton durlag thai period Hence, II any
improperly become cit zens under The law, the
fault is with the courts who administer ~, fnd
not ith the law self. During the reign oi
John Ad ans the federalis,s became alarm d be-
cause those no soueh, liberty here could not
be induced to hate France, and idol = MIR
Adams or his party. Hence the ceiebrai cd
alien laws, by which Mr.. Adams was clothed
out and rxg- from the United States all such
t,Ieiguers as he CHI, Sc. To rep,ess all cia,nor
gains, his administration, and particularly
| auainst this act, the sediton law was passed,
authorizing the Indictment and punishment OF
those who sought to rIdicule hin or Congress,
or bring either into contempt o. d'srepute-
Und, this law Cooper, of South Carolina, and
Lynn, If Vermont, were fined and imprisoned
The authors 4 these laws were indignant, ex
PEELED from power, and Jetf rson placed at the
head y, the government. So great was the
od,nm accustomed by them and the unwise nets
"f Ne. Atams, thai the iedeTaIis,s, under their
own name, have mt since been able In obtain
The political puwtr OF the country. Through
coalitions, bank Influence, aud the combination
Of the d.scardsnt elements OF the day, aud the
| isas al The times, and the denial and conceal
ment of their real objects, they have triumphed,
wi the aid o! all these elements, only thrice III
over half cen ury. The iederalis.s of 1898
had the merit of badness Since that time
their successes have been the fruits of deceptive
DISCUSSES and frauds upon the people. This old
federal party still exists, habted in the uniforms
worn by the incongruous and sp 'tted battalions
that compose the enemies OF the democracy,
aud the free principles OF the revolution and our
cons tuition The spirit and feeling of the alien
and seditirn laws stll exist, and find supporters
among Us, though attempted to be c'ncealed by
| the black mantle of an ignoble secrecy, and
protected by a slavish and scandalous oath, ad-
ninistered by the willy few, who rule their sub
ordinates with an iron rod. The latter are im-
elements in the hands OF the managers 10 strike
down the liberties OF the country. The p.lnci-
pies OF the kaow-nothing combination, so stu
diously attempted L, be conceaied, are precise
ly those which Mr. Adams and federal Con-
eress boldly enacted in laws Knowing that
~. Il, nt hA cd nd ~ hay
could they would fall before discussion and
sound public opinion-this new secret order at
tempt to accomplish the same objects in anoth
er manner. They dare not even assail the ma
| turalizltion laws, and ask Congress to change
them They shrink from the odium they would
merit and incur if they openly sought to hinder
naturalization, OF 10 pass laws 10 prohibit natu-
ralixed citizens from probing like other per-
sons, by their talents, education, and good CON
duct, or os,racizing their children born among
US. They have neither the frankness nor the
manly courage to demand a change in our fund
amental taws-marking religious creeds or
forms OF worship an element OF qualification for
public trusts, or equality Of citizenship and the
enjoyment of political rights. Neither they, nor
their abe,tors, nor those whose political purpos-
CO they subserve, have the tenlerity to take ouch
grounds. But they seek t, accomplish these
unholy purposes in manner unknown to our
constitution and la as, and in sub ession Of the
spirit OF our institutions, by enforcing the dark
counsels Of night under the mask of sworn Sc
crecy. The Declaration Of Independence says
all men are created equal, and endowed with
certain inalienable rights and privileges, and
among them the enjoyment OF liberty and III,
pursuit vi happin This secret organization
comha,e these principles as TO all who are not
oorn here, and as to those who d. not pro-
such religious creeds as they approve. They
can sustain Mormon, whose creed and practice
is moral pollution, while they strike down u
Catholic, though as pure and above rerroach as
Charles Carol, who signed the immortal De-
claration Of Independence Under the sworn
creed 9th new sect, no life can be blame
less, and no patriotism distinguished, as to be
protected from their secret shafts if not born Of
American parents upon our own soil. Steuben
the father Of our military tactics, they would
refuse road masters warrant; Pulaski aud
Kosciusko, Lafayette and his companions, would
fall beneath their bcasing juggernaut The
chivalry and valor Of Montgomery could not
protect him DcG,ass and ID Estang would be
spurned If the troubled politics of Europe
should drive into exile another Emmett, he
would be denied 4 resting place, or the liberty
Of exerting his brilliant talents in positions which
New York assigned him as a mark OF respect
and admiration. The CO stiiution and laws
confer certain privileges aud rights upon such
men; but these pol teal perfectionists say they
shall not enjoy them. Their objects are to be
accomplished not by a change of the laws, but
in prohibiting freemen from exercising their in
alienable rights. They do not seek reform in
the public institutions of the country, but aim
at the Offices which are instituted to administer
them. Their whole patriotism is limited to
their cravings for public otfice. The only
change included and sought in their prayer re-
lates to their hankering for official station which
their merits have not enabled them 1, command
By calculating largely upon the ignorance, the
prejudces, and credufty OF our n tive born CT
,izens, and upon the political dex,erity and skill
Of their whig allies, they count upon continued
success. By their 81 stem Of secrecy aud oaths,
they expect to repress freed I'm Of action aud the
liberty of speech, and s,ifie all independence in
the worship oil God The list Of dupes must be
long which will enable them t. accomplish
these purposes They can triumph but once.
Hatred Of sect and birth place is q soulless
principle, upon which no political structure can
be successfully erected. lnevery,hing else the |
old party principles prevail. Wings elected by |
the Influence of know-no.hings are wings still, |
and ever will be. As proof that these dark |
agencies are whig ins itutons in disguise, quot |
approved by all wings, we happy to say,) |
we need only to refer to the fact that herever |
they exist, adu nave eAetteo tueir power, II mas |
be TO elevate wings, who seek to introduce |
and carry out wing measures and enforce wing |
principles. We have not heard of one democrat |
who adheres TO the faith of his party being N |
object Of favor among them. The very essence
II their principle is hostility to the creed Of all
true democrats. The later are for OPEN and |
free discussion and reflection, an Tor the largest
liberty of thought and action. They have spok-
en- on this subject in manner not to be misun-
derst'od. The following resolutions, adopted by
the Baltimore Convention. in 1910, has been
reiterated there some two or three times, and
re-adope ed dy the democracy in nearly every
city, county, and t,wn in the United States:
Resolved, That the liberal principles i'm
bodied By Jefferson IN the Declaration Of IAte-
pendcnee, and sanctioned By the constitution,
soaich make ours the land Of liberty aud the
asylum Of the oppressed Of ercry na,ion, hare
ercr been cardinal princip.ts IN the dsmocratie