Demoine courier., 1854-12-14
LETTER FROM JOIN Nj. CLAYTON
ON AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.

NJ. clayton to ID. Rodney King, Esqt, is
taken from the Philadelphia Enquirer.
As the letter speaks for itself we shall
offer no comments, as every body will
read il:
WAsHINeTos, Aug, 8, 1854.
ID. RODNEY KING, ESQ. Dear
|Sir--Protrac,ed and severe sickness
since the receipt OF your letter On the Sd
uliimo; have prevented me froT keeping
up my correspondence. But for this,
your letter would have received an i'm.
mediate answer. Let me begin then by
reply ing to your principal question. |
respond 10 that by declaring frankly, ,ha,
| never was. am not now, and never
shall be candidate for the Presidency.
| have seen enough of il TO form decid-
ed opinion, that for me, there is no POSI-
tion less desirable / shall be coh,ent
with o seat in the Senate of the United
States; which the kind par,iality of friends
in my native State have assigned to me.
Indeed, | would not exchange /, for any
under the Government. 9 a1
: 'fhe year Of 1856 must decide very
lnomenlous issue in this country. Are
The American people prepared to share
with aliens the righ, OF governing this
nation. at the ballot box, as soon as these
aliens make declaration of intention!
They may, and oflen do. make such a
declaration within a week, or even day,
after landing on our soil. Again, are the
American people prepared to share with
aliens, every blessing and benef, confer
red upon them az American citizens, and
even TO give them share of the public
domain? By the Nebraska bilt Con-
gress has conferred upon them ,hesright
of voting. and by the Homestead bill,
which is still pending, and 10 be decided
upon mex, winter, they are 10 have an
equal share OF the public domain, on~the
same terms with native and natpralized,
citixens. Again the American people
must decide, whei iher other circumstan.
ces being equal, tie native citizen is or
is not fairly entitled toa preference IN.
the distribution OF honprs and offices in
the country which gave them birth.
The state of my health will not per
nit me to discuss these. questions in a
letter. Our natufalization laws are, un
questionably defective. or our almshouses
would no, now be filled with paupers.-
OF the l24,0o0 paupers in the United
States, 900 are foreigners and $4,000
natives. J he annals Of crime have swell
ed as tbs jails Of Europe have poured
their contents into this country, aud the
felon convict, reeking from a murder in
Europe, or who has Ind the :cor,dne to
escape punishment for any other crime
abroad, easily gains naturalization here.
by spending a part OF five years within
the limits or the United States. Our
country has become Botany Bay, into
whica Europe annually discharges her
criminals Of every description.
4 have no prejudices against the honest,
foreigner, who comes here 10 seek an
asylum from the tyranny offulers abroad.
All my sy nipa,hies are with them, and
when they become naturalized, / will De.
fend them as American citzens, in all
their RIGHTS, as fully as those born on
the soil. ! would incuIca,e and practice
religious !oleration in its broadest sense.
bat | would see to i. that no men of any
sect. whose creed ,taches them to deny
religious federation TO me or MY country
men. should ever hold Office here. or
power of any kind to persecu,e US for
our religious opinions. No man who
acknowledges allegiance TO any foreign
po,entate or power, orwho holds himself
under obligations to obey The edicis OF
any such poten'aic or power, shall Be by
my vote placed in any pos. or Office un.
der the American governments. .asstas
would defend the rights Of men Of all
religions 70 the iu.l extern 10 which those
rights are guaranteed by the American
Constitution. But while would advise
every American citizen to defend the re-
|ligious rights Of all others. even at the
hazard Of his life, | would at the same
.ime advise him to peril his life not less
freelyi in defence of his own.
DO not undertake to enIer into the
subject how far foreigners. who are not
naiuralized in. this country. should be
permitted 10 hold office. You wiIr find
that you can lay down no general rule
uoon this subject, TO which there will not
necessarily be exceptions.
ltis sufficient for my purpose. stand
ingas ! do, without The power. and with.
OUT the wish 10 have the power. 10 con,
fer Offices upon Others, TO say, that in my
s,,1 II. - A -. ~. "a