The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-10-25
THE CLAYTON LErrEK.-The following is t

LEGATION Of which we noticed in our last:
WAsn1NGros, August 8, 1854.-My Dea
Sir-Protracted and severe sickness since tn
receipt of your letter of the Sd ult, has pre-
vented me from keepingup my correspondence
But for this your letter would have receive
an immediate answer. Let me begin then b
replying to your principal question. fespon
to that by declaring frankly, that never wa:
AN not now. and never shall be, a candidat
for the presidency. have seen enough of
TO- form decided opinion, that for me there
no position in this country less desirable.
shall be content with the seat in the senate {
the United States, which the kind partially {
friends in my native state have assigned to me
Indeed, l would got exchange it for any unde
the government.
The year 1856 must decide momentou
issue in this country. Are the American PEG
pie prepared to share with aliens the right G
governing this nation, at the ballot-box,a as 500
as these aliens can make declaration of inten
ton? They may and often do make such
declaration within week, or even day afte
landing on our soil. Again, are the American
people prepared to share, with aliens, every
blessing, privilege and benefit conferred upol
them as American citizens, and even to Civ.
them share of the public domain?
By the Nebraska bill congress has conferred
upon them the right of voting. and by the
homestead bill, which is still pending and to be
decided upon next winter, they are to have ar
equal share of the public domain, on the
same terms with native and naturalized citizens
Again, the American people must decide
,lntl> h1,,,
native citizenis oris not fairly entitled to prefe
renee in the distribution of honors and offices
in the country which gave them birth.
The state of my health will not permit me to
discuss these questions in letter. Our natu-
ralization laws are unquestionably defective, or
our aims houses would not now be filled with
paupers Of the 1874, 900 paupers in the Uni
ted States, $4,000 are foreigners and $4,000
natives The annals of crime have swelled as
the jais of Europe have poured their contents
into the country, and the felon convict, reeking
from murder in Europe, or who has had the
fortune to escape punishment for any other
crime abroad easily gains naturalization here,
by spending part of five years within the linn
its Of the United States. Our country has be-
come Botany Bay, into which Europe annu-
ally discharges her criminals of every descrip-
ton.
I have no prejudices against the honest for
eigner who comes here to seek an asylum from
the tyranny of rulers abroad. All my sympa-
thes are with them, and when they become
| will defend them, as American
citizens, in all their rights, as fully as those born
on the soil. l would inculcate and practice re-
ligious federation, in its broadest sense, but I
would see to it that no men of any sect, whose
creed teaches those to deny religious federation
to me and my countrymen should ever hold
office here, or power of any kind to prosecute
us for our religious opinions.
No man who acknowledges allegiance to any
foreign potentate or power, OF who holds him
self under obligations to obey the edicts of any
such potentate or power, shall be by my vote
placed in any post or office under the Ameri
can government | would defend the rights of
men of all religions to the full extent to which
hose rights are guaranteed by the American
constitution. But while | would advise every
American citizen to defend the religious rights
If all others, even at the hazard of his life,
would at the same time advise him to peril his
ife not less freely in defence of his own.
low far foreigners, who are not naturalized in
his country, should be permitted to hold office.
on will find that you can lay down no general
ule upon this subject, to which there will not
be exceptions. 1t is sufficient for
ny purpose, standing as do, without the power
nd without the wish to have the power, to con-
er offices upon others, to say, that in my judg-
nent, native American citizen, under equal
circumstances of qualifications and merit, is
etter entitled to the honors and offices of the
ountry than foreigner, whether naturalized
+ not. {
And now, seeking no office from you or your
:iends. or anybody else, have the honor to ,
ubscrbe myself, very sincerely and respect
lily, your friend, JOHN M. CLAYTON I
o D. Rodney King, esq, Philadelphia {
There were few persons, we imagine, in the I
hole country, out of bis particular clique, who
elieved Mr.. Soule our minister in Spain, to be s
ualified for the office. The administration, if Il
icy were too partial or dull themselves, had t
he benefit before this incompetent person was F
opointed, of the advice of the best part of the
'ess and the country in opposition to their in r
screet act. But good counsel was lost upon t
olh Ill oilto oo HCli do ludIy OtHef Instances, T
rait requires the possession of worth in ones b
If to appreciate it in another. Mr.. Pierce r
ems weak enough to suppose that the way to
1T the favor of his countrymeni is to be uncour- S
Gus, even insulting, to foreig On nations, and &C
'rdingy chooses such instruments as have n
ste for such an employment. 1t is difficult to e
'cide which have brought more discredit on tt
e United States, the naval achievements of =
e PRESIDENT the inactivity of some, or the i'm
rtlnent meddlesomeness of others of our Il
,ents abroad. 1t would seem to be a fact, that Il
} is endeavoring to ascertain by experiment,
e truth of the saying that the world is entirely
norant with what small amount of ability d
e affairs Of government may be managed s.
Mr.. Soule is a man of talent, though wrong 1
AIDED a.4d unreliable-more a Frenchman d
an an American. One half of this is proba-
y true. From what we know of him, we is
yer should suspect the one, though we Weld tt
willing assent to the other. His taste and
7le of thought and expression are evidently ',
t of the American type. He may have been q
yally naturaljzed in form, but residence in |
ew Orleans for century, to all appearance, 9
ould not be able to nationalize his mind. Take II