Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-03-29
From the rich lands of this large Terri.

tory, patriotic statesmen have anticipated
that free, industrious, and enlightened pop.
ulaton will extract abundant treasures Of
individual and public wealth. There it has
.been expected freedom.lovng emigrants from
Europe, and energetic and intelligent labor.
ers from our own land, will find homes of
cumfort and fields of useful enterprise. II
this bill shall become law, all such expecta-
ton will turn to grievous Disappointment
The blight of slavery will cover the land.
The homestead law, should Congress enact
one, will be worthless there. Freemen, un-
less pressed by hard and cruel necessity
piH not and should not uork beside slares."
do not say that such would he the effect,
but if any earthly consideration could induce
me to cast my vote in favor Of infiicting the
Wimot proviso upon a territorial bill. 1t would
be the consideration that unnaturalized for
eigners should be excluded as well as slaves
Irevere, with patriotic gratitude, the memo
res of those ilustrious characters who never
became American citizens, but whose names
are part of the history Of American liberty.
Iappreciate the worth ofhundreds Of merito.
rous citizens who first saw the light of day
in foreign climes, and cherish for them all
those elevated sentiments which are awakend
by the word countryman. | rejoice in the
equality Of their social and legal rights, and
am not jealous Of their political advancement
And yet, sir, so firm is my conviction that
the liberties and institutions of our country
are in greater danger from the influx Of a
foreign population than from every other
cause united, that avow in my place an en-.
tire readiness so to amend the naturalization
laws, and extent the period of political pu-
pilage, as will secure better knowledge Of
our theory of government, and give some
promise that tile privilege os.citizenshp will
be rightly appreciated, ,,and not abused.
would nt deny to any man who, upon
faith in our laws, has settled among US, with
bona Gde intention of permanent residence,
the legal or political rights Of naturalzed
citizen. But, sir, emigration is increasing
into an evil; aud it is time to prepare against
it.
"Jam pridem syrus in Tiberim deAuxit
Orontes, ct linguam, ct mores, ct cum tibcine
chordas ohlquas.'
Things are not rs they were. In the
earlier days of this Republic we needed an
increase of population for the security Of our
own people, aud the development of the
resources of the country. We were then in
a condition to Americanize by example and
absorption. Wewere alta wholesome dis.
tance from European associations and policy.
Our own people were less pragmAtical and
foreigners less impudent.
But, sir, our danger now is not from
weakness, but from unwieldly and unregu-
lated strength. The question with the states
man is not whence to draw population,
but how to regulate and discipline that which
we have; how to preserve to the people
the fullest enjoyment Of property, Of life, and
of liberty, and yet TO restrain them within
the wholesome limits of constitutional law.
They who guide the ship Of State will
find their powers of government sounded to
the highest key in controlling the elements
of fanaticism and propagandism which are
of home production, without the inhammato.
ry influence of irresponsible conductors Of
newspapers or mobs-who mistake rant for
reason, and license for liberty.
Such is the inIatnation of portion of
those who oppose this bill, that. with the
history Of the foreign population in America
fresh in their nremories-a history which, at
the North, is but a succession of riots and OF
mobs, in which private houses have been in
vaded, public edifces demolished, railroads
subverted, churches burned. and our citizens
murdered-that they condescend to appeal
even to those outcasts from the purilieus OF
the cities of the Old World, 10 bring their
influence to bear upon this Federal Legis.
lature.
In pursuance of their madness they have
contributed to swell this tide Of corruption,
which threatens their present peace and So
ciely, and which threatens US all in prospec.
tive, by gratui,ous donations of public land
to any and every foreigner, upon the sole
condition of actual settlement.
Will it be said by Free-Soers, in support
of their philanthropy, that they desired thus
to provide homes for the negro as well az
for the whites! Then the proposition
amounts to this, that we of the South, afte'
being robbed of our slaves, are asked BY
the Nbolitonists and Free-Soilers to relieve
them of population which they have cor
ruptcd into nuisances, by setting apart
portion of territory, of which we are join
owners, for the benefit of these very runa
ways and free negroes. while our slaves ant
ourselves are to be deliberately ly excluded.
Sir, the Free-S Soiers but reveal the poEti
cal use of slavery when they make their ap
peals to foreigners for its restriction; ant
they but expose their counterteited pbIlan
thropy when they say freemen, unless
pressed by hard and cruel necessity, vii
not, and should not, work besifes slaves.
Where, sir is their regard for their bretherI
ofthe same color as themselves at the South
ifathey will fix upon US what they hold to b.
"hard and cruel necessity9" This senti
. ment bears the ear.marks of northern phil
anthropy, and is a pregnant commentar..
upon the immaculate doctrines they profes
"to behold in every man u brother" | know
sir, that the equality.loving Free.Soilers @
, the North, "uuless pressed by hard an
t cruel necessity" refuse to work beside slave:
f And know that, after seducing them fror
their homes of cheerfuness and comfort a
the South, they are left to starve in tn
streets, while the freedom loving emigran
! from Europe monopolze every evenue G
thrift and Of employment; and also know
| that hundreds who are now dragging out
f miserable existence, in want and in crime
! would joyfu!ly return to their former owner
. oo,ld tho,, Il, Lon,et lohor hrt sacnro th