The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-15


discussion, Congress upon fourteen years as
mean term, and il was forthwith ado ted.
This lasted until the lection Of jefferson, WHO
held the fourteen yea Jaw in horror. Like
Washington, jefferson "conceiv i that such re
gulations mi ght be made AMI such measures
taken as would render tn country tie asylum
Of pacific and Industrious Characters from
all parts of Europe an locking to
the pacific and iDdust ious characters oaly,
recommended revision of the natural cation
laws, W ich were accordingly so modified in
1902, that five years residence conferred right
to claim the privileges of citizenship. That
! law, with The amendments passed in 1918. 1916,
1924 and 1928, which do not affect it main
import, has been in force ever since. Practi-
! cally, in large portion of the Republic. the
restrictions 1t imposes have been rendered nu-
! gatory by the laws AID practice Of several Of
the Western States. in one or two, two years
residence confers ri ght to vote at State cleo
tions: in another one year; and in certain
4 places, foreigners are not required to prove
any residence before voting. But in New York,
New England and most Of the Southern States,
the law of 1902 is construed literally and wer.
it not for the perjury which goes on at the
naturalization offices, no foreign bora cit zen
could vote unless he had lived here five years,
This period of probation is without q paral-
lei in the constitutions OF foreiga countries
For an American to become an Englishman q
special exercise Of the sovereign power is re-
quired: legislative enactments are like wise
necessary in other countries. Here the bust
ress is done by smart clerk, for quarter, in
five minutes.
The consequence OF this has been that the
United States contain two or three millions Of
persons from abroad and decidedly the most
unpopular people in the country. Had they
followed the example of the early emigrants,
and after settling down here, had endeavored
to merge themselvesin he American mass, and
forget that they were originally Irish or Ger
mans: or had they led quiet, respectable lives,
without disgracing the country or disturbing
their neighbors, we nigh never have ,ticed
that the foreign element was 30 large, and
would certainly have never thought of opposing
it, But instead of this these Irish and Ger
mons seem only to have come here to seek
clear place to fight with each other They have
imported, the one their shillelahs, the other
their knives, both their family quarrels, as the
most ostensible portion of their baggage and
while we are fearing the laws, and trying to
push The country forward, these fellows are
fghting and naturalizing with them selves
Irish brutality and German rowdyism among
US. Again, our constitution supposes in every
man enough brains and enough independence
to vote as his opinions dictate: these foreigners
have no notion of independence: they vote in lit
tie clans or cques led by priests or orators, ana
have brcus ht things to such pitch that at
every election we actually see the native
American candidates basely cringing and
sDeaking to these fore gnes to get their votes.
These are the causes which have called the
Know Nothing party into existence. They
have long atttacted the attention Of American,
ana once before, some ten OF fifteen years aga
fsint attempt was organized to cure the
grievance. 1t failed from accidental causes,
and since then the foleigners have been slowly
rrIdering themselves more obaoyous than
ever. The present movement wears a more
abiding and formidable complexion. It's strength
may in a great measure be ascribed to the
utter folly and imbccilty Of the admnistra
ton, who have truckled to the foreigners far
more than was ever done before, and put the
climax on American subserviency and foreign
domination, by deputing the most Incapable
foreigners that could be found to some OF IT, ,
most impor SAINT Offices in the government.
Hence the number of the Know Nothings, /
their wide spread inf lence. As yet, thew can
not hope to constitute party that can elect
resident; but Ivy combination with others, oo
the broad basis OF opposition to the ad ninistra-
ton, this result can easily be attained
----
ANOTHER SPANISH OUTRAGE on AMERICAN
CeMMERcE.--Our Havana correspondence brings
Us the news Of the seizure Of two American
schooners off Baracoa, on the ground that they
accounts it IL stated that the captain, crew,
consignees aud passengers were thrown into
prison; but in the other, mention is made only
of the arrest of two creoles who happened TO
be Ca board. The latter In the hope of escap-
ing, set fire 10 the Jail, and one Of them was
shot by the sentinel on the post
If, as is not improbable, it should turn out
that the ground. of seizure were merely sup
positions, ard were suggested only by the sus-
picious jealousy of the authorities, this affair
may be attended with even more serious conse-
quences than the seizure of the Black Warrior
1t occurs at . critical phase of our relations
with Spain, when but little is wanting TO fan
the fame Of animosity between the two coun-
tries, and to afford an immediate Justification
for carrying out the decision arri we'd at at the
Ostend conference Without having the details
Of the case fully before us, it is of course i'm
possible 10 say how far this speculation my he
horne out by the facts. Experience, however.
has taught us that in their nervous aprrehen-
sions of flibustorism, the Spanish officials are