Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-12-29


itself, how much more must genuine Chris
tianity
As doctrine. in the second place. what
does Know -Noihngism propose The po-
litical disability of vast numbers Of men, on
the ground of race or religion. Can any
thing be more intolerant, narrow, or bigoieds
Did the old priestly or warlke tyfannes
which man has been writing under these
centuries back. lend themselves 20 a mean
er dominion than this would assert for our
Young repubics The fetid and deiunct dy-
nasties which have become loathsome re-
membrance To men, which were terrible iun-
pi IN their day. and rcptoach for ever,
grew from roots like these II u now propose
ed to plant in our soil. We that have made
It our song ever since we were born. that
here humanity had at last found home,
that here oil the antlquated distinctions OF
race, nationality, seat, and caste, were merg-
ed in the single distinction OF manhood
that here man was to be finally recognized
NJ man. and not as Jew or Gentle, as Chris
tian or MahOmmedan---a Protestant or
Cathollc--we, who have made the world
ring with self glori6catons of the asylum
Of the oppressed Of all crecds and nations
Of the city Of refuge 10 all the weary exlles
Of freedom, "whom earths proud lords IN
rage or ar,driven from their wasted homes"
we, ore now asked to erect political barriers,
to deal out political accommodation as mar
row, as meen, as selfish, and as unwarrania-
Bile as ever de5ased the elder governments.
That preparatory residence and disci-
plne should be required of foreigners, be-
fore their incorporation into the State, Is
reasonable; the extent and nature of such
social quarantine may also be conceded to
be a question for discussion but the total
exclusion Of aliens from citizenship for the
future, is so monstrous meanncss that one
Is 10th to entertain the conception. II Is
such an utter and uncquiyocal surrender Of
nearly every peculiarly of our Institutions,
that II would not merely lay all the new-com-
ers under ban, but cenatlonalze ourselves
The cry is, america for Americans and
we agree to II heartily, but what is America
and who are Americans lie Is not Jew
saith the apostle, who IS one outwardly-and
America, in the same sense, is not a certain
measurable area of territory, nor the Ameri-
can every miserable biped that happens TO
be born upon 1t. America, is the cognua,n
OF a nation of men, and not Of 10 collection
Of arabic acres and Americans are nj
simply the individual Indians, nrgrnrs ami
whites, who first saw light between pus-im
nquoddy and Pensacola. but al VIM ARE
Americans inwardly-who arc b li up op
the American idea, who live in le trlc sen.
timent of democracy, whose poliicn citcun-
cison Is Of the heart, IN the spirit and nat ~
the letter, and whose praise is lot OF men
but Of God" These ure the true Am-r-
cans wherever they chtnccd 10 be- born
whether Turk, Russian, Mllesian or hoe
taw, and are infinitely To be preferred in the
unthtnkIng aud yirulent natives whose A nur-
icanlsn sinks no deeper than their SKINS
and had no existence before Their Il ,hb, li-
tie bodies were first swadded. Amrica
to The Americans, surely; not to the spur
oU" SKIN deep, appartiunul Americans, uui
10 the real men worthy Of the nhme
We are apt TO suppose, IN projecting
these exclusions, that the persons Shut ont
are the only persons seriously aiitc ed hy
them, but That Is "a woeiul mlsmkt. lie timt
commits injustice, he that perpctritcs mean
ness, suffers from 1t as badly as he that is the
direct victlm Curses, ike young chickens,
says the familiar old proverb, always come
home 10 roust. Debar the half.millon of
emigrants who annually reach our shores
from the elective franchise, and what would
be the effect: WHY the growth, in the
very midst of the community Of vast DIS.
iranchscd class-of an immense body Of
political lepars--Of men having an existence
apart from their fellow men, not id,nl f d
with them, not Incorporated with snrleiy !;
and consequently tempted on all sides io
conspire against 1t, TO prey upon II. aud 10
keep II in disorder. Coming hero ignoriut
vicious, rnruly aliens would remain igno-
rant, vicious and unruly; for they would
have few of the strong motives which they
now have 10 become orderly and estiinablr
citizens. They would remain outside of
those educellonal lp1uences, winch ARE lhe
the jury, the ballot, the legislative assembly
etc, and which render 1t so important % n-
to extend these influences to all who are
members of our societies. We have already
in the midst of us, one class. Of tutcasts, 10
the poor and degraedlfree blacks and thsl. We
we shonld think, sufficient to appease any
body's mais unity, without striving 10 raise
up another from the Germans, the Irish. 81
any other nation.
Its scarcely possible, however, Ia believe
that the Know othings contemplate suci
Gn extreme error as the enure exclusion O
future aliens from political life. Thrust be
a calumny of their enemies. or a produc
of suspicion aggravated by fear a
any rate, we are certain that the late pc
lilcal tourbuions which have sent such sWlt
CONSERVATION and dlsmay into the hearts o
the old political foxes, have nos been cause
by any affinity for such a project. We hav
too much respect for our fellow citizens 1
suppose IL but we ascribe these cXtraord
nary movements to other sources. The
are a result of double reaction-iirstl
against the excessive cultivation OF foreign
crs by the demagogues and, secondly
against the miserable folly and corruption
the old political parties.
Ii can not be denied thnt for some year
now, both wings and democrats have pros
truted themselves before the alien voters,
a serylle aud disgraceiul way. Holding III
balance Of power, as the latter did, beiw &c
the two paitles, there was no end to the cot
cessions, the tlunmeres, aud the substantl
douceurs, too, by which they were courie
lIonors aud offices were heaped upon the
with proiuslon, which recalled the debut
some popular actress, and the showers
boqueis which greeted her from her adorIu
I friends. II was better to be an Irshmsn.
: a German, than native American; a Ma
| lifted him TO for,une--and an unpronouncJ
able German patronyrnIc was passport I
ali kinds of political idvor. No ticket va
u complete ticket which did not contain
sop, IN the shape OF candidate to the ms
interest, and the suppleness with which sen
ators and governors bent themselves ~ tina
direction, set new lessons IN the ar, of tawn
ing-gayc new formulas for the preparation
Of odfoit lies Is II a wonder them that tn,
Americans themselves, showed so wholly in
To 'ne shadow, should get little tired of th'
gumes More especially when the SAM
Influences, which introduced the foreigner
into political office, were likewise inlroduc
ing them into SO many private places Of c
molument and trust 4? Not at all But th
foreigners were not TO blame for 1t, or .
leust for nothing beyond little natural pr'
sumption accustomed by their good luck
/ The dastardly and imp, incipled demagogu'
who wheedled them into excuses, are u
offenders who should bear the bfunt OF II
| punishment 1 et NIL thosa too who her