The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-12

to the civil authority, and the duty of obed-
ence to its ,behests. To exclude them from
civil Office, therefore, because they recognise
the supremacy of the Church in matters of
religious faith, is to persecute them for their
religion, to war upon the rights of conscience,
to institute a religious test in politics.
Of course we can favor no such policy. 1t
is unreasonable, anti-American, incompatible
with the rights of conscience, and its tenden-
CT is, to produce dangerous collisions, or cor
rupt coalitions, between the Civil Power and
the Spiritual.
But let not American Catholics forget that
it is the eztravagant and odious dogmas OF
such papers as the New York Freeman's Jour-
nal and the Boston Pilot, and such teachings
as those of Brownson, which have provoked in
great degree the prcscriptive policy which
we have just condemned.
The policy in relation to foreign immigrants
and citizens of foreign BIRTH proposed by the
resolutions is uncslled-for, unjust, and impoli-
TIC. We know there are some evils attending
the rapid influx Of SO many foreigners in our
country but, after all, they are limited in ex-
tent and in duration, and do not touch the
robust vitality of the nation. Certainly they
are not SO wide spread and terrible as to justify
policy 30 crushingy proscriptive as that an
nounced in the resolutions.
We said it was unjust. And is 1t not un-
just, to close up all the avenues of preferment
to men who have domiciliated themselves
among us, and invested here their all, of labor,
talent enterprise and aspirations? They hap
pened to be born in one part of Gods earth,
we, in another. In the Providence of God, we
are all thrown together, to develop new
world. Who gives us authority to turn upon our
brethren, and say, We will hold all the Offices,
and you shall hold none? They have the same
interest in the welfare and destinies of the
country that we have. What right have we to
deprive them of their just influence over them
Equal and exact justice to all is the princi-
pie of Democracy A man born in Germany
has been living here score Of years. has mar
ried, raised family, accumulated property, has
no earthly interests not invested on American
soil. But l make him ineligible to any ofice
of trust, influence, or emolument while
claim for myself the right of candidateship for
all Is this Democracy, is this justice, is it
decency?
Nor is it sound policy. Such prescription
will not abate, but exaggerate ultimately
the evils against which it is directed. 1t
will naturally foster prejudice among aliens,
make them feel as if strangers in strange
country, keep them in an attitude of sntago-
nism to the country, drive them to cherish
their nationality in opposition to American
ism, and provoke bitter, proftlesa, dangerous
struggles between different races What secu-
rity would there be in war, with millions of
aliens on our soil, leagued together by COM
mon hate and common interest, against a
Republic which, while availing itself Of their
capacities of production, had excluded them
from the most honorable rights of citizenship?
We are satisfied with the policy pursued
hitherto by our Government in relation to immi-
grafton and naturalization. 1t is a just, liberal,
wise, and benefcent policy. Ii has made foreign
immigration subserve the highest good, with
the least possible evil. The man of foreign
birth who comes to our shores, is welcomed
as a man; after residence in the country
long enough to give assurance that he has
chosen it as his permanent home, and obtained
a reasonable knowledge of its language and in
stitutions, he becomes one of us, and under the
constant pressure of the physical circumstan-
ces, political institutions, and moral infuen-
ces around him, not suddenly or by coercion,
he is ineensibly Americanized. In this way,
although we are receiving aceessions to our
population from abroad to the amount of hun
dreds of thousands every year, and although
ct this time there are more than two million
persons of foreign birth among us, there is no
people in the Old World, however ancient,
however fixed in its habits, 80 homogeneous
as the American People. Could this have
been, had the prosoripsiye policy announced
by our Know Nothing friends, been adopted
at che formation of this Government? Never.
Finally, we object to this organization, be-
cause it ignores, or subordinates the great
practical Question of this country, on the solu-
ton of which, more than on that of any other,
depend its destinies-the Question of Slavery
AS we have seen, Its members are Pro-Sla-
very or Anti-Slavery, according to locality.
Sometimes the organization may help the cleo
ton Of an Anti-Slavery man, sometimes pre-
vent it. If it aspire to National existence
and influence, it must take ground, pro or CON-
on this Question, or its adherents will be false
to their convictions But, should it take Pro-
Slavery ground, what will its Ans-Slayerv
members do2 Or if Anti-Slavery, what will
its Pro-Slavery members do 1t cannot e.
cape the rock on which other organizations
essaying to ignore or subordinate this CUES
ton, have split.
Now, will earnest Anti-Slsvery men place
themselves in bondage to Party which treats
the Question of Human Rights as minor con.
sideration? VIII they permit themselves to
be involved in entanglements which may tempt
them to betray the cause of Human Freedom
Is it right now, when under the provocation of
the late Nebraska outrage, the North is shs-
king itself from its lethargy, old parties are
breaking up, and new party of Freedom,
which promises to unite the political elements
of the free States for the redemption of the
Government from the Slave Power, is begin
ming to emerge from the political chaos, is it
right for them to aid in thrusting another dis
tracing question of less moment before the
People, another element Of discord and d.
vision in the free States?
| No one, we think will misunderstood our
position. We oppose native combinations, but
We are no less hostile to combinations among
naturaiized voters. We oppose the political
prescription of Catholics but we are no less