The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-10-06
AMERICA FOR THE AMERICANS.

country where the alien ny brth, ana often
by openly boosted sympathy, is permitted 10
fill the most responsible offices, and preside
over the most sacred trusts Of the land =
Is there another country that would place its
secret archieves and its diplomacy with for
elm states, in other than native hands-with
tried and trusty native hearts to back them !!
Is there another country that would even
hermit the foreigner to become Il citizen,
shielded by its laws and its hag, on terms
such rs we exact, leaving the political fran
chisc out of sight! More than all else, is
there Il country, other than ours, that would
acknowledge as citizen, II patriot, IL rcpuD-
lican, or safe man, one who stood bound
by religious oath or obligation, in political
conflict with, and which he deemed tempo
rav higher than the Constitution and Civil
Government of that c"uniry-to which he
also Processes 10 swear tca'y!
America for the Americans, we say. And
why not! Didn't they plant it, and battle
for it trough bloody revoution-and havn't
they developed it, us only Americans could,
into nation Il century, and yet mtgh'irr
than the oldest empire on earth. Why
shouldn't they shape, and rule the destinics
of their own and-the land of their BIRTH
their love, their affairs, and their graves; the
land red and rich with the blood and ashes
and haIowcd by the memories Of their faith
ers. Why not rule their own, particularly
when the alien bctravs the trust that should
never have been given him, and the liberties
of the land are thereby impcrillcd!
Lacks the American numbers, that he may
not rule by the right of majority, to which
is consttuiionally given the political sover-
eighty Of this Ianl' Did he not, at the last
numbering Of the people, count seventeen
and half millions, native to the soil, against
less than two and Il half millions of actually
foreign born, and those born of foreigners
coming among us for the last three quarters
ola century! Has he not tried the mixed
rule, with tolerance unexampled, until it
has plagued him worse than the lice aud 10,
Gust plagued the Egyptian' Has he not
shared the trust of office and council, until
foreign.born paupcrism, vice and crime, stain
the whole land-until Il sheltered alien frac-
ton have become rampant in their ingrati-
tudc and insolcnce! Has he not suffered
burthcns of tax, and rcproach, and shame,
by his il!-bcstowcd division of political pow
or?
America for the Americans! That is the
watcll-word that should ring through the
length and breadth of the land, from the
lips Of the whole people. America for the
Americans-to shape and to govern; to make
great, and to keep great, strong and free.
from home foes and foreign demagogucs and
hierarcls. In the hour of Revolutionary
peril, Washington said, "'ut none but
Americans on guard tonight" AT Il later
time, Jefferson wished San Ocean of fire roll.
ed between the old World and the new
TO their children, the American people, the
fathers and builders of the Republic be.
quentled it. External vigilance is the price
of libcrty!'-let the American be vigiIant
that the alien seize not his birth-right.
America for the Americans. Shelter and
welcome let them give to the emigrant and
the exile, and make them citizens in so far
rs civil privileges are concerned. But let it
be looked to that paupers and criminals are
no longer shipped on us by foreign Slates.-
Let it be looked to that the foreign nalion-
alites in our midst are rooted out; that for
cign regiments and battaIons are disarmed
that the public laws and schools of the
country are printed and taught in the Ian.
guage of the land that no more charters
for foreign titled or foreign characterized assoc
ciations-benev0ent, social or other-arc
granted by our Legislatures; that all nation
al and State support given 10 Education,
have not the shadow Of scctarianism about
it. There is work for Americans to do
They have slept on guarl-ii, indeed, they
have been on guard-and the enemy have
grown strong and riotous in their midst.
America for the Americans! We have
had enough of "young Irelands," young Ger
and "young Italys." We have had
enough of insolent alien threat to suppress
our "Puritian Sabbath" and amend our
Constitution. We have been patient cam.
cl, and borne foreign burthcn even to the
back-brcasing pound. But the time is come
to right the wrong; the occasion is ripe for
reform in whatever We have failed. The
foe is fully discovered-hc
must be squarly met, and put down. We
want in this free land none of his political
dictation. We want none of his religious
him keep hi. '.holy shirt of
Treves," his "winking (pictorial) darnscl OF
Rimini," his "toe nails of the Apostle Peter"
and his travail about the "lmmaculacy of the
Virgin Mary" in those lands that have been
desoiated with persecution, and repeoped
with scrts and lazzaroni by the hierarchy to
which he owes supreme religious and tem-
poral obedience. Our feeling is earnest, Iot
bitter. The matters of which we have
written are great and grave ones, and we
shall not be silent until We have aided in
wholly securing America for The Americans.
-Nep York Mirror.
About twenty-six railroad companies of
Ohio and Indiana were represented at the
Convention held at Columbus last week.
The resolutions adopted do away altogether