Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-10-18

n copy oil the FOLLOWING UfSuiN iutcEcstiuS
correspondence has been placed in our hands
| for publication. 1t will be read with more
than ordinary avidity: is fzH Ii.y s5sf.-
r ~ PuILApELPHIA. July 3D., 1854.
/ Hon. JSo, N. CLtYToS.-My Dear Sir
| Many of your fellow citizens, deeply ihiprcss-
! ed with the importance of having all the off,
| ces under the General and State Government
! filled with able and intelligent men, free from
! the prejudice and Ignorance Of our institu-
tions, which foreign birth, education, and in
/ fiuence is so apt to produce, and also feeling
/ high respect for your personal character, and
| admiring the ability displayed by you in con-
| Quoting the affairs of the nation, whilst filing
a station but little inferior in responsibility to
+ that of the President of the United States
| himself, are encouraged to hope, from some
of your late speeches and votes in the Senate
of the United States, that You coincide with
| them in sentiment, and that you Will eqdea-
/ vor to carry out their views, by consenting to
be their candidate for the highest Office with
! in their gift. But the more fully to ascertain
| your views, You will confer favor BY stating.
| whether, if elected, you will pledge yourself
TO exclude from all civil offices, persons who
! do not possess the requisite constitutional
qualifications for filling the Offices of Presi-
/ dent and Vice President of the United States
except in the case OF foreign, diplomatic, or
commercial agencies, or otherwise, where the
| services of persons possessing the above men
toned qualifications, cannot be commanded,
without detriment of the public interest.
! The opinions freely expressed by you in de-
batting the question now prominently before
| the people, have made us fully acquainted
with your views in rcgrad 10 them.
! will merely add that neither myself nor
! those for whom act are in any way connec-
ted with any secret society OF organization,
| but are simply actuated by desire to intro
! ducc what we consider to be very salutary
/ and necessary reform into every department;
/ of our government. / am, very respectfully,
your friend,
.E5 ID. Rooney KING.
| WASHINGTON, August s, 1853.
| d. Rooney KING, Esq.-My dear Sir:-Pro-
/ tracted and sever sickness since the receipt
of Your letter of the Sd ultimo, has prevented
I me from keeping mp my correspondence
/ Let me begin then by replying TO your Prin-
| cipal question. 1 respond 10 that by deelar-
| ing frankly that never was, am not now, and
never shall be a candidate tor the Presidency.
L have seen enough OF il TO form decided
! opinion that for me there is no position in this
! country less desirable. j shall be content
with the seat in the. L. s. Senate which the
kind partality of friends in my native State
hts assigned me. Indeed, would not eX-
change il for any under the government.
The year 1857 must decide momentuous
issue in this country Are the American peo-
pie prepared to share with aliens the right Of
governing this nation, at the ballot box,
soon these aliens can make declaration of
intentions They may, and often do make,
such declaration, within week, even
day, after landing on our soil. Again are
the American people prepared to share. with
aliens, every blessing and benefit conferred
upon them as American citizens, and even to
give them share of the public domain? By
the Nebraska bill, Congress has conferred up
on them them the right of voting, and by the
Homestead bill, which is still pending, and to
be decided upon next winter, they are to have
an equal share of the puplic domain, the
same terms with native and naturalized citi-
zens. Again, the American people must de-
eide whether, other circumstances being equal
the native citizen is or is not fairly entitled to
preference in the distribution OF honors and
offices, in the country which gave them birth.
The state Of my health will not permit me
to discuss these question in letter. Our
naturalization laws are unquestiOnably defec-
tive, or aims houses would not now be fl
led with paupers. OF the 134, 900 paupers in
the United States, $4,000 are foreigners and
&c 900 natives. The annals of crime have
swelled as the jails of Europe have poured
their contents in 70 the country, and the felon
convict, reeking from murder in Europe. or
who has had the fortune to escape punish
ment for any other crime abroad, easily gains
naturalization here, by spending part of five
years within the limits Of the United States.
Our country has become a Botany Bay, into
which Europe annually discharges her crimi-
nails of every description. 20 eos. F--
have no prejudice against the honest for
eigner, who comes here to seek an asylum
from the tyrany of rulers abroad ALL my
sympathies are with them, and when they be-
come naturalized, will defend them, a.
American citizens, in their rights, as fully
those born the soil. would inculcate and
practice religious liberation, in its broadest
sense: but would see TO it that no men OF
any sects whose creed teaches them 20 deny
religious liberation to me and my countrymen
should ever hold office here, or power of any
kind to persecute us for ourreligious opinions.
No man who acknowledges allegience to any
foreign potentafe or power, or who holds him
self under obligations to obey the edicts eft
any such potentate or power shall be by my
vote placed in any post or Office under the
American government would defend the
rights of men of AL religions to the full ex-
tent to which those rights are guaranteed by
the American Constitution But while would
advise every American citizen to defend the
religious rights of all others. even at the haZ-
ard of his life, would at the same time ad-
wise him to peril his life not less freely in de-
fence Of his own.
i do not undertake to enter into the subject
how far foreigners, who are not naturaized in
this country should be permitted to hold Office.
on will find that you can lay down no gene
raj rule upon this subject, to which there will
not necessarily be exceptions. 1t is sufficient
for my purpose, standing as do, without the
power, and without the wish to have the pow
or. TO confer offices upon others, to say, that
N my judgement, native American citizen,
under equal circumstances os qualifications
and merit, is better entitled to the honors and
ofnces of the country than foreigner, wheth.
er naturalized or not. And now, seeking no
omce from yon or your friends, or anyb body
else, have the honor to subscribe myself,
Very sincerely and respectfully your friend.