Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-12-09

BER 9, 1854. eaas .-za
! On this principle it was that Mr. Calhoun
and myself, as have heretofore publicly ex'
planned in my place in the Senate, voted fol
the Compromise Of l845, while strongly pro.
testing against this whole alien clause, which
we still hoped in some way to exclude from
the bill before it should become a law A.
chairman of the Committee on the Judiciar,
in the Senate, reported the first law which
establish Territorial Government over Wis
| consin, composed Of all territories of the pres.
ent States Of Iowa and Wisconsin. In that
carefully protected the rights of American cit.
izenship, and excluded the suffrages of for.
e;gners. without naturalization. Last winter
moved to strike the alien clause out of the
Nebraska bill, but Hnsuccessfully, and for.
eigners by that bill are allowed to vote in the
Territories without nal urali2alion., Foreigners
have also been allowed to vote without ma
tura!ization in the States Of Illinois, Wisconsin
and Michigan, as well as in several Of the
Territories besides Kansas aud Nebraska /
cannot now, without an utter sacrifice of prin-
ciple, deviate from the doctrine that none but
American citizens should enjoy the right Of
suffrage. cannot and will not, at my period
Of life, hoping and wishing nothing from any
political party, and fearing none, departlfrom
a principle which has governed me ever since
entered public life. When we were defeated
on this question, in 1886, took my hat and
left the Senate Ia disgust, and every Wing Id
that chamber followed me, all Of US consider
ing that the Constitution had been .trampled
under foot by the party opposed to u.s.. - .
Iconcur in the sentiment expressed by Gen.
Washington, that "it is contrary to the policy
of this Government to appoint foreigners ~
Office to the exclusion of native born citzens." :"
l do not mean by, this that foreigner should
never be appointed to office. Imean that 9th.
er circumstances being equal, the American
ought to be preferred, and that was the opn.
ion of Washington. But there are many for
eigners in this country for whom ! would not
hesitate to vote; and to illustrate my meaning,
I now take leave to say that as the Senatorial
term of James Shields, of Illinois, is about to
expire, if l had hundred votes to cast in the
election of the Senator of that State, would
would throw them all for James Shields; such
is my opinion Of that man. But If another
James Shields, equally worthy; patriotic and
able, were to present himself as his opponeas,
born an American on the soil here, would
prefer him to the foreigner, though natural.
ized citizen. II any man differs from that OPT
nion he 10 at perfect liberty 10 do so, tutI do
not envy him in his claims to true American
and patriotic feelings. ! shall not enlarge upon
this subject, for my sentiments have before
been publicly expressed. s''''S''' 20 ''7'i
Yeu will understand me, therefore, fellow.
citizens, as standing on the platform adopted
by the Americans At Dover, on the 4th dayIof
last month, and no other which in any degree
conflicts with it. will not support for Office
q man who claims to be Native American,
unless be plants himself upon that PLATFORM
II he seeks my vote he must do il BY profess
ing my principles. He must not tell me that
some other party besides the American party
here has nominated him for the office. He must
come out plainly, and say that he asks support
on the principles of the Americans At the Cap.
itol, when they met last month publicly in
State Convention. If he asks the support. of
the American party, he has no right to accept
without our consent, . nomination from ano-
ther party. protesting principles which we,iss
Americans, have never adopted. snor rs-, 4
did not come here to make a6cket-Il Ileave
al that to others. ] only came here 10 explain
the grounds on which shall act nd gsgl#oG
A party formed On these principles must ne
cessarily be thoroughly national, and not sec-
tional ip its character. 1t can have no geogra>
phical divisions No parallel Of latitude or
can divide il into discordant ftag-
mentA to form The elements Of future separa.
ton and civil war. Ignoring the Slavery quss-
ton as proper element Of party organization,
and ~ utterly untitled for party combinations,
It would refuse to test the suitableness Of any
man for public Office, BY the question whether
he was forl or, against the mere extension of
Slavery in some Territory Of the United States,
always content to leave that, as well a. every
other domestic question, to the people Of that
Territory who alone saeht to have the right
to decide it - soon a. sufficient numbers haveI
settled there TO form q. respectable common.
wealth. Non:intervention is the principle now
professed " TIE Democratic party itself but Il
% not the principle on which they have acted.
Their practice apd Ahei professions hare ,nssesl
agreed on this subject. True non.interyeptiQn.
would have ieh the people of Nebraska and
Kansas, aftsfoA suitable number Of people had
to those tessiesties, % have electsdf
heir own Govssnos asyelI a. thsirI Iexislstuse,
md would have len the question Of Slavery in
be meantime u, the question whether,
,ndsfsthe Constitution and existing laws and
paaaisss4a alaxshoi1ss eeusd safely carry hls
'ayes to those tArrieesies, - qssstionilos 10
lecided solely sby The, Courts Of, the United
3tstes, and DOT by Legislature elected only
y 'aihandfui Of squatters, including every aliei
Who may cbooao q kosehefe from Eurone. glad