Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1854-07-01

asked TO stand up IN the American SeHd'e
and give to foreigners the right of sui
f,age, and in the same breath deny il TO
American citizens, say plainly, cannot
do 1t. /
| have heard before Of putting foreign
ers on an equal footing with Americans,
but this is the first time when have been
called upon to give them an advantage.
And what is the reason assigned Look
at the bill. No officer or soldier OF the
army shall be allowed to vote in the Ter
ritory by reason of his being on service
there. 1t is sufficient for his exclusion
from the polls that he bears his country's
arms, that he encounters the dangers oil
the camp and the perlls Of the battlefield;
but foreigner-what of him lie may
spurn your arms, insult your flag, spit
upon your laws, and then say he means
to become citizen and swear to support
your Constitution, and you let him vote.
A thousand soldiers, with Scott or Wool
at their head, may he ordered TO Nebraska
the day after this bill passes. and not one
of them Can vote. By reason Of being on
service in the Territory they are eXclu-
ded; while a thousand foreigners, just lam
ded, NAV vote, and the next day abandon
the Territory forever; for, mark you, they
are TO declare their intention to become
citizens of the United States, not of Ne
braska. Just think of Scott or Wool, at
the head of thousand Americans, guar
ded thousand Irish or Dutch against In
dian assaults while they vote, and then
guarding them on their march out OF the
country, and hear Pat or Hans blessing
this land of liberty where foreigners vote
and Americans look on in silence +!
: am told, sir, by way of alarm on thIs
= subject, that if the bill is sent back 10 the
f House it will be lost. | have had no ev'
idence of that; and, if had, | would no
2 he so alarmed as to do that which my
t Judgment does not sanction. | am here
2 as an American Senator, TO vote upon my
responsibility; and must do il with tht
aid of such lights as are before me. Mr.
e President, we are to-day making up re
cord which will be looked to by coming
n generations. What do we every day
4 Why, sir, we go back TO the records o
e the past and inquire what those have dom
e who went before US Do we always eX
1 anime into the reasons which influenced
+, the votes No, sir. Senators get "
r and say on q question which they CLAIM
D as precedent so many voted in the athr
!, native and so many in the negative
n When the present passes away this vot'
: will be recorded against you; and you will
be told that here, on the 25lh day of May
!. in the year of oar Lord one thousand eigh
hundred and fifty four, the American Sen
# ate, deliberately, upon motion TO strlk'
q out this provision, refused to do ii by 81
!. many yeas to so many nays, thereby de
e claring 10 all the world that foreigners
i may vote on bare declaration Of inten
l. tion TO become citizens of the Unlte'
n States and an oath to support the Constl
d tuition, while citizen soldier may not, b.
n reason of his being in his country's ser
n vice, do the same thing. This is the pre-
If cedent you are making to-day. Th
). Chinese have proverb that curses, lik
e chickens, come home 10 roost. pra
|. that this precedent may not come home
O US in after time with the double power G
e political curse.
IS Sir, the interests, the rights, the homo
J. of my constituents are TO be put at ha7
;. ard on this vote. | have already said ou
e own citizens, if they are soldiers, will b
/. denied the right 10 participate in the Pre-
IS ceedings in these Territories in any mar
ID ner, shape, or form. If we have thot
e. sand American citizens there, and the
le happen 10 be soldiers, they are to stan
,e off and see their rights and interests con
]s mitted to foreigners. These foreigner
10 NAV have no interest in your countr.
$ may not have read its Constitution, an
a. may be wholly incapable of feeling an
IA attachment for our Institutions. call VI
r. on Senators to reflect before they procee
N further in this business. l tell you tn
$, record will be brought up in future time
re lust as the records of our ancestors al
Il, broughtup now; and our descendants WI
ye be told that because we did this to-ua
n. they may do it in all time to come.
t. am not unbalanced by this appeal to OF
,e fears. The House OF Representative
he NAV not do its duty, but that does n
ne prove that we must fail to do ours. L
il tend to do my duty, and if others fail
On do theirs, let each member he responslb
n. to his conscience, TO his constituents, al
all TO his God.
BY Again, | have been told that ceria
he class OF Senators will now vote 10 sIrl
We out this provision, though they sustain
bic il before, with the view Of embarrassI
H. LII 10 nof tnow uhat these pe