New-York daily tribune., 1854-03-28
rArlONAI. ANTAGnNISs rs

Al history shows tlat all Organizations OI a1 exclu-
7e character or of eldshy national character beget
their opposites by the mere lsw Of compensation:
hence the sntslavery party in this country and hence
too the Native American party. |, is dreary sight
to witness one half of this country wlging moral
wor on TIE other half and the word Di'unOn becom-
ing familiar in mems mouths but il is the necessary
growth of be perversiOn Of the decaratOry basis Of
our Constitution which afirns oil 10 be created
free and equal So too, it sad spectacle 10 behold
Natyism taking the form of q secret society and en-
deavoring to gain complete control the votes Of
the country by means befrting the political darkness
of the uid6e ages instead OF the light which gds
the peaks Of democracy and may descend down the
sleeps into the broad valleys. But before looking at
Nat,ism and coudemnDg II, we mus, look at the eau
fes which eDgender it-as none but fool will look at
Il alone.
Nothing can be more liberal than the present laws Of
the United States regards foreigners The original
probationary term necessary for immigrant 70 be-
cone citizen, estsbl she'd during Washington ad
nipitration Was but two years. After residing ior
that period the enranchised European could formerly
vote aGd enjoy the rights-and, alas, the privi
eces Of an American citizen for he could buy and sell
men as good az himself and might even crafty hi'
taste 80 far as TO own plantation with many fat
"nifeers as his means would permit. In short tine
however it was found that two years too brief
period 70 qualify mar for citizenship aud the lAw w4s
changed by Congress extending the probationary term
70 fourteen years This subsequently was altered 70
FIVE years--a term since held 70. Now the poor Ger
nan cousc1ipt. the miserable English victim Of the
loom, the acIicuturel Iaupor WAC vi6rates from the
70 In oatpotl s4lfad and oatmeal
salesi who comes 70 ths country can ia five years
be eligible 70 judicial and legislative honors; and may
Iecome as large a landowner az Metternich himself
ard may perhaps return to Europe the peer Of the
proudest. Such man, surely owes every possible
respect TO the nationality Of the United States. It is
most assuredly due to this country that he sloud for
get lis European nationality if he become an Ameri'
cen citizen intend to become But is this done
40; Just the Naturaized citizens, or those
who have entered their for naturaZed citizens,
form clas. apart They band together as if Americans
we're even their enemies. They join societies which
meet periodically when amid wild huzzas the members
pledge their fret affections and latest loves their long
est remembrances lofties; hopes and noblest prdes,
to the land of their birth If Englishmen bOru they
are guile Of the Tad taste OF toasting the Queen with
loyal sput; SLOWING thai they long TO change their
dignity citizens with votes for the servitude of sub
ects without votes, whose votes under the rotten
borough system avail nothing in the popular scale. Ii
IrstmeD showing equally bad taste they denOunce Eng
land with whom Am rica is at profound peace, and
openly ayow their desire TO conquer her and render
Ireland great glorious and free proceeding perfectly
proper for IIislmen 10 Ireland, who may there meet
together and make good their words by fighting, but
simply potyalaut at the distance which lies between
here aud Ireland So too, tie Germans band together
and denource their tyrants at Berlin and Vienna: this
is al evidence OF weakness. Either the Germans in
Germany are ripe and strong for liberty, or they are
not if they are, they will with quiet majesty take the
affairs of government in their own hands if not, not.
Dut their nationality at distance does nothing. 1t
should be merged in what ought to be the common
declaration OF liberty in America, against all
tyrsnts, whether in South Carolina or Austria
but as d German declaration il should be in Germany
and not here. This foreign sntAmerican feeling ex.
hbits itself in various other ways Even ia the matter
of the military it is obtruded in the grossest manner
/ If anything ought to be national surely il should be
tie soldiers OF country; but here VIC are provided
with German ard Irish regiments and Drigades, as
though this country poor colony of Ireland and
Germany instead Of Independent State OF its own
right. NO country but this would permit such glaring
departure from the most obvious requirements of ma
tonal integrity and domestic safety, as is displayed by
these foreign regiments Ii the hearts OF these men
were really in America, they would wear no foreign
names BADGES or uniforms; this coultry's insignia
would he all in all TO them.
Now, we protest against this foreign organization
protest for the sake of the Proprety and dignity OF
the immigrants Themselves. If they come 20 this
country merely as merchant peddlers or princes 70
make the most money in the least time, careless
whether filth or crime oyerspread the commercial
metropolis the fewer speeches they make on what
ever saint day the better good taste should make
them hold their tongues But if they come here to be
czens good taste to say the least should make them
keep s OF from all anti-Amercan combinaOns-fora any
association which is not for US in this country must be
against There is OF blinking terms or ig
rorirg logic. In an Irish or German association
charitable. military pOitical-the bond ia Irish OF
German, and not American, and therefore it awaket
sItaeOnim among all who are Americans simply anC
wholly.
We hold equally the scales of justice in this matte,
and protest agairsta secret American society whether
it know everything or know nothing. But we have NJ
hope that such a society or its equivalent in sOmc
shape viii be uprooted until it's cause be eradicstei
namely the social political and military combination
OF foreigners among us-ThO pretend 10 be Americans
il fact in prospecr-and ere always looking a5roal
for con fort precedent bOnor aud lore We are either
ell American or DOthing and this piebaid arrange
uent-neither one thing nor the other among the 10
| migrant population-begets state OF things anon.