Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-10-11
From the Philadelphia Inquirer
Correspt ndenee.

| From the Philadelphia hquir1.
Interesting Corresps ndenee.
A copy of the following highly interesting Cor
respondence has been placed in our hands Tor pub
lication. 1t will be read with more than ordina-
ry avditty:
PHILADELPHIA, July Sd, 1854.
HoY. JHo. NJ. CLAYToN.-My dear Sir -
Many of your fellow citizens, deeply impressed
with the importance Of having all the Offices un-
der the General and State Government filled with
able and intelligent neh, free from the predju-
dice and ignorance of our institutions; which fof-
eign BIRTH education, and influence is SO apt to
produce, and also feeling high respect for your
personal charactef. aid admiring the ability dis
played by you in conducting the affairs of the ma
ton, whilst filling station but little inferior in
responsibility to that of the President of the Uni
led States himself, are encouraged to hope, from
some of your late speeches and votes, in the Sem
ate of The United States, that you coincide with
them in sentiment, and that you will endeayof
10 carry out thar views, by conserving to be their
candidate ioI the highest office within their gift.
But the more fully to ascertain your views, you
will confer favor by stating, whether, ifeleced;
you will pledge yourself to exclude from all civil
offices, persons who do not possess the requisite
constitutional qualifications for filling the offices
Of President 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 MERTON
ed qualifications, cannot be commanded, without
detriment to the public interest
The opinions, freely expressed by you. in deba-
ting the question. now prominently before the
people, have made US fully acquainted with your
views in regard to them
will merely add, that neither myself hof ,hoso
for whom act, are in any way connected with
any secret society or organization. but are simply
actuated by very salutary and necessary reform
into every department of our government. | am
very respectfully. your friend,
f ID. RODNEY KING
G WASHINGTON. August 6, 1854.
d. RopNEr King, Esq.-Aly Deaf Sif.-Pro.
tracted and severe sickness since the receipt Of
your letter Of the Sd ulimo, has prevented me
from keeping up my correspondence. But for
this, your letter would have received an inmed-
ale 4nswer. Let me begin then by replying to
your principal question. respond to that by de.
claring frankly, that never was am not now,
and never shall be candidate for the Presidency.
have seen enough of it To form decided opn-
ion, that for me, there is no position in this coun.
try less desirable. shall be content with the
seat in the Senate of the United States, which the
kind partiality Of friends in my native State have
assigned TO me. Indeed would not exchange il
for any under the government.
The year 1856 must decide a momentous issue
in this country. Are the American people pre-
pared to share with aliens the right Of governing
this nation. at the ballot box, as soon as these a.
liens can make declaration OF intenton2 They
may, and often do make, sucha declaration, with
in a week, or even day, after landing on cur
SOIL Again, are the American people prepared 10
share with Aliens every blessing and benefit con-
ferred upon them as American citizens, and even
to give them a share Of the public DOMAINE BY
the Nebraska bill, Congress has conferred upon
them the right of voting, and by tie Homestead
Bill, which is still pending, and to be decided up.
on next winter, they are 10 have an equal share f
the public domain, on the same terms with native
and naturalzed citizens. Again, the American
people must decide whether other circumstances
being equal, the native citizen is or is not fairly
entitled to preference in the distribution Of hon.
OTIS and offices, in the country which gave them
BIRTH
The state of my health will not permit me 10
discuss these questions in letter. Our naturali-
zation laws are unquestionably defective, or our
almshouses would not now be filled with paupers.
Of the ia 900 paupers in the United States Co.,
600 are foreigners and &c 900 natives The an
nails of crime have Swelled as the jas of Europe
have poured their contents into the country, and
the felon convict reeking from murder in Eu-
rope, or who has had the fortune to escape punish
ment for any other crime abroad. easily gains nat
uralizaton here, by spending part of five years
within the limits Of the United States. Our coun-
try has become Botany Bay, into which Europe
annually discharges her criminals fevery descrip-
tion.
have no prejudice against the honest foreign.
er, who comes here TO seek an asylum from tho
tyranny of rulers abroad. All my sympahies are
with them, and when they become naturaized, |
will defend them, as American clllzens, in all
their rights, as fully those born on the soil,
would lnculcate and practice religious toleraton.
in its bruadest sense, but would see to it that no.
men of any sect, whose creed teaches them 10 de-
nv religious liberation to me and my oountrymen,
should ever hold office here, or power Of any kind
10 persecute us for our religious opinions. No
man who acknowledges allegiance To any foreign
potentate or power, or who holds himself under
obligations 10 obey the edicts of any such polen-
tate or power, shall be by my vote placed in any
post or office under the American government.
would defend the rights of men OF all religions TO
the full extent TO which those rights are guaran-
teed by The American Constitution. But while l
would advise every American citizen 10 defend
the religious rights Of all others. at the haz-
ard Of his life, would at the same time advise
him to peril his life not less freely in defence Of
his own.
do not undertake TO enter into the subject how
far foreigners, who are not natnrazed in this
county should be permitted to hold Office. You
will find that you can lay down no general rule
upon this subject, to which there will not neces-
sarily be exceptions 1t is sufficient for my pur--
pose, standing as do without The power, and
without the wish to have the power, to confer Of
fees upon others, to say, that IN my judgment,a
native American citizen, under equal circnmstan-
ces of qualification and merit, is better entitled to
the honors and Offices Of the country than a for.
eigner. whether uaturazed or not
And now, seeking no Office from you or your
friends, or anybody else. have the honor TO sub
scribe myself, very sincerely and respectfully,
your friend, JOHN N. CLAYTON.
D. Rodney King, Esq, Philadelphia.