Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-12-01
PulLApgtrnlA, PA, Nov. Is, 1854.


tho Right Reverend Bishop IIopKiSa, of YER
mont.
pulLArErrnfA, Pa, nov. -, 1854.
Last evening the Episcopal Bishop of YER
mont opened another course by Lecture ON
the True Administration of the Law in the
Naturalization Of Foreigners. Bishop Hop
kns is Irish by birth, and that fact gave pc
cular interest to his treatment Of this im
p0rtant suhcct--cne that is df such popular
interest, that proposc to sketch an outline
OF it. lie opened by alluding to tho secret
organization of tho Know Notmns5, and
maintained chat there must ie at the root OF
the popularity and power Of this body come
truth Tho truth was, the abuses u which
We, NJ a nation, had been subjected By the
admission to citizenship OF masses Of un-
tIrthy foreign Is remedy, the ahuii-
ton of all naturalization laws had been propo-
sed---but that was unnecessary and mprurti-
cable. Tho law of naturalization, he con-
Cended, was wise and Just, but the evils COM
planned Of had arisen FROM the unrightepng
mode in which it had been administered.
Universal Suffrage is the grand exponent
Of the genius Of our nation, but III its appli-
cation Il competent degree Of virtue end in
ligerco IN the people was assumed br the
framer5 Of The Constitutions The "tatcsncn
If the Old World have no faith in the prac-
tcabii,tv of our national principles, because
they have no faith in the suiicicncy Of the
,irtue and Intelligence oi the reopie-',ut cy-
cry trieni Of he constitution denies that low
estimate Of the capabilifv Of The poDular
mind, and demands from society the means Of
its true deyclopcment for wise political ac-
ton. But yet it il well to coiioi ior the facts
of orr history and our condition, that the
present question mev he wisely met.
The lecturer spoke Of the character OF the
Colonistr, and that they brought ',hat va.
better than wealth or the sword, or both uni
ted for the we'll being of the State---yirtue
and intelligence and here had been built up
a government whose foundation principle
honors the capacities Of our race. Bat the
sixty Years OF our existence, W are reminded,
is but brief period in The history Of a ma
tion, and already We are hearing complaints
from every qaarter Of the land that our in
stitutonA are in danger, 'ind the eclipse Of
Glory is approaching With theeo fears tho
speaker did not sympathize at all. All the
evils complained Of came from another class
of errors than those Of principles or lawr. u
is not that the principle touching the elective
franchise Is wron- or impractiCahlc, but tie
power involved has been lightly conferred on
large class of low foreigners. The law is
good enough, but the people are not the same
in the law which provided for their admit
tanco to the administrative power of the
country. Here. then. was the great evil-u
charge must he preferred against the Judicial
rv Of the country serious az the act OF MAJ
king such a charger IL. The Naturalization
Law demands certain qualifications, and the
court must be satisfied that the applicant has
these qualifications, or citizenship must not
be conferred. But how does the matter now
stand Two wItnessc. coming forward TO
testify of the character Of the applicant is
sufficient, without any effort being made to
discover whether these witnesses have any
character at all-whethor the applicant can
read or ever has had read to Him the Consti-
tuition, or it attached to its principles, and is
we'll disposed to the order and well being of
the United States
The lecturer would cxonera te the judiciary
from all intention to DO wrong, but the fact
is too palpabe for denial, that one Of the
most important of all acts j. made hut the
empticst Of forms. The Judges have a re-
! luctance to exercise judicial prcrogotiycs,
1 custom is powerful, many outside influences
operate 70 prevent due attention To- I'll"
/ obS ious meaning Of the law. Il il q matter
/ Of just pride that cur system refuses TO de-
nind any property qualification, but it makes
q demand for something better. !; dcmaris
( anu attachment to the Constitution, aud
! disposition in behalf Of the well being Of the
| country. Tremendous issues are here folded
| up--thc Court should he satisfied that these
qualifications exist, and therefore inquiries
should be made by which it may be ascertain
| ed whether the applicant has been good cit
izcn at home, whether he is capable Of un-
derstandinS the Constitution, and what evi-
dence he has given of being well disposed to
! good order in the nation.
/ The native is born amid influences .lvora-
bic to the institutions of the r,puhlic-he
early learns TO rcad--thc newspaper ia iamil
lar to him. and he may be supposed TO have
become acquainted with the main scope of
the various political questions OF the times,
and the entire training he receives il fa3ora-
bic TO the 7ysten of onr government. But
how much of ell this can b. taken for grant.
cd in ;he case Of crowds nf foreigner. who
land upon our shor"a, and what can q few
years of mere residence do towards accom-
plishing in them the fitness for citizenship
We have among US over million who were
born amid the most abject circums tanccs-
who have taken everything from those thcy
bindly folow-and who are the subjects of II
priesthood which requires conplCte subiec-
tlun. Here Is force not contenplatci by
the genius of the Constitution a. akine purt
and hence here is justification ior one fea-
ture Of the know-Nothins organizaton-op-
position to the Roman faith, The lecturer
confessed that the greatest evils TO be appre-
hended were from the influence of the Roman
faith; but the true position Of the political
action is not opposition TO the Roman faith,
but demand for the true intent, and lust
administration Of the naturalization Laws
But the knowNothings have right to
make their appeal against the peculiar posi-
tion assumed by the Roman priesthood to-
wards the political action of the people No
class in this country save the subjects of this
priesthood, pay Difference to their spiritual
teachers in political lnatters-and in any 9th
err portion Of the Church universal The pas
tors would loose their influence a- spiritual
teachers by attempting such Interference ia
political action. " hat are these piicst, Nho
stand apart from all other spiritual tcacl..
in the land They are the sworn subject. Of
foreign rower-and the practical influence
Of these Bishops and Priests is we'll known
how statesmen have felt il, and how they
have courttiit is well understood No obiec-
ton is made to thece priests for possessing
this power, but the grand objection is 10 the
system thcy seroe--its practical influence is
asainst the genius Of our political irstitu.
rors. IL Is not 1t question with us whether
there was any fitness in this system when il
was first rgani1ed-whether it did good in
the DARK Ascs,o was suited 20 the condition
OF Europe niue hundred years ago--but
Shcthcrit 1t is suited to our lgc, our country
institutons
As for himself, the lecturer confessed that
he did not believe two such systems as Uni
yersal Suffrage and Romanisln could stand TO-
acthcr. sill ii is uo part OF our poli,icll
duty 90 nlaA1 way a.;,insj any fJrin of rcl
sious faith, but with Z faithful adninsua
tlon Of the Naturalization Law, no wae wil
ling u leave the rest, with perfect trust II
Divine Providence, The conierrin: the righl
of citizenship should be most solcnuly i'm
lusinn nnIumnnN ILrrr ALnnll Ln .l.ucih.