Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-02

lati0h 10 naturalization still further fortified his
position Our whole theory Of the right of expa
triation is in conflict with the English, and, !
believe the general European law, which
maintains that 4 subject has no power to diyest
himself of the allegiance due to the Government
under whose jurisdiction he is born. IL is clear
that if Koszta had received his final letter of
that, according to our theory, it
was undoubtedly onr duty to protect him.
Until the year l848, our naturalization laws
required an alien to reside in the United States
continuously for five years before the inal let
ters were granted. Any non n-residence or alb
sence from our jurisdiction yitiated his rights.
In 1848, an act was passed by Congress, per-
mitting the time to be computed during the
absence Of the alien, which, by implication.
authorized him to 60 ~ aed during tho period
OF his acquiring citzsnship. This act, ~ |
conceive, gave full authority to Koszta 10 visit
Smyrna, and the United States were as much
bound to afford him the protection of our Gov
ernment, as they would have been to an alien
fully naturalzed, or to a native citizen
The gentleman from New York, Mr.. Chair
man, has not only criticised the letter Of the
Secretary, but has chosen to make this the
occasion for general denunciation Of the in.
stitation of slavery in the Southern States. |
know, sir, thai the subject is trite and ex-
hausted, but | feel unwilling that the remarks
which he has uttered should pass without
some reply.
The Southern States since their earliest CO
lonial history, have been peopled by two races,
of different color and of different civilization
We hold them in bondage because we are nn-
willing to amalgamate with them, and desire
to keep cur Tentonic blood pure and uncor-
rupted by any baser admixtnrc, because we
prefer that their untutored labor should be
directed by the superior intelligence of our
race to useful industry, rather than that they
should be freed from all wholesome restraint
and left without coercion to pollute our blood
and destroy our progress. II is not within our
comprehension to divine the ca,ise which has
made the Ruler Of Nations establish this order
Of things.
The wisdom of man cannot foresee or pene-
trate the means by which the civilization Of
nations is directed by Him We sec ourselves
surrounded by three millions of tho African
race, who, under the dominion of the white
race, has, in two hundred years, made greater
advances in religion and civilization than they
have made in four thousand years in their alb
original condition. If, at. this hour, the angel
of death were to breathe upon the face of our
people as it did upon the hosts of Sennache-
rib, the surviving black race would exhibit a
picture OF civilization more remarkable than
any that Africa has ever exhibited. Bot the
African is not the only race which has been
subject to Slavery. Eight hundred years since,
our b0asted Saxon ancestors endured slavery
as abjeet as that of the Southern negro. Thu
history OF all savage races who have attained
the blessings of civilization, show that they
have marched to Freedom through the portals
of Slavery. Where two races Of widely differ
ent civilization exist rtcgcther, the superior ex.
terminate or enslave the inferior The indo-
city Of the Indian will cause him to be swept
from the face of the earth. Slavery seems to
be the price that ignorance pays to intelligence
for its tuition in the arts Of civilization.
Nothing can be more disastrous 10 a State
than the premature enfranchisement Of an
enslaved race. They gangrcne upon tke face
Of its society, until it perishes under the aflic.
tion. II is historical fact, and worthy OF note,
that the fret Abolitonst was the first per-
son who introduced African Slavery upon the
shores of America. Las Casas, the Bishop of
Chiapas, after Cortez conquered Mexico felt
the deepest compassion for tho Indians who
were allotted ms slaves TO hi, Spanish aivcntur-
ers. He pctitioned the King of Spain, that
these Indian slaves should be enfranchised, and
that the more robust and hardy negroes Of the
African coast should be imported His prayer
was granted, and it is TO him the thraldom Of
the African in America il to be fret attributed
The msfortunes Of Mexico mt this hour are,
in my opinion, attributable in a great measure
to the indiscreet philanthropy Of Las Casas.
The barriers which separated the races were
cast down, the Castilian blood no longer ran
pure and unpollutcd in the veins Of the pco.
pie The great preponderating Mestizo, or
"A a.I L.
walk through the streets of Mexico will see
all the horrid results Of debased ANAL gamated
race "a he sees the Mexican Of pure Spanish
descent spurn from him with his foot, al he
would some beast the loathsome Nj, ztzo that
obstructs the way.
Bat let me turn for moment froma consid-
GRAFTON Of this picture, ard ask if our forefa-
theirs had framed the wise and beneicent Gov
ernment we enjoy, If tomorrow the Ohio were
the military line Of demarcation between the
North and South, as the Rhine between Ger
MANY and France, if forts were erected, Gus
tom. houses established, and armies posted-il
union were proposed to remedy all these evils
would il be accepted If we were assembled
as delegates and the South were to demand
the samc terms our Consultation guarantee
and the regulation of our own domestic insti.
tutiops, can we for moment doubt that, after
all tho benefits wc have experienced, the North
would not be willing and anxious to accede to
its provisionsl Or would VIC Of tho South--
forgctful Of the gallant spirit Of our forefathers
who planted the Southern Colonies, and whose
descendants surmounting the crcsts OF the AL
leghanies, bore civilization and religion into
the primesal forests of the West, until they
were borne over Kentucky and Missouri, even
TO the golden shores Of Cllifornia--prove rec.
rcant to tho glorious memories Of the past, and
submit to disbonorable dictation
respect the generosity of emotion that
seems to move the gentleman from New York,
dccsively as ! differ from evcry sentiment he
utters but must say, that the abolition cf
African Slavery, and its agitation, are fraught
only with the most pcrnicions consequences to
our common country. live in a State in which
the institution Of Slavery exists, in which we
have stood by our Southern brethren, and
will stand by them in tho defence Of onr