Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-19
NUMBER 1872.
The American Parry, and its Mission.


The American Party, and its Mission.
Speech Of Mr.. Smith, of Ata5ana, delivered inthe
United States House Of Representatives, Janu-
uary 10, 1855. -
Mr.. SMITH, ofAlabama, said;
| Mr.. Chairman: Propositions have been already
made in this Hall, and at the other end of the
Capitol to repeal modify the naturalization laws.
That question is assuming proportions Of conside-
rable magnitude. In fact, sir, 1t Is becoming tho
great question Of the age. The time has come when
American Legislators will be forced, by the voice
/ OF the people, to take stand upon this subject
and, before this question: which in itself embodes
| the grand idea of American nationality, all mere
party organizations will have to give way and
retire. sata @ u
Intimately connected with the advent of this
question Is the rise and progress Of new order Of
| men, whose name and designation are rs vet un-
| KNOWN but whose existence, however shadow
and mysterious, is nevertheless, fixed fact and
whose power in this country, for good or evil, has
made itself felt from one end Of the Union to the
| other. a #&
Against this party the vituperations of the press
have been leveled. Many Of our honorable friends
here have entered into the discussion of the SUBJ
Jecs arising upon it with intense excitement. They
behold in this new order nothing that is good but
some shadowy giant--some fabulous Hercules
some raW head and bloody 6ones--some mysterious
destroyer-some lion, endowed with yoracious al
petite, going about seeking whom 1t may devour
For my part, have not been able to discover any
of these dangers; / feel some Of these apprehen-
sons; and 1t Is my purpose, this occasion, 10
inquire into the existence of these dangers and APP
| prehensions.
| Sir, who compose this new party2 So far as the
public know, and SO far us we all know and SO far
as It Is admitted, the party consists of nave Aeri
cdhs, not aborginals, not exactly cannibals, but
feaa-h -hre.x IL. n
American behold in an organization of his country
men such extrayagant terrors? Who win say that
an association Of native Americans is less worthy
OF confidence than an association of mixed Amer.
cans and foreigners?
assume that the admitted elements Of this Of.
ganizaton, being native American, absolutely ex-
clude the idea that as party they can have any
thing at heart but the glory, honor and welfare Of
the country And what do they propose to do.
With all their dangerous appearance, their mystc-
rious organization with all their test oaths Of &C.
crecy, as alleged what do they propose to doa
They have but one simple proposition to submit to
the country and that is, the purifcation IF
6aAot-6or. This idea embodes the whole doctrine
OF the organization of the party. In order to
hTiRI that result they propose to exclude
TO check immigration, by wholesome fam ) ror eaat
purpose @f
Intimately connected, however, with this ques
tion, Is one of very delicate Characteristic qucs-
tion of Catholicism in this country. II is stated
that it is the policy of this new party 70 exclude
Catholics from office. have no doubt that such
is part Of their policy, not only because OF the
Catholic religion but because the Roman Catholic
Church in this country is 80 intimately connected
with foreign influence in all its branches that il il
impossible to separate the two-and we havcto
take the whole or exclude the whole.
I do not pretend that have, upon this occasion,
any we-arranged plan in reference to the repeal
,r Jayy
however, some distinct propositions TO make, which
are radical in their character. propose to strike
i at the root of the evil do not bring forward my
| proposition in the form of bill, because nobody
can suppose that this Congress viii favor this re-
formation. 1t cannot be expected that an admin
stration which is so distinctly committed In favor
of foreigners and foreign influence MS this, should
take the back track. do not suppose that during
the present session Of Congress any bill of the
/ kind will receive any serious attention. / will lay
before the committee, however, the propositions
which must, in the main, meet the desire of the
Native American party; but do not wish to
commit any person but myself for these PROPOSE
4 tons.
/ In the first place, 1t is wen known that we now
have no law by which foreigner can be excluded.
If there is any law requiring foreigner to bring
passport, II is so loosely administered to amount
to nothing. Foreigners can come by millions, aud
| there Is nobody TO exclude them, or to say nay,
Is there, ony other country upon the face Of tho
earth properly organized, that admits an influx
| of foreigners without any restriction whatever
None. @ aHHls
| RADICAL PROPOSITIONS. r-a 8 q
make this, then, my first proposition that no
emigant should be allowed TO leave the ship In
which he comes until, upon his solemn oath, he
renounces his allegiance TO all foreign powers, and
until he that II Is his bona tide intention TO
become an inhabitant OF the United States. Tho
IL! Kill Il
TO him by the captain of the ship before he takes
passage and his passport shall contain in its face
this requsition.
A word, sir, upon this proposition I stated
that we had no law, and no clause of law, by
which to exclude foreigners in any numbers. Eng.
land, France, and Russia and all governments IN
the East, require every man who puts bis foot
upon their shores, to exhibit passport. Thereby
they can regulate immigration, and say who Is TO
come, and who is to remain Suppose, sir, that
England, France, or Russia, or any other govern
mcnt have desire and an intention TO make war
upon the United States. In the absence Of tho
law to which | refer, before any act Of hostility
should be committed, they could land upon our
shores in merchant ships, in the form Of emigrants
any number of soldiers, from one hundred to
million How easy would II be for the Czar TO send
one hundred thousand Russians TO this country
| as emigrants
One hundred thousand immigrants arriving in
New York in a month would create no excitement.
Their promenading Broadway would not so swell
tho tide Of that immense population as to be per-
ceivabe. They could equip themselves with Amer
ican rifles furnish themselves with American pow
der, and American bullets asd go In American
cars TO any portion Of the country and be ready at
any time, TO exhibit themselves as armed force,
in the heart Of the nation. This may never occur,
but we know that the landing Of an army in an
enemy's country, in case Of war, Is most import
ant matter and our laws enable an enemy to flood
the country with his soldiers in the form of emi-
grants ask now, of American statesmen, II this
thing ought TO exist VIII any man say that IL Is
his duty to live alone for this present dayf viii
any statesman say he lives alone for his own ago
and bis own generation There may be no dan
ger now, but we should look ahead, far into the
future and for that future supply, at this day, the
lamentabe deficiencies of our laws.
Ny second proposition, connected with the first,
Is, that no immigrant shall be allowed to land ui-
Ill he produces passport from the property au-