Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-24
NUMBER 60.

persons except those who are Of sound health both
In mind and body, of good character for sobriety
and honesty; and upon satisfactory proof Of the
applicant that he has never been convicted for
any crime and the consul shall refuse passports
to all notorously rebellious and seditous persons
and to all persons, who, in their opinion, shall be
liable TO become charge upon any of the United
States as paupers. will not pause to enforce this
proposition with argument. The necessity of 1t
must be palpable to every American statesman
My fourth proposition ID radical as all the rest
would provide that the naturalization laws shall
be so repealed and modified as to prevent all for
eigners from voting who shall not have become
naturalized or who shall not have taken steps to
become naturalized at the date Of the passage Of
this act, provided all boys who come to this coun-
try as immigrants with their parents, and may be
at the time under the age of ten, or say fifteen
years. shall, at the age of twentyone, be consider
ed as citizens in every respect.
These four propositions embody what conceive
to be the remedy for the great evils which prevail
upon this subject
now pass on to some of the evils Of these laws,
as they exist at this time, Our naturalization laws
are surrounded with such difficulties and such de-
fciencies, that they have been maladministered-
administered in fraud, negligence, and corruption,
from the foundation of the government This has
been 80 papable that the Congress OF the United
States in 1924, had to pass law by which, at one
swoop, was cured the iegalties Of the naturaliza-
tion papers of perhaps, thousands Of foreigners,
whose papers had been obtained in fraud and vio-
lation Of the laws. The law Of 1924 says:
"No certificate of naturalization or citizenship.
heretofore obtained from any court of record within
the United States, shall be deemed invalid in conse-
quence Of omission to comply with the first sec
ton Of the act entitled act relative to the evidence
in cases OF naturalization, passed 22d March 18l6n
[tStat. at Largs, vok A, p. SO.
Here you will see that the Congress- of the Uni
ted States was convinced thatfor eight years from
1918 to 1924 the naturalization laws had been
cOrruptly and negligentiy administered; that for
eight years men had been sent to Congress, men
had been elected governors and Presidents by IL
legal votes and spurious voters and the Congress-.
in their blind liberalty, passed law curing tho
evil, healing the sores, and covering the frauds,
by looking back and making these naturalization
papers perfect which had been improperly granted.
distinguished judge in New York recently
discovered that for years and years, and perhaps
from the very foundation of the government, the
clerks of the courts of that State had been in tho
habit of taking upon themselves the duties of the
judges in granting naturalization papers. Judge
Dean, of the supreme court of the State of New
York, has published an elaborate opinion, and
win read small portion oft
In tie matter Of tie duplication Of John aark to b.
come a citizen of the United States.
The petitioner, native Of Scotland, applied TO
the clerk of this court for admission as citizen
number Of other aliens made a like application. The
clerk was proceeding TO administer the formal oath to
the witness of the respective applicants, when the
subject was brought to my notice, and, inquiry,
learned that e practice had for many years. Been for
ne eers @ rece1oe and pass yoa az applications for
Ae court and that The preof aoaioh ALIENS seers adj
mited 10 citizenship did not ordinarily meet aayof the
requ;Seneats q The statute. On this state of facts
deemed 1t my duty to forbid the clerk from entertain
t.,fxa 4sz.x. ~
should be made to the court. The application was
then made TO the court and on examination found
that neither Cark any Of tie other cdndddtts
for citizenship could furnish po2f Of costiauous res
years. and that each Of tie applicants unpvepared
gih any proof as to his oolduz or character, during
that 6risf period"
refer to this simply to show the long existence
of this eror-to show that the clerks Of the courts
have taken upon themselves, contrary TO law the
duties of the Judges and that this thing has been
long tolerated The clerks have been In the habit
Of making out and pcrfecting the papers, and the
judges of the court have had nothing to do with
the matter. do not refer to this as an authority
Of any very exalted station or stand, but to show
that the error has existed.
have now shown that the Congress of the
United States had to intervene, by act, to per-
feet spurious naturalization papers. have shown
that judge Of the New York supreme court dis
III
the habit, from time immemoral, perhaps Of grant
ing naturalization papers contrary TO law. con-
clude of course and lcgtimately, that the persons
elected to Office in that State have been elected by
spurious votes; for II is.no consequence how many
votes of this sort given, so far principle Is
concerned for few are often sufficient TO turn and
control election. And ! sec sir, from a re-
cent act Of the Senate of North Carolina--calIed
the free suffrage law--that the singular proviso Is
al dJaI a. bat cd rhall
for senator or member Of the House." This would
seem TO authorize the conclusion that, heretofore
In that State unnaturalized citizens have been ac-
customed 10 vote.
So much, sir, for the lamentable deficiencies Of
the naturalization laws.
Let us now take another branch Of this subject.
Mr.. Wise, who has examined this subject with
much ingenuity, says;
"The statistics Of immigration show that from
1920 10 LIST January, 1888, inclusive, for thrtytwo
years and more, 3,2o4s4S foreigners arrived IN tho
United States at the average rate Of l0o5l per an
num-"
Is It not fair 10 say that, from the foundation Of
the government up 10 this time, there has been
average Of l00,15l emgrants coming TO this
country every year We are bound TO look on
the matter in another light We must look on it
in the increased ratio Of immigration, We know
that, in the last year, very nearly half million of
foreigners arrived in this country. | have here
statement which presume is correct, showing:
IMMIGRATION ron ls54.--Therc arrived at the port
Of New York, during the year just closed, 8o7,e8g
emgrants, Of whom lGs723 were Germans, and
100 Irish. The immigration at the same port last
year was 2s4, Gas. The following Is comparative
table Of immigration from the year S47 TO 1854 inclu-
sThe following letter from the Mayor Of New York
10 the President will illustrate what have said
about felons and paupers
MAYons OrFIcK, New YoRK,
January q 1856 &
His Excellency FRANKLIN PIERCE,
President Of hs United ,States:
DEAn SrR: There can be no doubt that, for many
years this port has been made sort Of penal colony
for feions and paupers, by the local authorities of
several Of the continental European nations. The
desperate character Of portion Of the people arr
wing here from those countries together with the
increase of crime and misery among that class Of
population, with other facts before us, prove con-
clusivcly that such IL the case.
II ia unnecessary TO refer 10 the gross wrong thus
pepetrated upon this city. II requires from me no
sllusion 10 the jeopardy Of our lives and property
from this cause. Men who by long career OF crime
and dcstitution, have learned 10 recognise no avs,
~.xl fail IN