Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-25

For GouerJsor--THOMASS b. FLOURNOY. a.
For Lieut. Gov.--JAMES N. Ii. BEALE.
For Attorney Generat--JOHN M. PATTON.
fr Election, 4th Thursday in May.
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q Immigration Position OF the Democratic
Party.o
Under this head, the Richmond Enquirer
of yesterday presents some views, which we
deem 1t proper at this time to notice.
The Enquirer says that the issue between
the American and anti American parties,
"Is not whether any accidental evil may arise
under our system of naturalization, but whether
the tide of immigration shall be arrested by harsh
measures Of legislative policy, and persons of for
eign birth be excluded from any participation in
the privileges and distinctions Of the State"
The issue is not properly stated in the above
paragraph, I've do not propose to arrest immi-
grafton by harsh measures Of Legislative poll
cy,---we propose only to arrest the immigra-
ton Of "paupers and criminals" and this poll
cy no true American can object to,--for even
the Enquirer indirectly admits its propriety in
the sentence next following the above quota
tion,--it says:
at 10 not impossible that the present liberal
system Of naturalization may be abused, as by the
Importation Of paupers and convicts bat the DEM
ocratc party 10 perfectly competent TO correct ths,
II has corrected 30 many other abuses Of admin
istration." s
The Enquirer holds out the idea that the
American party seeks to arrest "the tide Of
immigration" when it seeks only to prevent
the immigration Of two classes Of immigrants
admitted on all hands to be proper subjects Of
exclusion. On this point, the views Of the
American party are not fairly stated in the
sentence first quoted In fact a subsequent
statement in the same article negatives the idea
that immigration will be checked by the mea-
sures which we propose. 1t says A repeal
of the laws Of naturalization will not sensibly
diminish the flow Of immigration" How then
will our measures /" arrest the tide of immigra-
tion?" When the Enquirer admits, that for
eign paupers and criminals should be exclud-
ed and that the repeal of the laws Of naturali-
zation will not sensibly diminish the flow of
immigration, what becomes of its issue,
whether the tide Of immigration shall be
arrested by harsh measures of legislative
policy'"
The Enquirer destroys its assumed issue, in
its plain admissions, first, that paupers and
criminals should be excluded, and second, that
"the repeal Of the laws Of naturalization will
not sensibly diminish immigration" There
cannot even be any hair splitting on this point
But we repeat that is not tho issue. Our party
does not seek to exclude the honest laborer, the
mechanic, the capitalist, or any other classes Of
foreigners, except "paupers and criminals, !"
and these two classes, no honest man would
wish to see admitted.
But says the Enquirer, " the Democratic
(anti-American) party is perfectly competent
to correct this, as it has corrected so many
other abuses Of administration" (meaning, the
influx Of paupers and criminals)
Perfectly competent" to do it Then,
why has it not long ago corrected this evil 7
Has 1t not had the power and failed to exercise
itp If by competent the Enquirer means
that the anti-American party has had the ply
steal and legal power, aud means to remedy this
alarming evil, it is frankly admitted; but If ii
says that they have had the inclination or
viii to do it, their failure to exercise their
power, contradicts and refutes the assumption
For twenty years past the evils and dangers
arising from the unlimited influx Of paupers
and criminals, have been the theme Of thousands
Of patriots, of numerous memorials TO Con-
gress, and Of earnest appeals to the administers
ton, and no movement has been made by the
government in this direction, and nop when
the country almost by reclamation demands
that something be promptly done to arrest the
evil, and when new party has arisen to reform
this and other abuses the Enquirer would fain
check the progress Of this party, by the as
surance that "the Democratic party is per-
fectly competent to correct the evili'
The present anti American party which the
Enquirer in part represents, cannot and dar,
not attempt this reform. Its party would hav,
dissolved in month, If the present admins.
tration had had the honesty and patriotism T.
introduce and carry through the measures W,
propose on this single point Withdraw For.
eignism and Romanism from the support Of
this administration, and there would be no.
thing Of its party len, but tho office-holders OF
the general government three-fcurths of whom
would even non denounce the administration,
II they were not dependent upon 1t for bread.
No indeedl The people will not trust to thi,
snti-American party, however competent "
it may be, to remedy those evils, to the preva-
lence Of which, this very anti-American party
owes Its present numerical strength
But says the Enquirer:
"The Democratic party, however, does take
Issue on these principles; that immigration should
not prohibited by legislative enactment, and that
residents Of foreign birth should not be inexoraby
prescribed from the rights and bonors Of citizen
ship"
II the Enquirer means to take issue now,
on the point, that "paupers and criminals
should be excluded absolutely from the coun-
try by legislative enactment, we join issue, and
submit the question to the people of Virginia
but as that press had admitted that our present
liberal system Of naturalization has been
abused by the importation Of paupers and
criminals, we infer that II only proposes an
issue on the question Of prohibiting immigra-