Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-01-10

But, while no religious denomination, as
such should be opposed, every citizen should
earnestly Withstand the intrigues of those
who would pervert the church to political pur-
poses, and should protest against the union of
church and state, or the subordination of the
state, or the subordnation of the state to the
church. The state should protect all church.
es, and not one church control, or attempt to
control, the state. Spiritual despotism is an
tsgonistic to the principles of individual and
public liberty. An alien may forswear his al.
leglance TO the fereign potentate, and may
take the oath Of allegiance to his adopted
country; but, when he has been taught as
the fundamental truth Of his religion that
spiritual obligation overrides mere temporal
and civil obligation, that his duty to his church
is higher than his duty to the state The dan
ger and probabilities are, that he viii use the
privileges of yCter, not primarily for the
benefit of the state which granted them, but
of the church, which in his judgment is su-
preme above the state.
Believing these dangers and probabilities
real, 1t is a solemn duty so to restrict alien
franchise. that while entire federation is grant,
ed others to worship their Maker according to
the dictates of their own judgment, we pre-
serve the same right to us and ours, untram-
melled and unendangered.
The present European immigration is deep
~ prejudic:al to the tair remuneration Of
American labor. The mechanic. the artizan.
agriculturist, daily suffers from its influence.
There Is no statement in political ethics more
palapable or fundamental, than that honest
industry should receive its due reward. Those
who hourly feel the depressing competition of
alien labor, deprecated under the taskmasters
Of the old world, aud schooled in the self de.
mails and modes OF existence there so uniYer-
sal, properly believe that their own as well as
the interests of the Republic demand that
their elective franchise should be exercised
for the protection of American labor,
In the series of privileges and duties grant
ed legislator, none is more important than
the opportunity to dignity and enn0ble labor,
none either IS more frequently overlooked.
The corner stones of the American Republic
are the blrthright Of suffrage, universal edu-
cation, religious freedom and projections to la
Dor.
The report Of the Secretary of the Treasury
recently transmitted to Congress, shows that
our imports, during the past year, have ex-
eeeded our imports twenty six millions of dol
lars. The profits on our exports and freighis
during that period have reduced, in trifimg
degree only, this enormous balance of idebt-
edness. Thirty eight millions of dollars in
gold-oveI nine tenths OF all our receipts from
California during the year, as officially re-
ported--haYe simply passed through the coun-
try, IN transltu, and have been shipped away
to Pay for imported products of European la
Dor. and the interest on our European debt
This vast sum should have been kept here as
basis of healthy business, aud as more
general substitute for small bank notes, our
present circulating medium.
Had this golden gift of Providence been re
So. 4.
er of the soil, instead of having been squan-
dered to purchase foreign luxuries and the
products of alien labor, we should this day, as
anation, doubtless have enjoyed prosperity in
every branch Of industry, instead OF the
threatened depression and distress which now
alarm the community.
Our remedy Is not so much in legislative
enactments and tariff as IN cultivating feel
iIg of patriotic nationality, and ali united de.
! termination to encourage the skill and indus
try of the American laborer by consuming
the home products Of the shop, the factory
and the field, in preference to imported fab
RIGS and loreign productions, which result
| must he the inevitable sequence of a truly
American sentiment peryading our nation
The Taxpayer when called upon to contri-
| butte from his well -Inerited earnings for tile
support of suffering paupersm and crime, will
and Of right should, investigate their causes
| When he finds our State Almshouses now
| containing two thousand foreign paupers, our
State and County Lunatic Asylum eight hun
| dred alien insane, our States Prison, Jails,
and Houses of Correction, over SIX thousand
| hve hundred foreign inmates per annum as
| shown by the returns and estimates for 1853,
a large proportion of whom were shipped here
at the expense of foreign authorities, to re.
| heve their native countries from their sup
| port, or from their crimes, and that this vast
alien army IS supported by Massachusetts, at
an annual expense of three hundred thousand
| dollars, he will scarcely believe his honest de-
slres to correct these gigantic evils are occa-
stoned by prejudice. are unauthorized or un
| just.
1t has been stated that many of the evils
! and dangers referred to are within the exclu-
sive province of national legislation. Others.
however, can be ayerted through the agency
OF the State government. II this duty is left
unfulhlled, or but partially accomplished, we
neglect great responsibility intrusted to us.
Massachusetts,, since the days of the Revo-
| luton, has been accustomed TO be among the
foremost IN all measures of rational progress.
She is once more permitted to take the lead in
that legislation believed necessary TO perpetu-
ate religious and civil privileges, both initial
! - MI DOuiudIl6S, tue one OH NV
mouth Rock, and the other upon the battle
field of Lexington,
recommend, then, to the careful consider
alton OF the Legislature, the following meas
ures -
l. That amendment to the Constitution
which last year passed one stage of enact
ment, prohibiting the diversion of the eduea
tional funds oil the State to the establishment
| or support of sectarian schools
2. The power to repeal or modify the nat
uralizatlon laws is contided alone to the Con
gross OF the United States but, while Con
gress naturalizes, each State for itself pre-
scrIbes the qualifications of all voters within
Its limits, for National as we Il as State officers.
recommend, therefore, an amendment to
our Constitution, prohibiting the exercise Of
the elective franchise to all OF alien birth,
qualified by naturalization, till they have re.
sided within the United States twenty one
years.
| .. AS common school education, or its
equivalent, is necessary to rightly understand
the duties, and TO be competent to properly
appreciate the privileges, of freeman, rec
ommend further constitutional provision. to
the effect that no person shall be permitted to
vote who cannot read and write the English
language.
| 4. recommend an amendment to the Con-
stitntion, so that no person shall be eligible TO
any office in the gift of the people who shall
not be legal voter in accordance with the