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

ADDRESS.
Gentlemen cfths Senate and House Of RePrssen-
tdtires -
That gracious Being, in whose hands are
alike the destinies of individuals and of ma
tons, has permitted us to assemble this day,
intrusted with grave responsibilities and du-
ties. While we remember that through His
proyidential care and guidance our ancestors
were enabled to establish on these shores the
principles of Religious Freedom, and through
His fundamentally also our revolutionary
forefathers were permitted to secure the ADDED
boon of Civil Liberty, may we earnestly and
ferTently trust that we shall be aided BY His
wisdom so to deliberate and act that these un.
speakable privileges may be transmitted I'M
impaired to those who shall come after US.
The year just closed has been an eyentful
one. Shipwreeks beyond parallel. the raw
ages Of pestilence, the partial failure Of the
harvests, commercial revulsions and gigantic
financial dishonesty, have signalized its calen-
dar. To these must be added a wanton vio-
lation of solemn national compact, and last
Of all, that most terrible of eyils.-carrying in
Its train every minor one,-war, between the
most powerful monarchies of Christsndom
its cause indefinite, its horrors only real, its
results beyond the power of prediction.
We should be profoundly grateful that,
while the wise Ruler of the Universe has per-
mitted such calamities to belal others, we
have been spared. Peace and plenty have
again been yoachsafed to Massachusetts. Her
public health has been preserved, her harvests
blessed, her churches, schC OILS. and charities,
and the various branches of her mechanical
and commercial industry, largely prospered.
A time honored custom requires the Execu-
tive, at the commencement of the political
10 eoufh his via and 10
tons to the Il gsllture. Convened as YOU
are in accordance with the requirements of
the 22d article of the Bill of Rights, which de
clares that you ought frequently to assem-
bic for the redress of grievances, for correct
ing, Strengthening and confirming the laws,
and for making new laws as the common
good may require, | have every confidence
that you will perform those duties = honest,
thoughtful and wise legislation; honest, and
therefore not for a party, but people =
thoughtful, and therefore, while protecting
the rights ofthe whole, invading the privileges
of none wise, and therefore not for year,
but for generations.
The most prominent subject before our
State and Nation at the present moment, and
that which most naturally commends itself to-
day, and in this place, to our attention, con-
Germs our foreign population the duties of
republicanism towards them, its dangers from
them.
The immigration to this country was
From 1890 to 1910, 1900
/" 1910 to 1920, ia. 600
+" 1920 to 1880, 2O3,979
I" 1880 to 1910, us, 500
" 1910 to 1850, 1912. $50
And statistics show, that during the present
decade from 1850 to 1860, in regularly incress-
ing ratio, nearly four millions of aliens will
probably be poured in upon N.
With this alarming decennial ratio Of in
crease,-with the astonishing statistical facts
that nearly four 6fths of the beggary, two.
thirds Of the pauperirm, and more than three.
ffths of the crimes spring from our foreign
population, more than half the public
charities, more than half the prisons and
almshouses, more than half the police and
the cost OF administering criminal Justice. are
for foreigners,-the people demand of their
statesmen, and wise craftsmanship suggests,
that national and state legislation should in.
tertere to direct, ameliorate and control these
elements, SO far as it may be done within the
limits OF the Constitution.
The times are peculiarly propitious for the
development Of this great American move
ment BY the united action Of the whole peo-
pie. In the gradual disruption of the great
parties, whose struggles constitute our poti-
cal history; in the general resolution of these
bodies into their individual elements; when
old issues are obsolete or dying out, the indi-
vidual, freed from the tyranny of party, nat.
urally reyerts to the great primary principles
Of our government, and to the sentiments
and purposes of its founders. The remarka-
bic spectacle presented to the eyes of our peo-
pie, naturally and wisely jealous of their ma
tionality, of foreign immigration in the ten
years from 1910 to 1850, outnumbering the
whole previous influx since the organization
of the republic progressing, too, in an equal
ly increased ratio since the latter date, and
probable European commissions threatening a
steady augmentation of this food, tend nat
urally to attract and bind together the PEG
pie in one united, national not party, move
ment
1t is a great problem in craftsmanship wise
ly to control the mingling of races into one
nationality. The dominant race must regu
late the incoming class. Such is political
destiny, and history proves it. 1t is the com
pact Of the incoming race. Legislation must
cooperate with time and circumstances in
working out this decree of God, this axiom
OF political philosophy, this theory of nation
atty.
To dispel from popular use every foreign
language, SO great preseFver of unassimilat.
ing elements of characterize print all public
documents in the English tongue alone-to
ordain that all schools aided by the State shall
use the same language-to disband military
companies founded on and developing exclu.
sive foreign sympathetic discourage import
ed political demagogues, the broken down
leaders OF insular agrarianism or continental
red republicanism, whose trade here is to put
themselves at the head OF their deluded coun-
trymen, to organize prejudice, to vitalze for
eign feeling and morbid passion, and then sell
themselves to the highest partisan bidder-to
purify and ennoble the elective frsnchise-to
adopt carefully guarded check list through
out the nation-to cultivate aliving and ener-
getic nationality--to develop high and vital
patriotsm-to Americanize America-to re-
tain the Bible in our common schools-to
keep entire the separation of church and state
Ito nationalize before we naturalize, and to
educate before either-to guard against citi-
zenship becoming cheap, these constitute
work transcending the ordinary platform Of
party, and ranking with the great movements
that originally found nations.
II has been said the times are propitious for
the successful prosecution Of this great work.
AL who are friendly to these vital measures
rhould remember that, If they fail now, they
are lost during this generation, perhaps iorey-
or. Unanimity Of purpose among their adyo-
Gates, and a patriotic sacrifice to duty OF par
tisan attachments, alone are needed to insure
success.
The nrodigalitv with xvhich c;t;..r.L; 4