Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-29
AMERICAN ORGAN.


can sentiments.
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, concerns our foreign popu
lation; the duties of republicanism towards them
its dangers from them.
The immigration to this country was:
From 1890 to 1910. 100000
1910 TO lS20........ ll4,000
.#9 1870 10 1880. 203,979
1880 to 1910. ....... 779,600
1s4o to 1s5o........ l,542,s50
And statistics show, that during the present dc,
cade from 1850 to 1860, in regularly increasing
ratio, nearly four millions ofaliens viii probably be
poured In upon us.
With this alarming decennial ratio Of increase,
with the astonishing statistical facts that nearly
four-ffths Of the beggary, two-thirds Of the
perism, and more than three-fifths Of the crimes
spring from our foreign population, that 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 for
eigners-the people demand of their statesmen,
and wise statesmanship suggests that national and
ate and control these elements so far as 1t may be
done within the limits of the constitution.
The times are peculiarly propitious for the de-
velOpment of this great American movement by
the united action of the whole people. In the
gradual disruption Of the great parties, whose strug
giles constitute our political history in the gene
raj resolution Of these bodies into their individual
elements when 0ldissues are obsolete or dying out
the individual freed from the tyranny of party,
naturally reverts to the great primary principles Of
our government, and to the sentiments and pur-
poses Of its founders. The remarkable spectacle
presented TO the eyes of our people, naturally and
wisely jealous of their nationality, of foreign inn
migration in the ten years from 1910 to 1850, out
numbering the whole previous influx since the Or
ganization of the republic, progressing too in an
equally increased ratio since the latter date, and
probable European commissions threatening a
steady augmentation of this flood, tend naturally
TO attract and bind together the people in one uni
ted national, not party, movement
1t is agreat problem in craftsmanship wisely to
control the mingling of races into one nationality
The dominant race must regulate the incoming
class Such is political destiny and history proves
it. 1t is the only salvation Of both 1t is the COM
pact of the incoming race. Legislation must CO.
operate with time and circumstances in working
out this decree of God, this axiom Of political phi
losophy, the theory Of nationality.
To dispel from popular use every foreign Ian
guage, so great preserver of unassimilatng elc-
ments of character; to print all public documents
in the English tongue alone; to ordain that all
schools aided by the State shall use the same Ian
guage; to disband military companies founded on
and developing exclusively foreign syyppathes to
discourage imported political demagogues, the bro
ken down leaders of insular agraranism, or conti-
mental red republcanism, whose trade here is to
put themselves at the head of their deluded coun-
trymen, to organize prejudice, to vitalize foreign
feeling and morbid passion, and then sell them
selves to the highest partisan bidder to purify and
ennoble the elective franchise; to adopt a care
fully-guarded checklist throughout the nation TO
cultivate living and energetic nationality to de-
velop, high and vital patriotism; to Americanize
America; to retain the Bible in our common
schools; to keep entire the separation of Church
and State to nationalize before we naturalze, and
TO educate before either; to guard against citizen
ship becoming cheap-all these constitute a work
transcending the ordinary platform of party, and
ranking with the great movements that originally
found nations.
1t has been said the times are propitious for the
successful prosecution Of this great work. All
who friendly to these vital measures should re-
member that, If they fail now, they are lost during
this generation, perhaps forever. Unanimity OF
purpose among their advocates, and patriotic
sacrifice to duty of partisan attachments, alone are
needed TO insure success.
The prodigality with which citizenship and its
franchises are lavished upon foreigners In this
country, clearly tends to lower the tone Of Amer-
feeling, to cheaper the value set upon it's pri
vileges and to dcaden national spirit and the pride
Of country. Neither the policy Of other nations at
present, nor the recorded experience Of the past
affords us any parallel, and scarcely an analogy.
In the elevation and splendor of Athenian pow
er, says Chancellor Kent, the privilege Of citizen
ship was considered so distinguished favor, that
it was granted only by special decree Of two sue.
cessive assemblies of the people, and then alone
TO signal worth and reputation. In the times Of
the earlier C@sars the freedom of the city and em.
pire was given with sparing hand but the line
Of degenerate emperors succeeding corrupted and
destroyed this salutary jealousy of the right of cit
zenslip by extending II first to the whole Of Italy
and finally to the entire empire, composed as il
was of an aggregate Of subugated kingdoms, until
the national blood tainted, the distinctive ma
tional prejudice and spirit was dissolved, and the
State pershed under horde of foreign barbarians,
whose warlike invasion affords almost the only his
torical parallel in number to the peaceful and nsid-
ious foreign influx TO our shores at the present
day. In England, the most liberal Of the present
European governments, citizenship is conferred
only by special act of Parliament In the conti-
mental nations there are still further limitations
n total prohibition.
When we witness the profuse lberality with
which the sacred right of citizenship is bestowed
among us, the slender guards that exist against It's
unworthy or fraudulent gift and the great inter-
ests in the hands Of those who receive, as well
us thosc WHO grant ~, we bnOuu pduse anu chiniy
consider the possible consequences
To republican government, there is necessari-
ly cause for greater alarm than TO others Here
the adopted citizen is invested with the right Of
choosing and being chosen to Office. Not only
must he be an elector, but may be- and often is an
officer Every additional naturalization tends TO
denationalize, to Europeanize, America. The uni
versal record Of history teaches that all republics
that have risen and fallen, owe their destruction TO
la. a. txIt all
strong for resistance at last fatal.
The danger Of foreign influence was keenly felt
by the early fathers Of the Republic. Washington,
in language beftting alike the gravity of the sub
ject and his own sagacious craftsmanship, repeat
edy warns his countrymen to beware Of it. The
writings Of nearly all his distinguished contempo-
ries Of every shade Of political sentiment, contain
similar counsels. This was at period when ships
were comparatively few and small, steamers un-
known, and practically the old world was quadru-
pie the distance from us IL is now at time too
when the stream Of navigation was almost imper-
ceptble in comparison with the ocean-like tide that
sets in upon us to-day; nj time also before the
allan aIoy,at,t In n,fr alootiana had becnme i'm.