The weekly American banner., 1855-10-05

passed d b,ul>n o,<s. b<I1een q |Iefent persoul,
It dIIlerent times Il y preee.ll y - specimen
of the argutneuis clen addnced against the Amer.
ican party; aud, for convenience tlle speakers are
supposed to be 4 Native aud . Foreigner
r. What would have been S11 aition Of
this country. sir. fit had not bsld - foreign
erss
" Why, to speak truth, II would be dense
forest, in possession Of those old na-
tirs Ameriedns. called Indians. tits very true
that foreigners discousrsd the country; but ma
tives, ,0ithout discovery, were already IN posses
sion Of it, which is much better title. And the
natives Of this day should be timely warned, and
take care that foreigners do not treat them as for
eiguers treatedthe Indians.
r. But you are Indebted to foreigners, not
only for the discovery of the country but for SUBJ
DUNG forests, wild beasts, and savagcs, in the
midstef deprivations hardships. and perils.
.M Very true. Those were noble foreign
ers, with enlarged views, with an intense love of
liberty and justice. They fed from oppression,
and endured all the deprivations, hardships, and
perils, Of which you speak. for what purpose, do'
you suppose? My own opinion is, that the high
motive which impelled them was that they might
find home. where they might enjoy civil and re-
ligious liberty and transmit them, as rich lega-
cy, 10 their children. II was never with view
that, when all dangers were overcome, and their
fondest hopes realized, an entirely ,difersnt class
of foreigners the children of those whom they had
left behind, the children oftheir oppressors per-
haps, should come and deprive their children of
their birthright; come and rule over their chill
dren, either directly, by crowding into all Offices.
or indirectly. by givingall Offices TO their allies.
T. At the time of the revolt of the Colonies,
many Of the citizens were OF foreign birth. Some
of these signed the Declaration of independence
and many took an active pa,t in tbs war which
ensued.
NJ Do you count them as foreigners, and
rest the claims Of foreigners upon their deedsl
On the same principle, if the revolution had oc-
Cured some years sooner, you might claim tha,
none but foreigners ought to be allowed to vote
or hold Office now, for there would have been nc
native whites old enough to sign the Declaration,
or take arms in its defense. The perso ) - whom
you aliude declared, and fought for their oun in
dependence; they were oppressed, and they revol
ted; all their orn interests were at stake and they
are by no means to be classed with foreigners
who came here subsequently. Our ancestors saw
the obvious distinction, and hence, while the fed
eral constitution makes persons of foreign brit
ineligible to the presidency, it makes special ex
ception of those who were citizens of the Unitet
States at the time Of the adoption of the constitu
ton.
F. But, sir, look at your revolutionary war
What would have become of you then ifit ha,
not been for foreigners who thronged to the seen
ofaction.
NJ; Our condition would have been happy in
deed.
. F. How so?
4 ". Why, because there would have been n
war at al 1t was foreigners who fought agains
Us. Where one came TO assist us, thousan
came to rivet the tyrant's chains upon u.s. Mac
do we owe them for that
+. You do not look at the facts fairly, 81,
The revolutionary war was properly civil wal
The English could hardly be called foreigner
until American Independence was stable shet
Or even regarding them as foreigners, their cour
try was at gar with yours and it was their dut
to fight against you. Ia!lude to the many fol
eigners of other countries who came to ass.
you. Look al the troops sent 10y the French go,
ernment.
~ For them, If we owe gratitude, tits to II
French gossrament, not to the individual Frencl
man,. Datchman, II shman, Englishman, Italia
i Spaniard, Ghinaman, and Hottentot, that ma
come noE to feed upon1s country. But,
for sending these troops we owe no grattud
France was the old and inyeterate enemy of En-,
iand; she saw chance to cripple her powerfr
rival by aiding the American patriots, and wres
| ing from England portion of her territory. 81
was actuated By hatred of England, not love
;. America. Our ur'indepeudence was scarcely estal
lshed before we had ample proofof this, firstly
. the endeavor of France to draw US into an all
ance against England, which. in our then feeb
state would have been destructive to US; sscond
in the fact that We were soon nearly involved
wa- with France herself The French mini
j ter, Genet, raised this cry-of gratitude to Il
: French nation, and there were not wanting anl
I Americans among us then to take up the CT
But Washington knew what were our obligatio
to the French nation, and took stand again