True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-06-27

pressed OF all natlons--as the home of the
free. BY us, must it so be transmitted.
Therefore must we take heed whom we
admit into the American family. No
more should we receive to the bosom of
the nation, than to our private homes, the
vagrants aud felons Of Europe, whose dis
honesty at home, compels their govern
ments to Danish, and unjust!y foiSt them
upon us. Such men, whose hearts know
not honesty, can never make true Ameri-
cans To such our gates should ever be
closed. But to the more numerous class
of foreigners, "who honestly emmigrate
from love of liberty" aud come among us
/ that they may be free, and be protected by
our just and equal government, are wei
come. In due course Of time, after hav-
ing become Thoroughly Amerh aniSe1, and
having entirely absolved themselves from
all temporal allegiance, by reason Of their
birth or religion, to any King, Pope, or
other power, which by consent or implica-
ton, reserved or expressed, they recognise
higher than that of our Constitution, they
may be admitted to the full rights and
privileges of American citizens.
We propose "no interference with the
rights of citizenship already acquired by
Foreigners" But to all who come here
after, we shall claim, as has ever been
claimed from the beginning of our gov
ernment down, that foreigners shall not
be admitted to the full rights of citizen
ship until they shall have been among us
sufficiently long to be entirely weancd
from their native country, to become
wholly identified with us, and to have be-
come acquainted with the principles and
workings tf our peculiar system Of gov
ernment The wise heads, who after hard
fighting, established this confederacy as
one of the nations Of the Earth, declared
in the Constitution that "no person ex-
cept natural born citizen, or citizen Of
the United States at the time of the adop-
ton of this Constitution, shall be elligable
to the Office of President" They also
provided for the enactment by Congress of
a "uniform rule of naturalization" Thus,
from the beginning, recognising differ
ence in eligibility to our highest office,
between the native and foreign-born citi-
zen; and requiring Of the foreigner SOL
emn oath before attaining citizenship. No
one pretends to deny the right of govern
mcnt to make such requisitions-no ,.one
honestly doubts their propricty. Congress
in the exercise of its wisdom in establish
ing a uniform rule of naturalization, re-
quired probation of five years before the
alien could assume the final oath of citi-
zenship. For a long time, while imigra-
tion was slight, and confined mainly to a
good class of foreigners this term did very
well. Of late years, however, circumstan-
ces have changed. The gates of Europe
appear to have been thrown wide open,
and in perfect avalanches have their peo-
ple abandoned their native hOmes,-the
most depraved and vicious, the most igno-
rant and priest-ridden, as well as some Of
the more intelligent and wealthy. The
existing law of naturalization, provided
for the time when comparatively few, OF
the more intelligent foreigners, sought
homes among us. Being few in number,
and scattering over our broad-spread coun.
try, they readily assimulated to our people.
habits and customs, and in course of five
, years, might, as a general rule, be qualif
I'd to discharge the duties Of an American
citizen. But coming as they now do il
y vast hordes, and congregating in extensive
settlements together, where their origina
habits, manners and customs, and eveI
their language is preserved unmixed, sucl
persons, under such circumstances, in com
ing to this country, merely change thei
pIace Of habitation. Instead Of minglin:
with our people, learning our manners
habits, customs and language, they isolat
:, themselves, and transfer to and perpetual
in this free country, the notions they learn
! ed in their own monarchy, This bein
49, now the general custom of foreigners,
- is hard to say how long it would take sue
people tu become acquainted with our ir
:. stitutions, civil and political, if indce
they would ever become AmericanizeC
:, We know not upon what basis of SCUM
W. ~, reasoning the procrustian rule of five yeal
h h shall always be maintained. To reaSo
:; from the circumstances as they were,
% what now exists, certainly FIVE years is no
:. far too short. How often do we motto
i about our larger cities especially, "polit
" cal oroani7.tiops con,nosed exclusivelv