Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1855-11-29
The Elective Franchise.

Know Nothings is denied, is yet strongly sympathe-
tic with and apologize for, that order In occurs
tho following:
tEycrv American is required to live twenty-one |
wears in this country before he become voter,
and ia some states lac must in addItionto ths, swear
supreme civil allegiance to the constit uot and laws
of the state where he proposes togoie To this We
do not object, but do contend that every foreigner
should become voter here by fhe same process"
We copy this for comment not because it appears
IN the Journal but because the principles prolr-
nent plank in the Know Nothing platform, and the
excuse and necessity for it urged in this extract is
the same relied upon by the members OF that fratcr
nifty and those who syinpathise with them. az
The ground taken is false and foolish Itisintense
ly narrow exclusive, antdcmocratic, unrepublican,
and un American. 1t assumes that the whole OF the
life of a foreigner, so far US al knowledge ofrepub
canism, all aspirations FOR freedom for himself and
the race all generous emotions urc concerned, is all
lost wasted and amounts nothing, while spent out
side of the magic lines which enclose this favored
republic. Ii matters not how close may hive been
his proxm;tyt these lines ell his life time, uesshe
happens ohaye been the right side OF them, the
presumption is that he hes not and never had gen
erous emotion and particularly that he could never
have had the least idea of the duties which would dc
yolre on him az free citizen of republic. We ask
| all candor why this rule would not apply just us
well to fighting for republican institutions as voting
Cor them The native American must reside some
eighteen years in the country before he If asked TO
fight for the institutions Of his country-why not re,
quire the same of foreigner? What could l,aFay-
cite, Montgomery, DeKalb, kosciusko, anu hosts OF
others Of tie class, born and bred on foreign
| soil under kings and enTcrors, have known about
republicanism that they should have been permitted
to furnish armies and to lead them, and to peril Their
lives and fortunes in behalf of that causc W here
slumhcrcd thea this American sentiment, that 1t was
not jealous TO crush ont the presumption OF these TO-
reigners and compel them to wait and receive these
institutions from the Hands of those born upon the
favored soil. We do not dccry intellectual acumen
which the world calls intelligence nor do we think it
any damage to Il man TO lie born ind grow up on
American SOIL but that these are absolutely essential
to enable a man to sympathise with republican inst
buttons and do his duty under them, we do not be-
licve We believe Louis Kossuth and ten thousands
of others living on a foreign soil are to-day as well
qualified to perform tie duties Of citizens of this re-
public rs ten thousand natives we haveia our midst
And do not these philosophers perceive how iufali
bly, they are knocked in the head blythe clab OF their
own logic How, on their premises, is foreigner TO
be any better qualified to become citizen after 81
wears of residence among Us, than upon Shorter
term They denythat hecan become AEer:ennZed
by simply contemplating orr institutions nnd yet
they refuse him any fling eIse after he eomcsanong
us. If a man cannot become Atncrcunized by lo0k
ing at us from the north side Of the Detroit river,
how much VIII it help him 10 l2oh at us from the south
side of tie stream; or ii man must nccessar
I " be profoundly ignorant Of republican institutions
because living south of that imaginary Inc which
bounds Texas lie has not participated in those insti
tutions, how mnch will help him to live on the north
side of the same line if he is still denied hat p6rt
| cipation We cannot for Tie life of us understand
how upon their premises they manage logically, TO
squeeze foreigner in at the end of2l years If Their
promises are eooa for any thing itmnounts to total
exclusion; and tiis We slercet is Tie purpose 'la
lays behind their effort.
i Bat il is we are told because an American must
live Gnd move aisl bfcatlc upon American soil u
years heforo he has the privilege of voting. Hap
lylandl wonderful soil blissful climate prodigious
parents, which oil combined toad 20 proGUcc race
of infunts who mung and pukines in their nurses
arms or,spnning tie top, driving fast horses arc
yet every year OF Their Infancy inbiiiag and ccqui-
ring that intricate knowledge iecessary to make them
sturdy republicans in precisely Tie sane ratio and
degree as the adult who has been unfortunate as
to he born on less quckening soil. Think of the
foreigner landing on our soil with strong Limb and
strong brain, learned and pcghai intelligent, Icing
pointed to the infant then opening lis cycsfor the first
time as theindivilual with whomhe has t. compete
for the graduatn% honors of republican citizenship,
What would he think Of It! What -ht we to think
of It? Is that really American? To us ii looks Ike
read folly-nothng else If there Is any merit what
ever in this species of argument it III IN en-
tire!y different direction. What real difference in
position is there between the foreigner who has just
stepped Our soil and the American youth who has
just attained his majority! If there is any, is in
favor of the foreigner, for lie las possibly had the ad
vantage Of mature years in which ~ look at our in
stituons while the American has had only the years
of baby hood and boy hocd to do tie same thing in
Then SO far from compelling the foreigner to go hro
the probation OF the infant, il seems to us II would be
considerably more reasonable TO compel the infant
after arriving at mature years to undergo tic proba
? ton Of the foreigner
. We can imagine no ground ON which this twenty
= one years doctrine car be sustained. 1t is in oui
vicw narrow, illiberal, and anti-repui lean doc
trinc, anl desire to d. what we can to eradicate
it. Next week VIC propose another article, present
+ ing another phase Of his s.n1e- question
|, - The closing proceedings of the Kansas
Constitutional Convention, viii be found in oul
e paper Of today. We do not understand exactly
( thc origin of this convention, but we suppose
ike other legislative gatherings in that squattel
en- community, Il is sort Of an impromp-
tu spontaneous, and probably partial affair. It's
constitution we understand to be frccSsa con
stitution. and will be submitted for the sanction
, tofi Congress and the admission of Kansas rs
\ free state, the coming winter. We trust orr rca
4 ders will not jump TO the conclusion that Kansas
\ is coming rightin the union as free state AN
lerthis constitution, andthat all trouble with re-
ference to that territory IS TO be Mt once tcrmina
ted for such conclusions Will be very apt to nj.
innate in sore disappointment. With rro-sa-
t very President Administration. and Senate, it is
e folly to expect, after the struggles thus far OF
Atchison and his confederates, that Kansas will
+ be quietly yielded to freedom. No legislation
will be perfected this year with reference to Kan
y sas, except it lie of pro-savery character; and
ile ultimate fate of the territory depends upon
= the next Presidential election
i - We understand Gov Barstow passed VI
c over the lake shore road, on his way to Wash
r iinrt0n on Monday last The Governor we an.