Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-07-18
T,.ntb wan Snoken.

at the Capital before those ho celebraT
ted the day as Union men irrespective of
political, parties, the other by Vespeslan
Ellis, Esq, before the Know-N othings. or
those denominating themselves the Ame-
rican party. In the Grafton of the former
we find very important subject consider
ed in most practical and closely reason
ed manner-that is the true cause of the
physical growth and greatness of this
people, which, as it is necessarily exem-
,pli6es The positive and almost incslculable
advantages which have resulted from inn
migration to our shores, is avoided in the
latter production, as are nearly all the
other practical, tangible matters of fact
and record, which an orator against
whom they tell, might find more difficulty
in disposing of than in letting alone
I e Men men men These constitute
State" says Mr.. Carlisle-the mighty
oceans which wash our shores, the broad
fields and great rivers, the mountains of
mineral wealth. and the, teaming vallies.
being but the means and instruments Of
men Thus Mr.. @. rightfully assumes
that no man not utterly besotted will
presume to deny that our prosperity and
power have kept even pace with our po-
pulation, and that our population has
outstripped the career of all other nations
in that respect solely because of the .un-
Precedented immigration which we. have
invited and obtained He proceeds:
And how have we invited and obtained
it? Not simply by throwing open our
ports to the craven spirits Of every land,
content, for the privilege of being hewers
OF wood and drawers of water, to be
among us, but not of US not by this, nor
by anything short ofthe honest tender and
free pledge Of brotherhood, and Of a spe.
cles OF Political regeneration which in the
reasonably appointed time and manner
should confer on every exile who should
have h6naIly planted the lives of himself
ana Ms descendants in our soil as that of
MS adopted country the privileges of citi-
zenship, celebrating forever his ties of
natural allegiance, and by the same act
merging all his antecedents in a new
fountain of his life and race: This is po-
i'tlc"l regeneration. Let those sheer at it
VINO are themselves too narrow of soul to
comprehend what it is to be truly an
american citizen. Let those deny its eff
ncacy who arc ignorant or forgetful of
our country's history, or who are unable
or unwilling to fathom its meaning or per-
ceive its moral.
Emigrants ourselves in the beginning
and fugltives from the oppressor of the
Old World, by the tide of immigration,
mainly have we been borne to our pre-
sent condition. To repress this immigra-
| tiOD tO intprpoca obcEooIc, -, rokvw,1;-,
ton, nay, even to refrain from active
measures for the encouragement of both,
was by our forefathers regarded as ty-
rannlcal grievance, fit to be set forth pro.
mnently in the catalogue of injuries
I" submitted to candid world" in iusti-
6cation of the momentous measure which
we are here to celebrate. In their solemn
impeachment of the British King they
say
He has endeavored to prevent the
population of these States, for that purpose
obstructing laws for naturalization of for.
elSners. refusing to pass others to enconr
age their immigration hither, land raising
the conditions of new APPROPRIATIONS o
land
In the first address of President Wash,
) ington to Congress, among the earlies
subjects which he commended to thei
; consideration and action in carrying the
new government into effect, was that o
: naturalization. Accordingly the frs
Congress under the Constitution fixed thu
term of naturalization at two years-ar
act which received the signature Of Wash
ington. Afterwards, in the administrator
of the elder Adams, in the same spiri
which gave birth to notorious alien ant
sedjtion laws, the term of probation wa
$ extended to fourteen years; but in 1901
Mr.. Jefferson, in his first message to Con
r gress, uses this language :
S {" cannot omit recommending a revi
e sa! OF the laws on the subject OF naturali
. cation. Considering the ordinary chances
f of human life, denial of citizenship un
der residence of fourteen years is de
I NAL to great proportion of those who as
1t. and controls policy pursued from
, their first settlement by many of thes
t States. and still believed Of consequence t
e their prosperity. And shall we refuse
continues the author of the Declaration {
f Independence shall we refuse the un
f happy fugitives from distress that hospi
j., tally which even the savages of the will
q derness extended to our fathers arrivin
: in this land Shall oppressed humanit
$ find no asylum on this globe The Con
y stitution indeed has wisely provided tina
/. for admission to certain offices of impor
i tant trust residence shall be require
n sufficient to develop character and design
n but might not the general character an
a capabilities of citizen be safely commu
= ntcated to every one manifesting bona fla
o purpose Of em9arking hiss life and fortunl
permanently among as gu
: Such was the doctrine of Jefferson
1 The experience of the Revolution and
n the sixteen years of the administrations
d Washington and the elder Adams had M
!. CHANGED those views Of Immigration an