Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-04-27
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
The AmcFfcan PRrty-ItS True
Course 60 PurSue.

Any one VINO mas rejected upon The
tendency Of the age. must be impressed
with the fact that there are two elements
Of political power at work in this country,
each striving for The supremacy. One is
called the radical progressive element
whose chief seat of empire is in large cities.
and which is guided BY restless and smbi-
tiouS men, who sneer at every thing that
is Of fxsd and permanent character in
cur institutions, and who 20 in for 6llibus-
teriug expeditions, the subjugation of for
eign territory. and for breaking down the
safeguards thrown around the ballot box
%. and the election franchise, and for per-
mistinQ unnaturalzed foreigners 10 vote
Such laws, permitting this abuse Of the
elective franchise, exist in some Of the
States, and Il is this abuse Of the elective
privilege that has caused, in great degree,
The rise Of the American Reform party
The original intention Of the American par
q was to purify the ballot box, and to NOM
mate and elect the best men to Office
This principle took strong hold on the
American mind, and caused the almost
immediate supremacy Of the party which
advocated il. In this good work the Amer
ican party obtained the support of vasI
many men of foreign birth. They believed
that il was reform, urgently required by
the best interests Of the country, and there
fore they gave il their support and con-
tribuled 10 It's efficiency, and success; and
so il always will be, if the grand truths o.
its original birth continue TO be pressed
and acted upon.
Flushed with the almost miraculous sue
cess Of their principles, attempts have beer
made to induce the American party, and
IN some instances with success, TO marrow
the pialform-to change the original desigr
Of the movement, and to prescribe all men
who are not members Of the Order, how
ever strongly they sympsthize with its orig
inal purposes. whether Of native or foreign
birth. This lins Of action has weakened
the movement for a day. The old line de-
mocEacy, taking advantage Of IT, have SCI
up anew their howl about prescription, and
frightened many wel-disposed friends o.
American principles, and brought them
over to the side Of the opposition. Again
the American party failed to present, az
candidates for Office, the best men. Such
was the case in this city, (and We say thii
without any disrsspecs te any gentleman
who was upon that ticket and such may
be the case sgain unless 3 change is made
and q wise iberaliIy is pursued. such 81
marked The American party in the fall cleo
tion of last wear, in this State.
Il was the moral power inherent in the
American movement that led it on from
one victory to another. Il Was that large
and enlightened view Of the present state
and future destiny of this nation; that love
of country; that patriotic devotion to i'd
nationality and well-beinS, that caused
friends and supporters to spring up every
where to support and sustain it. Thai
moral power must be retained.
The movement was truly American, tru-
" national. There was nothing little, moth
ing proscriptiVe in it Europe was casting
and is casting upon our shores. her surplus
population, some bad, some good, to the
amount Of half q million year. These
men, many Of them ignorant Of our institu-
tons, few, comparatively, Of them speaking
our language, are manufactured by whole
sale into American citizens and voters, and
they appear as the polls at every election
20 vote panderers for their votes into Office
The vote Of Clay or a Webster, and the
best and noblest of American statesmen
counted no more in the scale than the mos
ignorant of these men. Now, We care no
what may be said on the other side, abou
prescription, foreign exiles, and all thai
sort Of thing. Il is not common sense, moi
is it Justice that such things should be-
So thought the men who supported th'
American party, 50 they still think. Hence
they are in favor Of q revision of the nat
urslization laws. They srs in favor Of 4
longer tine being 6xsd before the rights o
citizenship shall be awarded to the foreign
eF. As Ee understand the case, the Amer
lean party wish to apply the new rule to al
who shall come 10 our shores after the pas
sage Of the Law changing the time, not tC
those now here. We have heard twenty
one years named as a proper limitation
This appears to us proper limitation; bu
We bold that when man becomes citi
zen, according to the Law, that be shall b.
one IN fact, as well as one ia name. HI
shall not orly have the right to vote, and
20 held property. but he shall be eligible tc
any Office which the people, By their vote
shall elect him to 6ll; and therefore We
are opposed to the law which the telegraph
announces has been passed by the Msssa-
chussetts Senate, making men Of foreign
birth forever ineligible to Office. Il is tht
crazy folly Of such Legislators that bring
disoredit upon the American party, anc
which, If persisted in, will drive many mer
from the support of the American ticket
Who stherWise agree with the substantial
principles Of that party. We gofor wise
not blind. fool hardy conservatism; ia
less do We mean to advocate narrow, pro
seriptiFe basis of political action. Tn
American party SO for no such rul''.
Massachusetts, may boast. She ha
great cause to boast Of her intelligence
her frugality. her patriotism, her publ
schools and her liberal system of publ
improvements: but there is. and has been
an alloy Of fsnaticism and extreme point
of legislative action in her history, which. il
great measure, tarnish.s her name ant
narroWs her influence. In many things il
Massachusetts, We are reminded of 3 re
mark made BY Coleridge, in regard to th,
stu.iv Of laU A frinn6 remarked that tn,