Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-01-31
For the North Carolina Standard
few words from the other side, IN reply TO
An American" and others.


however, when silence would be crithlna or to say
tho least cowardly; times of perseeuti6n ana pro.
scr;ntion when the strongest as wen as the
nnc,I sunnort and encouragement. Such d Iic 10
tho nrn.ent when the Catholic stands arraiSned as
cGi,nnaI at the bar of public opinion, his voice
ssannd NV tho clamorous multitude that surrounds
i'hr war upun Our foreign population r'ay or may
net be justihed that subject httleehaii DC s'lu
in these remarks it being OF comparatively minor
;nnovtance It strikes me however that 1t is wer
mon the right arm of these States IN great "eaH
ure undeserved by those who, Foreigners 'hoHS"
they are) have exposed their lives upon every occa'
ion =; defence If tic Union. Our ships and the RANKS
If ,ha ar,nv are filled with Foreigners Cathoic ana
potostant the one as unfinching in his deVouoh 10
ar,er;ran honor as the other. Docs any one deny
it9 Not their most bitter opponent mere arc
~ f,;ts Of those 1SsIDioUs w1LEs OF FOREIGN IN
'n0 - ;,st which We arc warned with so much
oInmn;tv? The election of Franklin PIERCE, a ma,
iya horn American, to the PRESIDENCY Oh te E.i'co
Stotcs and the faults which he committed IL! MS ol
fc;a career as such, arc VISITED on lic ioie'S PP
n1.tion and are the only "irults that can GlSGo'-
az ,S far nc the political world is concerned Nheh
fbn nasxon of :he hour shall have suos'ueu no" "o
surd all this will appear to those VINO are nv" ~ ~
carer to persecute! 1t would be mucn het''r 10,
those men to define what those "lnsidous vines
are. For my part wish to inquire II that ce!eora
ted massage from Washington SO often quo'ed, can
by any possibility apply to those foreigners WIZ WIZ
como TO settle here republicans ana cti|e,S, io
allegiance
and in virtue of that oath are ready to make every
ocfca cvcn to their lives to subserve the interests
of that country? Does it apply to the poor, lsm1,-
ant I,borine man from Ireland, who IS driven, Nne
world knows how from his native ia'lu ~ ~
tnda If tvrannies? Does it apply to the young en-
hs;ost who NAV have suffered for his adherence 10
rnnubIicanism or sefexiled in disgust with the WAT
of classes in his own country, he comes 10 lanu
where he is told the equality OF all Is recoSiS*u
For shame oh American people! Where are the
wires winch these foreigners practice and what are
th,tt ag,,n demand? For what purpose is the
foreign votc-so often harped uron-So!icItcd IS
it for the interest Of any foreign power: for the
s,:,,rt Of any principle Of government at variance
;t,' tb, ronulcanisrn of this country? Arc those
f,rcirncrs monarchiSts? Do they prove 1t III the'r
papers or by their staunch adherence to democracy
which they support simply because IL seems Cy
ncaoe the very 4afithfSis to 1nonarchism? VIII
rt oirscs have been committed at the baot-b0X.
will Grant all that has been said and more, OF per
iuries of interference with American native born
citizens of violence, bribery and the muitltnde OF
charges brought against the foreign voters sam
berausc am not the apologSt OF either native OF
FOREIGN yiIlianv but DO assert that all those aoScS
have been committed in the support OF an lmeFtc"h
uaytv AMI princjp's and not IN suhSer'ichce' |" any
foreign interest. Has the country been injured ny
tn adherence Of foreigners to this party and prri-
,,ic9 IF I ask one PARTY, it will answer HeS II l
ask the other it will answer eagerly, NO: Is II 'eh
the country or particular political party 'haS mas
suffered hv this "fprcign influence Inc answer
is
nc, marty to the name of 'A:ucrican which 1t ar
rorates to ITSELF reducing it to faction, ORGANIZED
in opposition to the present dominant party ny IN
ceniou- appeals to the political and re!'slous Prc}n-
dces and passions of the people. BE it remember
al further, that the Democratic party, winch TINS
foreign influence" supports, ism the mG)"rta ana
as much perhaps more American than the other, or
Wing party consequently as much w not more) en-
filled to the name of American as any Its ioundcr
was an ilIustrious American and many of his prin-
cDlcs honore and gioricd in by those Of the oppo-
site party.
The object of the new, or Know-nothing party. is
VIC are told "to put down. oppose, resist ana ehech
that FOREIGN INFLUENCE which is considered " dam
,rous to our institutions and inimical to the lnteS-
r;ty and harmony Of orr Union. " mat Is TO say,
deprive the foreigner of vote ana the democratic
party can never again triumph But WI! that ae-
priyaIion destroy that so much dreaded " foreign
inAuencc"? Is it only at the ballot box that 1t is
nercciyed when it identifies itself with very pccu
liar American influence! These are Questions wen
worth consideration and for Which It Is hIgh'y oe-
si!able that this foreign influence Sho' be most
accurately defined and pointed out, for 1t Is ian 10
the rommoncSt understanding that If this influence
extend beyond the balfot-boH the remedy proposed
is insufficient. and the country Is IN danger "hHe one
f,rci.rncr is permitted to live upon American soil
If simply deriving the foreigner OF vote Will deS-
troy this influence then assert without lear OF con-
tradction by any io3ic"I mind, th't tins ioreiGn III
flucnce is mere creature OF the imagination an
i,u-,aIpab!e MYTH Politically considered then, this
E,reign influence is but co-sgcnt of American l!-
flucncc concurring with and extending It, sanction
ed by n majority of the American people, and not
thn "bancful" spccics against which Washington
warned every true American, else the sentiment
of that American majority is at open war with the
PRINCIPLES of American republicanism and liberty
If this be true it makes difference whether the
number of foreigners arriving in year be one NIL
lion or ten millions.
But VIC are told that CRISIS Qhe old story by the
WA w has arrived and that I" to believe that Such an
element 1.-THE foreign votc) exist in our political
ORGANIZATIONS without danger to our institutions, Is
TO reject the warnings of the wise ard GOOD men of
The earlier and purer days of the Republic, and to
close our ewes to the solemn teachings OF history
To those who Know-Nothing about history this Will
sound like gospel truth. To such L can only say,
read the history of your country and then endorse
if non can that very plausible sentence. The hlsto
~ of this country from end to the other is, as
every well informed person knows, almost history
of foreigners and their immediate descendants;
Though it is that among the SSners OF the Dec
araton of Independence there were Out eIg|St LOT
eigners) History bears ample testimony 10 their
heroic devotion to American principles, both as sol
ders and statesmen so much so that it will hardly
do to appeal to C the solemn teachings OF history
for condemnation of our grand-tathers ana grand
uncles am strongly inclined to think that foreign
influence was more popular, probably because more
needed in the earlier and purer days OF the hepuo-
lie than in these later and degenerate times;
it was certainly very useful, Notwithstanding the
wish uttered by Washington in a moment OF Pettish-
ness that with the exception OF La tayette he wish
ed that there was no foreigner i'll the army. Inc
remark is attributed to him, but am very doubtful
about the truth of it. Itpurports to be an extract
from private letter. Now, supposing the remark
to be true, does any suppose 1t would nave oeen
thoSo DAVIS have dismissed all the for