The American patriot., 1855-10-20
A Powerful Argument.

tbs well, perhaps, for the happiness of man
that he is not permitted to look into the mys-
terics of the vast future, and thereby acquire
a certain knowledge of all coming events.
But by lie wisdom of Divine Providence, we
have been endowed with the faculty of reason
ing, and by this indispensable gift we are, in
some things, permitted to lift the curtain of the
future and discern with certainty what will
come to pass We know that certain causes
produce certain effects; the effect we wish to
produce suggests the cause or agency to be
applied and (mutually) the cause applied will
produce the effect. The green and tlourishing
plant is evidence Of the effect produced by Ger
tain causes. If we discover that our land
needs certain manure or chemical compound
in order to make it more productive or con-
genial to the crop we design planting, we pro-
ceed at once to apply it in the proper way and
proportion, according to its natural deficiency
always having in view tho productiveness of
our soil and the ultimate benefit we are to de-
rive from the course we arc pursuing
Thus it is with Government Our fathers
fed from tyranny and religious intolerance to
seek an asylum in the wilds Of America; still,
however, under the nominal protection of the
mother country; but when at last they were
forced to resist the unjust expressions of that
unnatural mother, and assert their rights as
men and as frecmen, they did so; and when
they laid the foundation of our present Go
vernment, they had the experience of the past
the causes and the consequent effects upon
other governments, by which to be guided !;
and, doubtless, under the circumstances, they
framed code of laws as faultless and as ap-
plcable to the situation of the country at that
time as it was possible to have done. They
planted the germ of Liberty on American soil,
they abjurcd all allegiance, civil, political or
religious, to any crowned head on the carth
They owed no homage and acknowledged no
supremacy, save to the great God of Nature,
and they claimed the right to worship and
adore Him in whatever manner their conscicn-
ccs might dictate, taking his Revealed Word,
(the Holy Bible,) as their guide. When they
had thus settled the Government, they threw
wide their arms to receive those who like them
selves had suffered the oppression of tyranny.
Many, very many of the great and good flew
to her protection, and were as cordially hailed
as brothers and compatriots, the numerical
strength of the country increased apace both
by natural increase and immigration from other
countries.
Now, let us ask, what was the object, or the
principal object, of our Government in extend
ing the right of citizenship to foreigners at
that time? Was it simply because she felt for
the oppressed of every clime9 Or was it not
rather to gain strength, and thus fortify her.
self against the combined strength Of the
whole world? Admit that such was the case,
it is evident that advantages were expected
and actually did accrue to the government
This, then, was an essential element to her ex.
istence and prosperity, and like the chemical
compound to the soil, it was applied for spe'
cifc purpose and for certain object, but wher
that end is attained, when the ingredient has
been applied in proper proportion to effect the
end for which il was designed. would it ht