, 1855-09-14
PROM the Lexington (Ky) Statesman.

speakers are In the habit OF referring to thu
opinions of the old fathers of the republi,
touching the policy of encouraging immi
! grants to this country. We have reasoT
to believe, and do believe, that they have
ascribed to some of them-particunrly tC
3. Jefferson and Neutrality-suspicious. they
never expressed and never entertained
! For the purpose of correcting false impress
ions thus made, and also for the purpose
Of showing what were the real sentiments
Of those old sages on this subject, We have
been at the pains to hunt up authentic doc
uments, containing their opinions, expressed
in authentic forms, and under circumstan
ces which necessarily called forth their
opinions while engaged in official action.
Their opinions, expressed under such cir.
cumstances, are entitled TO great weight
and consideration, and silence any fugitive
paragraph, torn from its proper connection,
gnrbled and disjointed, and made to cnun-
ciatc an opinion which was never enter
tanned. That the knOw-nothings are guilty
Of such garbling aud fraud has been already
abundantly proved; that they seek to prop
up their bad cause by such means is GER
tainly true. They have thus misrepreseni-
cd both Jefferson and Washington, and
probably others of the old revolutionary
fathers.
. Below we give Mr.. Jei'erson's opinion,
as officially expressed. 1t may be nccessO-
ry to remark, by way of explanation, that
when Mr.. jefferson came into the presi-
dency, in 1901, the then existing naturali-
zation' laws required a foreigner to reside
in the country fourteen gears before he
could be admitted TO the rights of citizen
ship. This law had been enacted by the
old federaIst party, who had also passed
the odious alien and scdition laws. All
these measures were part Of the policy OF
the old fenernlist party, and were over
thrown by tho democratic republicans Of
that day, under the leadership Of Mr.. JEFF
ferson and his republican brethren. TWAS
in view Of this fourteen gear tdio that Mr..
Jefferson, in his first annual message to
Congress, on the 9th Of December, 1901,
made the following recommendation
~" cannot omit recommending revisal
of the laws on the subject Of naturalization.
Considering the ordinary chances Of human
life, deuial Of citizenship under residence
of fourteen years is denial to great pro
portion Of those who ask it, and controls
q policy pursued from their FIRST settlement
by many of these States, and still believed
Of consequence to their prosperity. And
shall we refuse the unhappy fugitives from
distress that hospitality which the savages
Of the wilderness extended to our fathers
arriving in this land +? Shall oppressed
humanity find no asylum on this globe 7
The constitution, indeed, has wisely proyi-
ded that, for admission to certain Offices Of
important trnst, residence shall be re.
quired sufficient 10 develop character and
design but might not the general charac
ter and capabilities of citizen be safely
Communicated to every one manlfesting 0
bona fde purpose of embarking his life and
fortunes permanently with us ? with re
strictions, perhaps, to guard against the
fraudulent usurpation Of our aag-an abuse
which brings SO much embarrassment aud
loss on the genuine citizen, and so much
danger to the nation Of being involved il
war, that no endeavor should be spared tC
/ Iu...s .,I ru-,.oss Il Cf1feenoaje 1Ton
Wal, rOl l, p. l57. .. ba-r...
\ In accordance with Mr.. Jeferson's rec
ommendation, the law was changed The
time Of residence required Of an immigrant
before naturalization was reduced to fr
years, and the law in this respect has SC
remained ever since Mr.. Jefferson sign
ing the bill and approving it US President.
. In the convention which framed the con
stitution Of the United States the subjec
of the naturalization Of foreigners was alsC
discussed. That convention, which met il
-, ll7s7, was composed Of our old revolution
ary fathers, and was presided over b,
Washington. The following speeches wer
made while the question pending was how
long a foreigner shall reside in this countr.
before he shall be eligible to the Office o
United States representative or Unitei
States senator .......I .-......
doctor Franklin was not against |
reasonable time, but should be very sorr,
to SEQ anything like illiberality inserted il
the constitution, The people in Europ'
are friendly to this country. Even in th'
country with whieA,we have been latel.
a at war we have nd and had during tn
e war, great many ends, not only among
e the people at large, but in both houses 0
Parliament, In every other country il
Europe all the people are our friends. w
|, : found, in the course of the revolution, tha
y many strangers served us faithfully AM