The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-08-18
Hon. john J. crItt.naen.

The Frankfort (Ky.) Commonwealth gives
the substance of a great speech in favor of the
American party, delivered by Mr.. Crittenden,
in that place, on the oath ult. We make the
following extracts
In its origin the American order was small, obscure
and weak but scarcely did a summer cloud arise and
overspreadt the sky more rapidly than it overspread
the whole country. 1t was a most remarkable phe-
nomenon-tte history OF parties showed nothing like
it. 1t proved that the public mind had every where
been drawn to the contemplation of a common dan
ger, and that a vast volume of American feeling had
accumulated i'll the popular heart, and needed only
the electric touch which the new order gave to burst
forth in a tremendous explosion. OF that explosion
the American party was generated.
Mr. Z. demonstrated the necessity for the Ameri-
can party, to do what the old partie-effete and
failing to pieces as they were-would and could not
do. He paid a glowing and Just tribute to the mate.
rial of the American party-a party which had
sprung from humble private citizens, not from poll.
tflans, and the members Of which were all ntive
sons OF the soil-men born in the land, who had here
sae homes OF Their childhood and the graves of their
fi1hers-whose love for their country was Unborn,
pure and strong, and in whose hands, if any where,
the destiny of the country would be safe.
Mr.; 9. then took up tile slavery question, and de-
nianded what more any man-even the most ultra
tro-slaVery man-could ask, than the position of the
American party on that subject? What could be
more national, more safe, more peaceful? There is
to be no more action OH the subject in Congress the
people OF the slave States are permitted to go into
Any Of the Territories with their slaves and when the
Territory is ready for admission as a State she is to
come into the Union with or without slavery as her
own people may determine. The charge of Free
Solllsm or Abolitionism made against the party, in
tne iace OF such q platform, was an established false
hood, and neither deserved or required any argument
to be used against it.
Upon the Catholic question, Mr.. c. declared that
ne was utterly hostile Composing any penalties, pro.
ser1pnon or disability upon any man on account of
his religion. He had, further, the fullest confidence
in our native Catholics. He felt sure they acknowl.
edged no allegiance to the Pope that was superior
70 their country, or equal to it. But there were men.
accredited teachers in the church, as Mr.. Brownson,
for example, who taught that Catholics did owe
supreme allegiance to the Pope in things temporal
rs well as religious, and while he would trust natiye
hentuekians to repudiate such doctrines, he could
not say as much for the European Catholics who
were coming here in such immense numbers. Upon
Ihls "noie Catholic aspect of the question, the posi-
non OF the American party is simply this: They
would not vote for any man who acknowledged n
divided allegiance between his country and any
tolelgh power, CIVIL or ecclesiastical, or who ac-
hnoWiedged any allegiance to any such power supe-
rior to his allegiance to his country. Beyond this lie
would not go, nor did the order REQUIRE any body to
go beyond it. He was not bound to refuse to vote
Tor a native Catholic for Office. unless he knew or had
reason TO believe that he held to such a foreign allie.
in this? p"'"
MI. G. next passed to the subject of q reform of the
naturalization laws. He showed the immense in.
crease OF immigration that as many had arrived re-
eenIly IN one year, as came in the whole of the first
thlrty years OF our national existence and that the
present rate was enough to fill up a State as popu.
lous as Kentucky every two years. He showed that
we nad already passed far beyond the limits of our
ability to assimilate and Americanize them as they
came that they were now accumulating in groups,
and clans, and counties, and almost States-perpet.
latlng their foreign habits, and language, and preiu.
dices, and that thus the process Of Americanizinc
them, which was expected to be accomplished in five
years, was not even commenced. They had already
come at the rate of half q million in a year; ut the
same rate Of increase they would soon come by mil
lions and he impressed it upon his audience. with
an eioquence and power Of argument which we car.
not describe, that unless the present rapid process
OF comforting citizenship upon these immigrants was
arrested, the sons of the soil would soon be the ruled
and not the rulers in their own land, and the glori.
Gus trust of empire and freedom which we had re-
ceiyed from our fathers and our God, would pass in.
10 the hands of those who knew not how to admins.
ter it. Upon this subject Mr.. G. was especially eIo-
9nent and powerful, but want of room co1mpelsy us to
ofeak on even this imperfect sketch of his remarks.