The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-08-01

THE KNow-NoTHING QUESTION.

freely expressed that the perfectly just equality in
political rights secured every in the community
the perfect public liberty the security Of property
and the obedience the laws The party argue that
this security, obedience and public liberty pre-
noted by taking away refusing political equality to
that numerous class designated by them, and who
fortunately poor in goods and depressed by Influences in
imical to their rapid Advancement They will hardly
tend that by this course they improve the condition Of
those who have to dwell with us or that they ee-
yae their dignity and Independence and increase their
devotion TO this free Union Of States by deprivng them Of
the rights Of citizens therein To do this would be deny
the soundness Of the theory of republican government
We will consider them intending only TO te
advantages TO the free of having degraded class
around thema species Of logic similar that which says
that if there vicious virtue would be hon
| orable.
The problem has been trial for centuries whether la
Dor escape degradation In organized government
and whether the aborer will be admitted his just
equality and fair participation in the privileges of citizen
ship with the other classes of society The trial OF this
question has not ended in America Throughout the world
the aborng class always been oppressed
ed in their political rights looked upon the turbulent
Ignorant and dangerous class in society The strong hand
Of government has held the rod of authority terny
ing them as inferior class to whom existence
boon from the upper classes and natural right They
possessing property but their labor land but the six
feet of earth in Gods the Potter field where their
bones find final resting place living wages from day
to day. the sernes laws forbid their combinations 70 affect
the price of the only thing they had 10 sell called their
meetings mobs their discussions agitatons their friends
demagogues their remonstrapces sedition and their
peaceful professions riots Standing armies of soldiers and
police continually watched them with jealous eyes, and
the slightest provocaon the riot act to be read and
the potent arguments of gunpowder and the bayone per-
severngly administered their gaunt frames The abo
hon of serfdom in Europe has brought relief to their
tolls elevation TO their physical condition. few by
extraordinary fortune economy and perseverance, might
work their way of this abect class be hated and
condemned members Of some of the classes above them
The have stuck the borders of starvation eg
lated for as if they chldren the aspirations of their
hearts with scorn the warnings of their souls for
freedom treated rs treason.
| Our people caught the Of European upper
classes for the laborers and added epithet of insult
the teemng vocabulary the pauper labor of Europe
The protective tariff and internal have forced
the march Of this pauper labor the United States with
wonderful rapdty and in great bodies The returns show
46o47A have arrived the year ending June 80 1854
They with us and of us Relying their labor for
the rapid development of natural resources the stream
Of emigration cannot be abolished without being replaced
by other class-as the slaves Of Africa,
| the coolies Of India and China.
The human mind will go back voluntarily its nat
ura course is to improve Thus it is with this spauper
labor" few years in this country bring them great inn
provements in condition. property and knowledge With
institutions and flag associated in their minds
their prosperity and their ideas of liberty independence
and dignity They know that they have greater rights
here than where they irom-more enjoyment in the
present hope in the future honor dignity, and
liberty If such knowledge does attach them the
institutions that create and the people who foster such
blessings then the heart of be radically bad his
| reason mockery, and his progress delusion.
When these aborers widely disseminated among
our md thp east thew he
rapid progress in knowledge of the structure of
and Of the divisions of politics. then also
their aspirations for the equality Of citizenship the
greatest In the who collected in great cities this
process of assimilation is rapid in the country
The foreign quarters of cities appear like Irish
German cities than anything American The best Of these
people take pains improve their knowledge of ins-
tuons and procure their speedy naturalization There
is larger class to whom the policy of government is
matter of indifference and who careless of liberty
unambtous of citizenship. The attractions of high wages
and light taxes drew them here and any
tents them that permits their free indulgence gross pleas
They deferred by the expense from obtaining
letters of naturalization These reinforced by another
band Of prudent saving men, who intend returning with
their wealth to the homes of their youth Looking on
themselves birds Of passage they Indifferent or
hostile in feeling government These make up the
class Of foreigners dwelling among who do seek the
privilege OF citizenship and to mind they far more
rem worthless to national wealth and social pu-
rity They constitute large portion of the 22l4 900 for
egn population. We have proof of this Boston is es-
mated to have foreign population of $4,000; Of these
$4,000 ought to be of age to vote 10000 of these
ought to have resided in the States long enough to be
naturalized, and therefore, had they been inclined
might have been the voting lists What is the actual
naturalized of Boston, Many years familiarity with
the subject and many conversations with experienced
committeeman of the whig and democratic parties, en-
able to say that 1900 votes is the highest num-
Der at which either of the two great parties have
rated them and more b. six hundred than they prob
ably have thrown in any contested election in the
city 1t is not at all probable that there over 1000
naturazed out of the 1000 who have lived in the United
States the requisite time We have paid much attention to
this subject and by reference to the elections
and in other ways have formed the opinion that this pro-
portion of nuturazcd foreigners is exceeded in the
great cities of the Union In our judgment there not
two hundred thousand natnrazed foreigners in the
United States one-third of whom not in the condition
to vote at annual elections from of sufficient local
residence Those aggregated together in the sckly dirty
foreign quarters of great cities and manufacturing towns
and those Who labores in the great army of internal
improvements, live in continued camp, moving with the
progress of their work from township township county
to county, and State to Stateconsute the two labor
Ing divisions making up the class who are mostly UNI
naturazed and exist amongst without the intention to
assume the local habaon and obligations Of citizenship
purposes How they be reached and induced partake