Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-03-22
From the Richmond Whig.l
KNOW-NOTHINGISM IN ANCIENT
ROME.

Some two or three years ago, Gen
Caleb Cushing pronounced a flaming
oration, somewhere in the North, on tn
destiny of the United States, in whicl
he styled our Republic the "Moderl
Rome" F" and held up the example of tn,
ancient mistress of the world as mode
worthy of our imitation. We yentureC
at the time to enter our protest agains
this pernicious dogma of Mr.. Pierce:
Attorney General, and we are again re-
minded of it by witnessing the grea
struggle against foreign influence now
going on in this country struggle
which finds its exact prototype in that
which so long distracted the Roman
States and shook the edi6ce of the Re-
public to its foundations.
Notwithstanding the numerous points
of contrast, geographical, political, So
cial, and religious, between the Ameri-
can Republic and that of ancient Rome,
yet Roman history must ever be studied
with profound interest by every intel
ligent politician of this country; and
when great questions of foreign or of
domestic policy arise among us, bearing
the closest analogy to questions which
were agitated more than two thousand
years ago in the Forum and the Campus
Martius by our republican predecessors,
we may turn with rational curiosity to
the annals of the immortal Common
wealth of antiquity to learn how such
matters were then viewed and disposed
of.
The question of Naturalization was
for a long time the subject of furious
excitement and commotion among the
stormy democracy of the Eternal City,
and was only put to rest by a bloody
and destructive civil war. The origin,
progress and termination of the contro-
versy may be stated in few words.
In the infancy OF the Roman State all
those who fixed their residence in the
city, were endowed at once with the
privileges of Roman citizens. We are
told that Romulus opened an asylum
for fugitives and criminals who, accord
ingly, flocked thither in large numbers
from the neighboring States. At later
period vanquished enemies were en-
rolled among the citizens. These ex-
pedients for Strengthening the infant
commonwealth were soon dispensed
with, but it would seem that for a very
long period an extremely liberal system
of naturalization was pursued, and
aliens from every quarter of Italy were
admitted without difficulty upon the
rolls of the Roman people. Sometimes
the right of voting, and of holding Of
fee at Rome was bestowed upon whole
States in the vicinity. But at length the
evils and dangers following from this
policy attained such magnitude as to
ill the rulers of the Roman common
wealth, with anxiety and alarm. Rome
having extended her conquests over the
whole of the Italian peninsula, the title
of Roman citizen became proud and
distinction, and carried along
with it the enjoyment of public and
private rights such as no other people
IN the face of the globe could then
BOAST of. On the banks of the Tiber
vas established the sovereignty of all
italy, and that sovereignty was mainly
exercised by the popular assemblies of !
Rome. Under these circumstances the
lignity of Roman citizen, with its lofty
privileges and immunities, was eagerly
coveted by the inhabitants of the sur
States. Of these people the
die, the worthless and the vicious were {
the most forward to take up (
heir abode in the great metropolis
Without character or employment at
Rome, they had every thing to gain and ,
lothing to lose by abandoning their own J
ountry and throwing themselves into l
he popular vortex of the Capital /
There they suddenly found themselves !
invested with privileges they never {
new before; there they might insult
heir superiors and bully the Senate
Eith impunityi there they might fatter !
heir sense Of self-importance by die
ating laws to the rest Of the world