Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-06-20


gress can say who shall or who shall not vote for
members of our House of Commons, then our
State government longer be looked to to protect
us against federal encroachment Under this con-
struction, an unfriendly Congress might control at
pleasure our whole domestic legislation. Suppose
that the policy of North Carolina is to require res
idence of two years qualification of voters, and
Congress shall say that foreigner may be natural
lied and vote in six months after his arrival-Shal
the policy of North Carolina be defeated? Shall
natives of Europe be allowed to vote in six months
after their arrival whilst natives of Virginia. South
Carolina, other States of the Union required
to wait two years? He admitted that in all matters
only the right of voting, the State has
dered all its authority naturalization to Con-
gress. But our forefathers too sagacious, and
too jealous of federal interference in their domestic
concerns, to yield up that. Full naturalization un-
der the law of Congress is necessary to enable
person of foreign birth claim protection under
the flag of our Union, to claim "al the privileges
and imlnuntieS of citizens in the several States"
All he claimed for North Carolina was the privilege
to say whether the person foreign born shall vote
here if the State says he may, that gives him no
privilege beyond the State for it is not pretended
that naturaZes him. He referred to the fact that
Congress has authorized all persons who have ode
clared their intention to become citizens of the Uni
ted States" to vote in the territories of Nebraska
arc Kansas, although they may not have been nat
uralized. Does any one contend that thereby such
person is authorized to come to North Carolina
from Kansas, and claim the privileges OF citizenship?
Certainly not, for the mere act of allowing him to
North Carolina, continued Mr. Branch, yields up the
right claim for her in this respect, she yields up
the substance of her State sovereignty, and retains
only expensive and useless shadow"
QUERE?-Do the Editors of the Standard endorse
the sentiment hear attributed to Mr.. Branch, 1--WE
did not hear him say it that he would trust foreign
catholic who and settles in the South, sooner
than he would yankee, who come from the
free States of this Union? Do they unite in this de-
grading invidiousness? We pause for reply.
The above is from little paper of this City, gen.
orally known as the "twinkler" Before we are cal
led upon to endorse the "degradng invidiousness,"
let it be substantated that Mr. Branch took that po-
sition. We heard his speech here and we say he
uttered such sentiment the above, and nothing
that could be torturedinto such Interpretation by
any except Know Nothing, sacOra to misrepre-
sent. Mr. Doub kneD that Mr.. Branch uttered
such sentment and his physical misgivings, not his
conscience, prompted him to throw in the parenthet-
ic "(we did no: hear him say t.)" He never said
it. He said if he mechanic, he would rather
compete with foreigners than with Yankees; for
Yankees had shrewdness than foreigners.
Does the editor of the Star endorse the sentiment
that Northern abolitionsts better members of his
K. n. party than Louisiana pro-slavery Catholics
We pause for reply
Since the above was in type we have received the
following card from Mr. Branch:
RALEIGH, June 18th, 1855.
MEssRs. HOLDEN & WILSON Il understand l am
represented to have advocated in my speech in Ra-
leigh, the exclusion from the State of all persons
born at the North. That is precisely the opposite
of what l did say. One of my arguments against
the Know Nothings is, that if they succeed in
Guiding foreigners the ground that they compete
injuriously with our mechanics and other laboring
classes the next thing hear of will be an at
tempt by the same some similar party, to exclude
all persons not born in the State, and particularly
those born at the North that such attempt to
build up Chinese Wall around the State, would be
ruinous every class in the State and to more
so, than to mechanics. l said that if being
skllful, Industrious and economical mechanic, was
to be established sufficient reason for excluding
a from the State, camor could be raised
against Northern born mechanics with far more
ease, because of them more formidable
competitor than half dozen foreigners, in as much
as the foreigner generally brings with him a trade
that our people do not take to-
everywhere warn the Northern born men against
countenancing Know Nothingsm, lest its exclusive
policy may seek to embrace them in its pro-
scrptons. l need hardly say that deprecate any
such policy and it is of the strongest objections
1 have to Know Nothingism that the spirit it en-
genders and the prejudces it appeals to, will not be
content with the victims it is pursuing
Yours very respectfully,
L. OBJ. BRANCH.