The Nevada journal., 1855-12-14
Speech of Hon. j. j. Crittenden,

Amidst the party strife of the last few
years, when the only one struggle seemed
to be, not how the country should be gov
crned, but who should govern it-unex-
pectedly new party had grown up
With out a cause: No. 1t came from
the heart of the people a conviction
vas making its way from heart to heart,
that foreign influence threatened our lib
critics. And the thought of having them
subyerted on our own soil aroused every
true citizen. / was the peoples party.
Immediately after the Revolution, when
our coan try WIS impoverished, and our
forests to be subdued, Foreigners did rot
care about coming to share our labors.--
For the first twenty years bus 5000 per
annum Game. In the next twenty, from
lSlO to 1880, they came at the rate OF
l2, 600 per annum These were absorbed
by our people and became Amercanized
But since that time new scene had
been exhibited. From 1910 10 1850 :hey
came up by the hundreds of Thousands,
and since 1880 they had been coming at
the rate of between 4 and 100000 per
annum- This foreign invasion Of armies
of voters became alarming.
Was there any probability of its de-
crease: No. 1t was true that it had
fallen Oft a little in the past wear, but
when the war which was now swallowing
up the surplus population o! Europe closed
We should be again inundated with the
worthless desperadoes it has made
The Ike OF such an emigration the
world never saw. When the children Of
Israel quilted Egypt, they were not more
III number than this annual immigration.
Your forests are now subdued, and ,your
country made habitablc. and they now
come to share it with you Your free in
stitutions have become light to the world,
and they are attracted by it.
The grave question is. are these foreign
ers to be entrusted with the preservation
of our liberties? He would not boast, but
he did not believe there was another race
OF men on Gods earth that could have
formed the free institutions made by our
fathers. Since the worlds history COM
menced, q Washington had never arisen
in any country but ours.
1t trequired all our vigilance to preserve
this Government. Foreigners could not
do it. They did not love il as we did
He did not blame them. Every man low
ed his native land better than any other.
As long as We could be safely generous
we were so; dnd We said to them, even
now, come and share our liberties, our
lands and all our blessings; we make only
one single reservation, and that for your
good as we'll as ours. We arc but the
trustees of God, who has given US these
blessings, and We dare not commit them to
strangers
He wished change in the naturalsa-
ton laws--an extension of the time SO as
to give foreigners better opportunity to
become acquainted with our institutions,
and to fit themselves for taking part in our
government. No man was to be upbraid-
ed ior wishing to take the best possible care
of his liberties, or for refusing to share
them out until the little residuum was rot
worth keeping. These men came from
monarchies, where they had been accus-
toned, not to governing, but to being gov
erned. Were they ever called on to vote
there' Why! the doctrine Of transub-
sanitation was not greater mystery to
them than the elective franchise
If tho term of naturalization was cx-
tended, or the law entirely repealed, it
would make no difference IN the immigra-
ton. Foreigners did not come here to
vote. They knew nothing about the
elective franchise until they learned it on
our soil He did not object to their com
ing. On the contrary, ho would say,
come one-come ALL We will receive
and entertain them; but the right Of gov
erning we must reserve to ourselves, and
repel every encroachment upon it, and we
would call on our adopted citizens to help
u.s. Ii these foreigners come with cat
ridges, VIC would call on them to assist in
repelling them; but cartridges in their
hands would not be half as dangerous to
the brave American people as ballots.
Foreigners already formed third es-
tate-giving preponderance to either par
ty, as they cast their influence with it.
They had become an object for parties to
P"J Se%i' ~, anu tHSJ hSic hOOCu W OuC
side and the other by every sort of prom
Use and manoeuver.
They feel their influence, and claiming
their share in al! ,h4 .:.it;.- in the country;
not as Americans, l.,, as foreigners; for
they keep up separate political organi-
z alton, and are as much foreigners here as
in the heart of Germany.
They favor us with their views in regard
to improvements in our Government. A
fellow had hardly shook the dust Of the
Black Forest of bis feet but he was sug-
gesting amendments to the Consultation;
and some of the things they proposed to
give us in exchange ior our liberties, were
curious enough. They would abolish the
President and the Senate, and have sim
gle popular branch Of legislation, whose
members could be called at pleasure
They would give US their German dream
of democracy.