The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-07-18

would Mr.. stephens Tust lof QUE i!lolHeHt VI
, American institutions in the hands OF those pc
! pie? If he refuses, what inference natural
and inevitably follows? "For the same re
son. saws Mr. Stephens, can lrisbman, Ge
man, Frenchman, or Russian. can be
thoroughly American as if he had been boz
within the walls of old Independence hall
self" This view of the subject promises rath'
theoretical than practical Americanism, to whic
our laws give the lie, by declaring that a TO
eigner, although he may be such patriot
; heart as we have described, must take pract
cal lessons for number of years before he ca
be admitted into full communion and FELLOWSHIP
with those born on the SOIL According to M
S. this is prescription; yet, nevertheless, thes
same laws are too clement. He wishes to pu
on "a little more LASH to prevent the man
'.great taauds' and "gross adusesf'
Now let US notice wherein Amercanism i
not like christianity. What constitutes a chris
tan? Most assuredly not birth, not age, Sc,
nor condition. But in order to be an Ameri
can it requires, by law a certain birth, age anc
condition. A right heart, "a conscience voic
of offence, the exercise of good motives, con
stitute the true christian. 1t is this that vii
carry him safe through the valley of the sha
dow of DEATH although he may never have
heard the joyful tidings of salvation proclaimed
from the enlightened pulpit Although his
eyes may have opened to the light of day in the
benighted centre of Ethiopian the remotest
corner of the earth from the sound of the Cos
pei. For this reason, Jew, a Hindoo, a
Kamtschatdale, may be as good christian as
one born On .Calvarys brow But will cor
responding endowments make an American?
Will the most deep heartfelt sympathy for
American principles, the most sincere devotion
to our country, the heaven endowed qualifca-
tons, great sagaclty of thought, mighty force
of reason, purity of intentions, carry him thro'
the ballot-box to the presidency of the United
States, if fate or fortune had so decreed that he
had been born ust across the St. Lawrence
river, Or just beyond the lakes, or the Rio
Grande? Though his exalted virtue, his pure
Washingtonian patriotism, had made him the
object of alteration for every American citizen,
they could rot according to the sacred consti-
their choice. The odd Dominion in her con-
stitution requires the same qualification for
governor; nor could the comparatively insig-
aifcant Office of lieutenant governor be given
% the gallant Shields, or the great Hamilton,
hough be were there to spill acauldron of boil
ng blood for the State, and though every citi
zen stood willing to give him his suffrage
Then our laws, from the very ground up re-
lulre something more than a mere idea of
Amercanism. Mr.. S. has indeed got rather
opponent. Let US see, then, the
5reat disparity between Mr. Stephens and the
now nothings. They consider the naturalisa-
ION laws imperfect So does Mr. Stephens!-
They propose to amend the naturalization laws.
% does Mr.. Stephens! They profess and prac-
ice an "onslaught upon all without regard to
alent or individual merts'' Mr.. Stephens
oes not profess but practices an "onslaught on
IL without regard to talent, or individual mer
sn'
AS to the other feature of the organisation:
pposltlon to Romanlsts-it is with the party ;
othlng more than question ofconscience, and
le uncalled for clamor against it is no less flu u
lie than false. Mr.. Stephens withholds not his 4
liter anathemas! This evinces either profound q
(Which l cannot think, or wilful !
artisan SANDER. Be it as it may, the imputa- Ii
On can be noticed only to be despised From II
cha source we expected something more sub a
antial. Surely, Monies parturient ct rdicu- a.
5 nus nascltur.' 1t most assuredly is moth n
g less than depriving one class of the same II
essng, which he at the same time declares is m
oVlded IN the constitution, and which every hi
imam being should enjoy untrammeled there :
conVlctlng himself of the very crime which II II
tain would fasten on the know nothings.- 10
1ey declare loyalty to the constitution, and
at interdicts any abridgement of religion, or Sc
ought, or speech. Under this wise provision u
ey claim the right to choose for themselves et
to whom they will support at the ballot box ia
+. Stephens denies them this privilege. They OF
yer attempted, nor can they attempt consti- FL FL
to interfere by law in the least with er
y religion. You cannot exclude senator sa
ward from congress by law, but YOU claim St
; privilege to refuse to support him. They ~
i'm the political and religious privilege to be M
holics or not, and the privilege to pote for of
holes or not. Is this 'sprosc7iptio7a2" Is this tn
elgious intozerancea' Is this not truly Amer W. W.
n principle? This is the principle upon las Isa
ich the party is undenably founded; yet Mr.. SCI
phens says that, "the very principle upon to
lch it's based is anti-American throughout ba
nat can be his motive? Can it be ambition TO
ring fal-rage seeking an outlet, or re- lor
,ge burning for distinction? We could not VIC
~ him the liberty to think and speak as he e ee
S fit, probably it is pleasure to him; but not
uld remind him that, let pleasures be ever so its
ocent, the ercess is always criminal. 'Tis I'M
e and talent lost Inc Inc
---"Brlliantlv has
CLASSY waters mirror back his harmless frowns." !
reenwood 1855. TIC hill
los
Mr.. Walsh, whose long residence at Paris cit,
close connection with the best informed alo
les of that city makes his opinion of value, az a|
OF believer in the generally believed hos the
y OF the'trench emperor to the U. States ocl
recent letter he says: N
In some late editorial articles, I noted the /
ase, though the emperor Louis Napoleon was
S hate the United States. in another you wit;
ak of his animosity and in very good let 1on 4
from an occasional correspondent of the rims
ional Intelgencer, it afirms that be would T
quite read y, if at all provoked, to wage war glvt
our republic by military expeditions to our PIT
SITS. These opinions are think absolutely cool
'neous as they tend to produce impressions hun
ur country which excite ill-humor and =.
1t of defiance; it seems to me sort of duty o.
protest against them. In the first place, A