Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-10
NATIVE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.

~ LHe loI JOHN M. IATTON. &.
NATIVE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.
Pursuant to notice, the Native American Associ-
alton met on the 26th ult to receive and consider
the report of the committee appointed to draw up
memorial to Congress on the subject of the laws
OF naturalization, and for other purposes. III. j.
Brent, Esq, in the absence of the President, was
called to the chair; when George Sweeny, Esq,
on behalf Of said committee, made report
Mr.. A. II. Quincy offered the following reso-
luton
Pesolved, That the report of the committee ap.
pointed to draw up memorial to Congress, on the
subject of the laws Of naturalization, be adopted
and signed by the President and Secretaries.
Unanimously adopted
On motion Of DR.. T. d. Jones,
Resofged, That ---- be, and they are hereby,
appointed a committee to wait on the Hon. N. p.
Tallmadge, OF the Senate of the United States,
from New York, and the Hon. J. N. Patton, of the
House OF Representatives of the United States from
Virginia. and respectfully request that said mem
bers will take charge Of the said memorial, and bring
il before their respective bodies at their earliest
convenience; and to give it their support; and
TO promote the objects OF the nemorialsts. SO Far
as comports with their sense of public duty.
IL was moved that the Chair fill up the blank
with the names Of three gentlemen Agreed 10.
In compliance, the Chair appointed Joseph H.
Bradley, B. X. Morsel, and George sweeny,
Esquires.
On motion Of y. G. Brent, RsQ,
Resoived, That list of the names of the mem
bcrs of the Association be drawn of, and that said
list accompany, or be appended to, the memorial
when presented.
On motion OF j. Bender ESQ,
Resofped, That the publishers of the National In
telligencer, Globe, and Madisonian, be requested
to publish said memorial, with the proceedings Of
Ia .aatsn tn uxla Al Il
newspapers, after the presentation thereof to Con-
gress.
On motion,
ResoiUed, That the President of the Association,
and the chairman of this meeting, be added to the
committee TO present the memorial to Congress-
And then the meeting adjourned.
TO the honorable The Senate and House of Repre.
se'tdti0cs Of he United States of A1,crica u,
Congress assembled,
The memorial of more than nine hundred citizens
OF the United States, associated together at the
city of Washington, under the name Of the Ma
tive American Association"
RESPECTFULLY REPRESENTS:
That your memoriasts have been taught that Il
is at all times the right, and sometimes the duty,
Of every citizen Of this free community to address
to those who have been set over him in authority
the language Of complaint, either upon matters
which Immediately affect him individually or which
concern the general welfare Of the whole people
Separated, as your memorialists are, from the
great body Of their fellow-citzens, by the wise
forecast OF the lustrous trainers Of the constitu-
ton, and by their own voluntary surrender OF many
OF the inestimablc privileges that distinguish a
free and exalted people, they view the political
sacrifices they have made for the benefit and sccu.
riy Of tho National Legislature as giving them the
strongest claims 10 the attention of your honora-
BILE body, and humbly conceive that, necessarily
standing aloof from the political passions which
agitate the people Of the States they become bet
ter qualified than others to view distinctly, and
form a calm, II not sound judgment, Of the
causes which threaten the peace and welfare Of the
Union.
Your memorialists, therefore, filed with sent-
ments OF the most devoted attachment to their
native country, its constitution, its laws and In
sttutions, venture to appear before you on sub.
ject which is viewed by them as Of vital conse-
quence, and claiming the exercise Of your wise
and timely interposition.
In framing the Constitution Of the United
States, II was deemed proper to clothc Congress
with the power Heretofore exercised by the sew.
crai States Of the confederacy to enact laws for
the naturalization Of foreigners. IL was wisely
foreseen that the prudent and cautious exercise
OF such power would add TO the physical strength
OF the new republic, whose infant but Herculean
energies bad not yet recovered from the exhaus-
ton of long and toilsome struggle for freedom
and independence; attract to our shores men Of
skill and knowledge in the mechanic arts, then
existing here but 10 very limited extent, or in
rude and imperfect degree aud draw from for
eign countries the capital necessary for the trade
and commerce essential to our future prosperity
But II was not for ID could not have been an
ticpated by the sages who framed the constitu-
ton, or by the people who established it "to
secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and
their posterity," that this great power would be
so used as to place large portion Of the power
Of this government in the hands Of adventurers
from every cline, before they could have time
70 acquire knowledge Of our language, much
less before they could have learned the first prin.
ciples Of republican government.
Under monarchical governments, the duty Of
the people is simple and casily defined. Ii Is
comprised Of two words: Ito obey In re-
public, especially such a republic as this, the du.
ties, rights, and obligations Of the citizen are null
tlfarious and complex, andrequire many years Of
study, contemplation, and practice, to compre-
bend and properly appreciate them. They form