Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-17
NUMBER "a.

well as at the North and, IL know anything o.
its principles, ii would place them side by side and
hang them ali as high Haman. And, since the
gentleman has been pleased TO tell us what the
Native American party intend to to do, will tell
him what they do not intend to do. 1t does not
intend to permit, In its creed the detestable doc
trine OF notification, that State has the right
to set aside law passed by Congress, and after IL
has been determined by judicial tribunal that il Is
constitutional a tribunal to the establishment of
| which they themselves assented, and to which
they agreed to submit questions Of constitutional
law. They do not intend TO admit into their creed
the Ridiculous doctrine that, upon the question in
ternal Improvement by government, law passtd
by Congress would be unconstitutional IL the river
to which the law applied passed through one State
but would be constitutional if it passed through
three.
| In word, it does not intend to quibble about
the letter of the constitution with the affectation
Of prude, and violate Its provisions with the ef
frontery of a prostitute.
| MIR. KEITT. Does the gentleman from Maryland
mean that his words shall have personal appl-
cation?l
No, sir. disclaim it altogether. am speak
ing of South Carolina politics. and win denounco
them when and where choose
Sir, 1t may, perhaps, be owing to the peculiar
geographical position Of Maryland, but there are
no fanatics to be found within her borders. Re-
membering the tolls and sacrifices she made to ca
| tablish this Union--remembering the blood split
by her glorious old " line on every battlefield Of
| the Revolution--she, in good or evil report, will
| stand by the Union as it is, and the constitution
as It is. Applause. And this, sir, is what the
| American party means to do Ii intends to let
slavery remain where the constitution placed it,
recognising neither the doctrine Of pro-slavery OH
the one hand nor abolition on the other
Mr.. GIDDINGS of Ohio, desired permission of
the gentleman from Maryland to ask him ques-
lion. Mr.. g. wished to know whether upon the
principles of the constitution, the KnowN Nothings
would restore freedom to Kansas n
will never take the construction Of the gentle
man from Ohio on any point Of constitutional law.
Mr.. g. Then the gentleman backs out
l do not back out, but do most cheerfully re-
tire from such contest. / would Just as soon
think of entering into contest with pregnant
woman. Laughter.
Having stated that, according to my information,
derived from sources as good at least as those of
It's opponents, that Of the principles Of the Ma.
| tive American party is to stand by and maintain
the union of these States proceed to consider
alton of another Of its principles equally as i'm
Lport1at to the maintaining Of the Union nay, sir,
thcvery existence of the government itself
YOu anticipate me, no do~h., ain mean ts
i,afeyse nationality, which is It's very life Dloou.
Whatever may be said of that sublime doctrine Of
universal philanthropy, which includes all nations
and all people-however beautiful IL may seem, /
venture to assert that, with the exception of few
cracked-brained philosophers, ii never had an ex-
istence The gentleman from Mississippi Mr..
BARRY tells us that as nations progress in civiza-
ton national lines are obliterated; the difference
between nations in social habits and in political
opinions are lost and just in proportion as their
habits and opinions are amagamated and become
homogeneous, is the progress OF civilization. l
pretend not to quote his words. That is the idea.
Now, Is this proposition correct? Can il be sus-
tanned by lessons taught in ancient or modern his
tory? Take the most ancient people, the Jews,
people blessed with the peculiar favor of the;
Ahnighty-set aside from other nations pecu-
liar people--the especial recipients of his fayor
and his goodness--they were not only given a
country, but its very lines and boundaries were
fixed by Him. They were taught separate man
ncrs, and separate and distinct laws were made for
their government. They must have presented at
the time the very highest type Of civilization and
because Of their disobedience and rebellion against
His laws, the heaviest malediction that could fall
upon q nation, was pronounced against them, and
they are wanderers upon the face Of the earth with
out country or a home. They have no country
they have no nationality.
The city of Rome founded by Romulus, and pco-
Piled originally by adventurers from surrounding
nations grew into mighty republic and Just In
proportion 10 its progress In civilization, was It's
nationality developed, and they the descendants Of
thieves and adveuturers, assumed the proud name
| Of Roman--a name feared and respected through
out the world. But let us examine this doctrine
by the light Of reason, well as by the lights Of
history.
We know that -goycrnments--are form.
| ed by slow and gradual processes The nucleus OF
a nation is the hmily-the home-nomadic tribes
have no home. From the family circle the COM
munity Is formcd--formed for mutual defence and
for the protection OF the weak against the strong
laws arc made for their government government
is formed It's jurisdiction Is established, its bound
aries marked out, aud you have nstioii, and
national sentiment IL created. Now, invert all
| this---frst break down one barrier and then an
other the nation, the government, the home, the
family circle, and you have either barbarism or
| Fourierism.
Now, sir, 4, as think have shown, that the
sentiment Of nationality Is one which increases
or becomes intensified civilization progresses,
that il is, In fact the very offspring of civilization
that il Is honorable among all people, why should
| not we, the native-born citizens, be permitted
TO entertain II in It's fullest measure towards and
for this beautiful country Of ours and its unrivaled
| form Of government The land Of the lakes and
Of the cataracts, Of the lofty mountains and majes
tic rivers, OF the gay savannah and the blooming
prairie the land Of stupendous forests and bound.
less plains; the land Of gold and silver, compared
| 10 which the sands Of the fabled Pactous are as
nothing; land go broad that IL takes the
whole day in his diurnal circuit to light up
"The land Of the free, and the home Of the brave
Why / ask, shall we, born here, reared here, not
be permitted to call IL " Our own our native land"
Now, springing out Of this sentiment Of nation
alty, as a necessary consequence, Is disposition
not to permit others to share with us equally all
the privileges which, as natives of such country,
we enjoy. We do not say TO foreigners you shall
not come here, under certain restrictions We do
not say that, it, feeling the expressions and tyran-
nies Of despotc forms Of government, in the Old
World, you desire TO come here, (where you can
be protected in the rights Of person and property,
you shall not come; but this we say, that when you
come, you must not expect TO be permitted to
form our laws or 10 exercise any power in the adj
mnistration Of our government.
We tell you in advance, that we are determined
that Americans shall govern America" know,
sir, II has frequently been asked why, mp to this
period, we have permitted foreigners to to this
country, and sanctioned the exercise by them Of
political privileges which you now deny them
Ny answer Is, that immigration has so increased
/ In tha loct tan hiatt Ia tho serious