Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-08-18
Hon. John j. Crittenden.

The Frankfort (Ky.,) Commonwealth, gives
the substance of great speech in favor Of the
American party, delivered by Mr.. Crttenden,
:, that place. on the oath ult. We make the
following extracts
In its origin the American order was small,
obscure and weak; but scarcely did summer
cIoud arise and overspread the sky more rapid
~ than it overspread the whole country. 1t
.as most remarkable phenomenon-the his
torv of parties showed nothing like it. 1t
nrnyed that the public mind had every where
been drawn to the contemplation of common
danger. and that vast volume of American
feeling had accumulated in the popular heart,
and needed only the electric touch which the
new order gave to burst forth in a tremendous
emission OF that explosion the American
party was generated.
Mr.. C. demonstrated the necessity for the
American party, to do what the old parties
eaete and falling to pieces as they were-would
,ot and could not do. He paid glowing and
Inst tribute to the material of the American
party-a party which had sprung from humble
rriyate citizens not from politicians, and the
members Of which were all native sons of the
soiI-mep born in the land, who had here the
homes Of their childhood and the graves of their
f,thers-whose love for their country was in
horn. pure and strong, and in whose hands, if
anywhere, the destiny of the country would be
safe.
Mr.. c. then took up the slavery question,
and demanded what more any man-even the
most ultra pro-slavery man-could ask, than
the position of the American party on that
subiets What could be more national, more
safe, more PEACEFUL There is to be no more
action on the subject in Congress; the people
bad $o .,,to
any Of the Territories with their slaves, and
when the Territory is ready for admission as a
State she is to come into the Union with or
without slavery as her own people may deter
mine The charge of Free Soilism or Adolf
tionism made against the party, in the face of
such platform, was an established faksehood,
and neither deserved or required any argument
to be used against it.
Upon the Catholic question, Mr.. C declared
that he was utterly hostile to imposing any
penalties, prescription or disability upon any
man on account of his religion. He had,
further, the fullest confidence in our native
Catholics. He felt sure they acknowledged no
allegiance to the Pope that was superior to
tkesr country, or equal to it. But there were
men, accredited teachers in the Church, as Mr..
Asswnson, for example, who taught that Cath
olics did owe supreme allegiance to the Pope in
he would trust native kentuckians to repudiate
such doctrines, he could not say as much for
the European Catholics who were coming here
in such immense numbers. Upon this whole
Catholic aspect of the question, the position of
the American party is simply this; They
would not vote for any man who acknowledged
divided allegiance between his country and
any foreign power, civil or ecclesiastical, or
who acknowledged any allegiance to any such
power superior to his allegiance to his country.
Beyond this he would not 90. nor did the order
require any body to 60 beyond it. He was not
bound to refuse to vote for native Catholic for
office, unless he knew or had reason to believe
that he held to such foreign allegiance. Who
could say there was any prescription in this?
Mr.. C. next passed to the subject of reform
of the naturalization laws. He showed the
immense increase of immigration; that as
many had arrived recently in one year, as came
in the whole of the first thirty years of our
national existence; and that the present rate
was enough to fill up State as populous as
Kentucky every two years. He showed that
we had already passed far beyond the limits of
our ability to assimilate and Americanize them
as they came; that they were now accumulat-
ing in groups, and clans, and counties and
almost States-perpetuatng their foreign habits,
and language, and prejudices, and that thus the
process Of Americanzing them, which was ex
pected to be accomplished in five years was not
even commenced They had already come at
the rate Of half million in year; at the same
rate of increase they would soon come by mil
lions; and he impressed it upon his audience,
with an eloquence and power of argument
which we cannot describe, that unless the
present rapid process Of comforting citizenship
upon these Immigrants was arrested, the sons
of the soil would soon be the ruled and not the
rulers in their own land and the glorious trust
of empire and freedom which we had received
from our fathers and our God would pass into
the hands of those who knew not how to adj
minister it. Upon this subject Mr.. c. was
pecially eloquent and powerful, but want of
room compels us to break off even this i'm
perfect sketch of his remarks.
"THERE IS A CoUsrRY."-The other day Mr..
Bright, Of Manchester, rose in the House of COM
MONS and made this significant reference to the
existence and influence of the United States of
America:
Mr.. Bright said-There is country called the
United States of America. Only on Tuesday night
the very remarkable circumstance occured-and
think the House will be of opinion that it is one
worth notce-of two of the distinguished men
being present. listening to the debates Of this House.
VINO nave occupied the poSiuOn OF PRESIDENT OF
the United States, (hear, hear) a position, ven
ture to say, not lower in honor and in dignity than
that Of any crowned monarch on the face Of the
globe The United States is precisely the country
which is running with US the race Of power and
greatness. Its population will, believe, at the
next census exceed the population of the United
Kingdom; in its manufactures and general industry
it is by far the most formidable rival that the man
ufacturers OF this country now have to contend
with; it has, Isuppose, ten steamers for
Of this country; the finest vessels which are at
this moment performing the voyage between En-
gland and the Australian colonies, haze been built
in the United States therefore, in Shpbuilding in
dustry the United States not onlt compete with,
but in ONE respects even excel this country. Look
At our present position and that of the United
states May | entreat the sttention Of the House,
for am not declaiming, am not making party
attack, am treating Of that which, in nv opinion,
IS OF vital Importance to every family in the king
dom! (Cheers.) This year the Chancellor Of the
Exchequer told you that he must have the sum Of
ESQ, 600 000 in order to carry on the various de-
partments Of your vast military expenditure. The
Cnited States has At this moment in her treasury
enough, think, to pay off all her debt Deduct
the whole amount of the expense of the govern
ment Of the United States not only of the general
government, but also of thirty Independent States