Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-10-04


asked, more, much more than he would have
been willing TO take. But is argued that ex-
clusion from Offices fKes an odious brand upon
him. Without stopping to remark upon the
absurdity of such position it is sufficient to
say that the brand is alraedy fixed by the Con.
stitution. 1t is upon him now, and will remain
upon him until that instrument is torn out from
.he archives of the nation. The second sec.
tion OF the article prescribes that no one shall
be Representative in Congress who has not
been seven years citizen OF the United
States He may have been twenty or more
years a resident Of the country before his Nat
uralization papers were taken out, and yet he
must remain seven years longer before he can
occupy the post of a Representative. Here is
a distinction and broad one. II is idle 10 talk
about degrees of infamy. II exclusion for life
renders a man Infamous, exclusion for term
Of years must have the same effect. Beth a.
like pre-. suppose difference between the ma
tive and foreigner. Both have the same oper-
alton and both whether justly or uniustly
give preference to native born citizens.
The third section of the same article pre-.
scrbes that no person shall be Senator who
has not " been nine years a citizen Of the Uni
ted States.' Here the distinction is broader.
AS the Office rises in imporlance--as the dan.
ger arising from ignorance; or preconceived
opinions becomes greater, the more careful the
trainers Of the Constitution were to secure the
services Of native born citizens, until at last in
the highest OF all Offices Foreigners are exclu-
ded entirely. In the first section of the Sec
ohd article of the Constitution declares that "no
person but natural born American citizen
shall be eligible to the Office of President"
and the twelfth amendment declares that NO
Foreigner shall be eligible to the Office of Vice
President. 1t thus appears that Foreigners are
absolutely prohibited by the Constitution from
filling the only two Offices which omanate di-
rectly from the whole people, whose incum
bents are elected by the VIII ole people. What
stronger distinction is it possible to make be-
tween the Native and Foreign born citizen?-
10 comparison with that how poor and weak is
the mere resolution of political party that
the y will not vote for Foreigners If the de-
cIaration of such a purpose by those who are
called Know Notbings is odiOus, unjust, infa-
nous aud tyranuical, what will you do with the
Constitution we all profess to revere? From
that green and living root they extracted the
essence of their creed. Whatever of wisdom
whatever of patriotism--whatever of sincere
devotion to liberty aud the country may encir-
Gle them is drawn down from the same health
ful source. Strike them down and you aim q
blow at the supreme law of the land Strike
them down and you prepare the way for a.
mendments to the Constitution which will soon
have you vassels in fact, if not vassels in name,
to those who grew upon your hospitality, and
fattened upon your charity, am not aware
that it is customary to ridcule the idea Of dan
ger from foreign influence. We are exulting.
ly pointed to the fact that there are but three
Millions of foreigners, while there are twenty
millions of natives, These figures are not &C
curate, but we will take them as they are Civ.
en- US. 1t must be remembered that OF this
three millions of Foreigners a very large por
ton of them are voters. 1t is the unvarying
law of emigration that much the greater mum
Der of ever body of emigrants are Males
This was the case even in California, when EN-
igration was only from one portion of our own
territory to another. All Of us can call to mind
cases in which the head of the family aI0ne is
Foreigner, while the wife and children are
Natives. These go to swell the number OF ma
tives on the census books, while the voter-tht
efficient and controlling power is set down al
one Foreigner.
Now let us look at the other side: OF tht
twenty millions of Americans, about one hal
are females. This disposes of tea Millions
Of the remainder at least two thirds are chill
dren, and boys too young to vote. This dis
poses Of near seven millions more, and bring
the number Of voters down much nearer to al
equality than is at all agreeable, or than ou
opponents are willing to admit. these facts hav
not been unknown to, or unmarked by politi
clans: There is not an aspiring demagogue Il
all the land who has not, time and again, mad
himself conspicuous as the advocate of For
eigners. VIM. H. Seward, with his cold cal
culatng, heartless selfshness, is the leader ii
this race of adulation to whatever is Of foreig
extraction; and many better men, who ough
not to be named in the same breath, are hast
ening in his footsteps. Even the veteran SO
der whose life has been passed among bullet
--whOse strong nerves has never been shake
in the deadiest conflict, when be was cand