Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-10-06
gaElngn.as ge4t4XAN
= ESSftsi III f8fNTl4EI E.
SATURDAY MoRNING~.....oCr. &. 1853
The origin of Amerieanism.


fact (which was no fact that the American party
originated in New England, aud was foreshadow-
ed by a sermon preached in Massachusetts by one
parson Adams. some three or four years ago
Hundreds of well meaning people misled by
his jealous assertions, gave credence 10 the idea
that Amercanism was an agency of the abolition
lists. 4 late article in The Louisville Journal
shows how egregieasly such people were imposed
on. Investigating The question, tina; paper says:
''The first mention that we have found of an or
guRisdtioh for the establishment Of Native Amer
ieanism as a principle of public policy is in AN
account Of the formation OF Native American as.
sociations in Louisiana in 1899. On the twenty
second of February, 1871, a day consccrated IN
The memory Of the Father of his Country. the
anniversary Of the birth of WAsHINeToN, n Ma
tive American convention assembled in New Or.
leans. This assemblage was composed of re
spectacle gentlemen from many parts of the State
of Louisiana. They met TO devise some means
To protect the institutions of our country from the
oorrupting Influences of Fofeiguism. They went
much further than the American party now pro
poses to go. They adopted n memorial 10 Con
gress praying for the total repeal of the naturuli-
-HfA'h 80 - 'N9hElFfh''1 - ~
pare an address to the citizens of the United States
setting forth the purposes of The organization, and
inviting the cooperation of their fellow. citizens
throughout the Union. The chairman of that
committee was an houored citizen, who was then
and for many years afterwards a Democrat. In n
recent number of the \. o. Crescent we find
the following extracts from this address:
The Native. American Association do not inter
fere with immigration they do not desire to
close our ports against "A solitary European who
comes in good faith. They are as ready ms the
most enthusiastic philanthropist, to extend to tho
oppressed of every CLINE aud kindred, the bene.
fits and the blessings which flow from wise laws,
wisely administered They who desire IA repeal
of the naturalization laws do not throw off their
nature as Amerieans-tbey do not sink n single
attribute of humanity-thev cherish as much re-
spect as ever for the laws of hospitality. They
are willing TO give every alien n homo and the
protection of our governments; they require only
that the political ~power-the power of eleeting
the public servants of our country. and admins
tering our laws, shall he reserved to those born
upon the soil-whose first breath was dawn in a
LAM of civil liberty. and whose capacity for self
government has been strengthened by breathing
alone The pure air of Freedom. They are willing
TO shore everything with the immigrant popula
ton, save and except the ballot Dor. They are
determined that the instrument upon which the
safety of our institutions depends, shall be pre-
serred from the pollution o(foreign hands. We
believe, fellow citizens, that we are capable of
directing our own domestic aifairs-that we pos
sess intelligence enough to select our own public
functionaries-that we are competent To frame
and execute our own laws. . e We be-
lieve the right of suffrage belongs erclusirtIy 10
natire born citizens, and that n proper regard for
the safety eff our government requires it should
be hereafter lodged in their hands;that the priv.
llege of voting exercises no power in inducing
foreigners to e%migrate; and that just as many Flu
ropeans will seek our shores after the natnruliza.
ton laws are repealed as before. Ii is Il fact well
understood, that there Is not more than one i'm
migrant in a thousand who has any knowledge
of the spirit and character of our laws, and that
the vast proportion of them leave their native
land Tor the simple purpose of redeeming them
selves from starvation and penury. They know
nothing OF voting until the ballot is placed in
their hands by designing demagogues. They are
taught 10 evade the present naturalization laws,
when necessary, by fraud and perjury, and they
become willing instruments for the use of any
one who may take the trouble TO ilatter their
prejudices and appeal to their passions. Add tc
this the indisputable fact that very many OF
these immigrants, who have seemingly become
real Republicans in habit and character, are moth
ing more or less than The ,riiy and artfui emissa-
ries Of foreign governments, who are secretly
and perseyeringly at work, fomenting disturban
ces. spreading doctrines calculated to undermine
the foundations of society, administering to sec
tonal and party prejueices; planting the seed o
Reorganization and disunion, and doing all in
their power to preeipitate the country into the
broad gulf of anarchy. And such mon are clothed
with political power equal to that welded by the
F. best citizens of the United States!
If the real state of the case could be ascertain
ed, it would be found that half the elections in tn,
Union are governed by foreign voters, holdin.
the balance of power in the various States, an,
voting as the Vaccinations of those who contro
them may direct. At the late Presidential cleo
tion, all the candidates for office were compelled
to crawl in the dust at the feet of foreign yaga
bonds, who have secured almost unlimited con
troll of the ballot boxes. " a 1t ought to be
sufficient to arouse the people of the United
States to know that their political destinies a,
even now welded by foreigners to n very grea,
extent, and that tke numerical force of these for.
eigners Is hourly increasing.
lfthese fears were properly entertained then,
asks the Journal, if foreigners then held the bal
ance of power in various States, if the political
destinies of the people of the Union were then
welded by foreigners to such an extent as to ex.
cite apprehensions for the safety and permanence
d. of our free institutions, though the foreign immi-
grafton to this country averaged only about 81
600 per annum, how striking is the necessity for
cultivating a true American feeling and guard.
ing the ballot-box from the fraud and corruption
of foreign influence noao. when nearly one-third
of the voters in the United States are foreign
born, when our aims houses and hospitals and
prisons are crowded with foreign paupers and
criminals, and the influx from abroad is s~uficien.
annually to form a population entitled to FIVE or
six Representatives in Congress, and when in
every State in the Union we find foreigners