True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-08-29

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bilities, which will generate an antagonism
that must prove injurious, and may even.
tually prove fearfully destructive. And
this standard and its necessity we indicate
when we say that Americans should rule
America. And this privilege Of right be-
longs to us, for we are Americans, and
America is ours; and we do our adopted
citizens no injury by asserting and e1crci.
Singit. 1t is ours by inheritance, for our
forefathers fought for the liberty of ererci-
sing this privilege-thcy elected their fO,-
eign rulers, because they betsyedthst they
themselves were better qualified to rule,
than strangers possibly could be--tbey
successfully exercised that privilege, and
bequeathed as an inheritance to their DOS.
terity. The introduction to the Constitu-
ton declares-"We, the people Of the Uni.
ted States, in order to secure the blessings
of liberty to ourselves aud our postsrity, do
ordain &c." We, the citizens born in this
country, are undoubtedly the persons di
rectly indicated by the words ""our posteri,,
ty"--we are the persons to whom the rich
inheritance won by the testatOrs was more
Immediately bequeathed than any Others,
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and it is therefore incumbent on US to watch
and guard the various avenues by, which
this right may be invaded, in order to trans
NIT it unimpaired to our posterity. And
if we have thus far shared with adopted
citizens the high privileges bequeathed to
us, even making many Of our rulers, we
invade none Of their natural rights BY ma.
king rulers exclusively of our own citizens.
And this we should do--the common good
of all, renders it necessary, and we can do
it without illegally disfranchising single
individual. The bill of Rights asserts "thas
all men are born free and equal, with css~
tain inalienable rights, amongst which arS
life, liberty and the pursuit Of happiness"
anu many others may be enumerated, aa
the right to perform, divine worship ac'of-
ding to the dictates of conscience, the right
to acquire property, &c. And We believe
that all persons of oil creeds should have
ample and legal protection in the eAeFa'Se
Of these rights--that these are rights OF
which no man, nor any association OF men
can have any right to deprive their fellow
men, on any pretext whatever--bnt tie
right to rule to the extent Of tho authority
conferred by au Office, is none Of these
unless indeed some have become 80 ambi
tious and selfish, that they cannot be hap.
py without an Office. And we are incIin-
ed to think that this may be the case with
a E,c, for we have seen some who appear
ed to be really rmhappy-aimost misers,
bic, when they failed to get elected to an
Office. The monarchs and potentates Of
of the world assert that the right to rule
is natural and hereditary-that they were
born to rule and the prerogatiye is theirs-
but our forefathers repudiatcd their doc-
trine-justly considering that the possessors
of merit and capability, when invested With
official authority, by the suffrage Of those
who delegate that authority, alone have
the right to rule. And do the emisranss
from other countries come here believing
that they have natural right to bear rule
over us, and that they are as we'll or even
better qualified, les us surrender the reins
into their hands--if not, let US rein them
and drive on. If they come here arnbi'
tious and expectaut-determined to seek
for Office as necessary constituent Of hap
pineas, it is time to curb their ambition,
and teach them to seek happiness in some
other direction; but if they have no such
disposition, they will submit cheerfully to
the rule of Americans. If they come here
to seek homes for themselves and their
children---to enjoy to greater extent tho
rights of civil and religious liberty, these
rights are guaranteed by our constitution
and laws to them as to ourselves the instant
they arrive in our country. And for this
purpose, we believe that u very large major
! ity of them come here for, and compara-
lively few would seek for Office, if they
were not tampered with ambitious and un-
prlncipled men, vino wish to use them as
tools with which to secure their own ag
grandisement. All the great avenues to
competency and wealth are open and free
to them--the agricultural Or mnnufactu'
ring the mechanical or professional, with
out any embargo, await their choice. 10
all these and in the exercise Of all their no
tural rights, they have as full and ample
protection, before they are legally invested
with all the privileges of citizenship, as
they have afterward. We shall now show
that the right to vote and hold Office is not
natural but conferred right. That they
must reside here a specified number Of
years, and comply with the naturalization
laws. before they can exercise it is well