The weekly Placer herald., 1855-06-23
NUMBER. al.

and religion touch chord in the human heart
which vibrates 10 the intensest malignity of
hell. Accordingly, the pen of the hstor an
registers many brutal antago"isms = many
lasting and terrible wars; but the most brutal
of all those antagonisms-the more lasting
and terrible of all those wars, are the antag-
onisms of race, and the wars of reli gon.
1t will be replied to what we have hitherto
urged. that our argument proceeds upon an
assumption, that aliens are to be totally ex-
cluded from political life; whereas nobody
proposes such a thing, but only longer pre-
paratory residence.
We rejoin, that the persons and parties who
are now agitating the general question, be-
cause they propose the exclusion of adopted
citizens from office. do, in effect. propose to-
tai political disqualification of foreig ign,rs. All
their invectives, all their speeches, all their
secret assemblages, have this end and no Other.
They agree to ostracise politi ically every man
who is not born on our soil; they consp re- not
to nominate to any preferuent. not to vote for
any candidate who is born abroad; and these
agreements and consp'rac es are present dis
franchisement, SO far as they are eff ct've. Of
every adopted citizen. and a future anathema
of every alien. Whether the a m be accom-
plished by public opinion, by secret conclave,
or by law, the consequences are the same; and
the general objections we have alleged to the
division of society into castes, apply with
equal force.
We rejoin again--n respect to the dstnc-
tion made between a total exclusion Of foreign
ers. and change in the natural ;zation laws
that it is a distinction which really amounts to
nothing. For, firstly, if the probation be ex-
tended to long period. say twenty one years.
as some recommend it. it would be equivalent
to total exclusion; and secondly. if shorter
period, say ten years. be adopted. the change
would be unimpOrtant, because no valid oljec-
tion against the present term of five years would
thereby be obviated Let us see, for nom, nt
Firstly, as to term of twenty one years:
we say that, inasmuch as major ty of for
eigners who arrive on our shores are twenty
five years of age and over when they arrive, if
we impose quarantine Of twenty one years
more, they will not be admitted as citizens un-
til they have reached an age when the tardy
boon will be of little value to them, and when
their faculties and their interest in human af-
fairs will have begun to decline. Whether
they will care to solicit their right at that pc
rOd is doubtful, and, if they do. they can re-
gard it as scarcely more than mock, ry.-
How many of them will live to be over forty
five or ffty,years Of age, if We leave th m in
the interval to loiter in the grog-s shops. and
amid scenes Of vice, as they are more likely
to do if not absorbed into the mass of cit zens?
How many having passed twenty one y, ars
of polite ban, and even of ignomny- for
it wouldr0me to that-would b. thereby bet
ter prepared for adoption? The younger
ranks Of the emigrants might possibly benefit
by the hope of one day becoming citizens and
look forward to it with some degree of inter
est but to all the rest it would he fato NOR
CANA, and the protracted test virtually an
Introduction.
| Secondly, as to any shorter novitiate say
ten or twelve years, it would not be more ef-
fective. in the way of qualifying the pup /,
than the existing term. AS the laws now
stand. an alien. giving three years note. of
intention, must have been five years consecu-
lively a resident of the Un ted States and
one year resident of the State and County
in which he applies--must be of good moral
character must be attached to our const tu-
ton and laws.--must ALLURE all foreign pow
ers. particularly that he was subject to-and
must sXnRr faithful allegiance to the gov rn-
ment O&fhis adaptive country,-before he can
be admitted - member of the State What
more could De exactrd of him, at the end of
ten years. or twenty? If unfit for acceptance,
tOo-accordlng to these requiremrnts-at the
end of five years. would he be more likely to be
fit at the end? In short, is tn re single dis
qualification, which JEALOUS Nativists are apt
To. O.allege against toreigners-such as their =
norance. their clannishness. their attachm mt
to foreign governments and their subj ct on
to the Roman Catholic Church-wh ch would
be probably alleviated hy means of more
protracted embargo? None: on the contrary.
as we have intimated in another place. all
their worse qualities would be aggravated ly
the exclusive association among themselves
for so many years longer. in which they would
be kept.--while they would lose, as we shall
show more fully hereafter. the best means of
fitting themselves for good citizenship. in
losing the educational influence Of our actual
political life.
1t is true. in respect to the present laws Of
naturalization, that our Courts have shown
banefnl laxity in enforcing Their condit ons.
and that our leading parties. corrupt ev,ry-
where are nowh' re more corrupt than in thor
modes of naturalzng foreigners; but tn re
is no reason to expect that, either Courts or
parties will grow more sAere under more
stringent laws. Th,y Will have the same
motives. and be Just as eager. to license frau
dulent voters then as they are now: and the
few days before a great Presidential Il ction
will exhibit the same disgracetul scenes of
venalty and falsehood. No simple change in
the time Of the law. at any rate, can work anv
| Improvement Nor will such a chance rend, =