The true Democrat., 1855-08-07
Truth Well Spoken.

ne NatlOnal lntelll9encer Ot yesterday con- tains the two oratons delivered in that city on the 4th inst, one by James M. Carlisle, esq, at the Capitol before those who celebrated the day as Union men, irrespective of political parties, the other by Vespasian Ellis, esq, before the know nothings, or those calling themselves the American party. In the oration of the for mer we find very important subject consder- ed ina most practical and closely reasone man. ner-that is, the true cause of the physical growth and greatness of this people, which, as 1t necessarily exemplifes the positive and ,al- moStincacuable advantages which have result ed from mmi grafton to our shores, is avoided in the latter production are nearly all the other practical, tangible matters of fact and re- cord, which an orator against whom they tell might find more difficulty in djsposing of than in letting alone. "Mem. men. men, These constitute a State," says MT. Carlisle--the m. .h- ty oceaNs which wash our shores, the broad fields and great rivers, the mountains of mine ral wealth. and the teamlHg vdllies being but the mea:s and Instruments oI men. Thus Mir. (. nghtIulv assumes that 10 man not utterly besotted will pr sume to deny that our prospa- nty and power have kept even peace with our population, and that our population has out stripped the career of all other nations in that respect solely because of the unprecedented immgl ration which we have invited and obtain ed. He proceeds
 And how have we invited and obtained it? Not simply by throwing open our ports to the craven spirits of every land, content, for the privilege of being hewers of wood and drawers of water, to be among us, but not of us; not by this, nor by any thing short of the honest ten der and free pledge of brotherhood and of species of political regeneration which in the reasonably appointed time and manner should confer on every exile who should have firmly planted the lives of himself and his descen- dants in our soil as that of his adopted country the privileges of citizenship, obliteratng for ever his ties of natural allegiance, and by the same act merging all his antecedents in new fountain of his life and race. This is political regeneration. Let those sheer at 1t who are themselves too narrow of soul to comprehend what it is to be trul ly an American citizen. Let those deny its efficacy who are ignorant or for getful of our country's history, or who are un- able or unwilling to fathom its meaning or per ceive its moral.
 Emigrants ourselves in the beginning, and fugitives from the oppr ,ssion of the Old World, by the tide of immigration mainly have we been borne to our present condition. To repress this immigration, to interpoSe obstacles to natu- ralizatian, nay, even to refrain from active mea- sures for the encouragement of both, was by our forefathers regarded as a tyrannical griev- ance, fit to be set forth prominently in the ca dialogue of in iurieS "submitted to a candid world" in justification of the momentous mea- sure which we are here to celebrate In their solemn impeachment of the British King they say:
 "He has endeavored to prevent the popu- lation of these States for shat purpose obstruct- ing laws for naturalization of foreigners, refus- ing to pass others to encourage their immigra- ton hither. and raising the conditions of new appropriations of land.'
 In the first address of President Washington to Congress, among the earliest subjects which he commended to their consideration and action in carrying the new government into effect, was that of naturalization. Accordingly the first Congress under the constitution fixed the term of naturalization at two years-an act which re- ceved the signature of Washington. After wards, in the administration of the elder Adams, in the same spirit which gave birth to notorious alien and sedition laws the term of probation was extended to fourteen years; but in 1901 Mir. Jefferson, Tn his first message to Congress, uses this language:
 |" cannot omit recommending revisal of the laws on the subject of naturalization. Consi- derlng the ordinary chances of human life, denial of citizenship under residence of four teen years is denial to great proportion of those who ask it, and controls policy pursued from their first settlement by many of these States and still believed of consequence to their prosperity. And shall we refuse, Continues the author of the declaration of independence,) shall we refuse the unhappy fusitlves from dis tre8s that hospitality which even the savages of the wilderness extended to our fathers ar irving in this land? Shall oppressed humanity fiad no asylum on this globe? The constmtion indeed has wisely provided that for admission to certain offices of importont trust residence shall be required sufficient to develop character and design, but might not the general character ana Capabilities of citizen be safely communi- cated to eoery one nsantesting c boaa depu,pose ct e0'6arh,ng las life and fortunes permaaently among us2'
 Such was the doctrine of Jefferson. The experience of the revolution and of the sixteen years of the administration of Washington and the elder Adams had not changed those views of immigration and naturalization which were briefly expressed in the language already quot ed from that immortal writing which has for