Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-11-22
HON. J. ]. CRITTENDEN.

BURLSGrox, Ky. MARY.
-rE HON. J. j. CRITTENDEN.
At great American mass meeting
and barbecue, held at Falmouth, KY,
Hon. J. J. Crittenden made the follow
ing speech:
Amidst the party strife Of the last
few years, when the only struggle SEEM
ed to be, not how the country should
be governed, but who should govern it
unexpectedly new party had grown
I'D. Without cause? No. 1t came
from the heart of the people. A convic-
ton was making its way from heart to
i. heaststhat foreign influence threatened
our liberties. And the thought of hav-
ing them subverted on our own soil,
aroused every true citizen 1t was the
peoples party.
Immediately after the Revolution,
when our country was impoverished,
and our forests to be subdued, foreign
ers did not care about coming to share
our labors. For the first twenty years
but 5000 per annum came. In the
next twenty, from 1910 to 1880 they
came at the rate of $4,000 per annum.
These were absorbed by our people and
became Americanized.
But since that time new scene has
been exhibited. From 1910 to 1850
they came by the hundreds of thous-
ands. and since 1850 they have been
coming at the rate of between I and
100000 per annum. This foreign in
vasion of armies of voters became
alarming.
Was there any probability of its de-
creasing? No. 1t was true that it had
fallen off a little in the past year bat
pken the aOar suhich Is nosO Swallowing up
tie surplus population Of Europe closed,
ne should Be again inundated NTH tie
auorthless desporadoes II has made.
The like of such an emigration the
world never saw. When the children
of Israel quilted Egypt they were not
more in number than this annual immi-
grafton.
Your forests are now subdued, and
your country made habitable, and they
now come to share it with you. Your
free institutions have become light to
the world, and they are attracted by it.
The grave question is, are these for
eigners to be entrusted with the preser-
walton of our liberties? He would not
boast but he did not believe there was
another race of men on Gods earth
that could have formed the free institu-
tons made by our forefathers. Since
the worlds history commenced, Wash
ington had never arisen in any country
but ours.
1t required all our vigilance TO pre-
serve this government. Foreigners
could not do it. They did not love it
as we did. He did not blame them
Every man loved his native land better
than any other.
As long as we could safely be gener-
Gus, we were so; and we said to them,
even now come and share our liberties,
our lands, and our blessings; we make
only one single reservation, and that fol
your good as well as ours. We are but
trustees of God, who has given us these
blessings, and we dare not commit then
to strangers.
He wished change in the naturaliza
ton laws-an extension of the time SC
as to give foreigners better opportuni'
xy to become acquainted with our instl
tutions, and TO fit themselves for taking
part in our government. No man wa'
to be upbraided for wishing to take th'
best possible care of his liberties, or To-
refusing to share them until the resi-
DUN was not worth keeping. Thes'
men came from monarchies, where the.
had been accustomed, not to governing
but to be governed. Were they eve
called on to vote tberes Why, the doc
trine of transubstantation was not !
greater mystery to them than the elec
tive franchise.
If the term of naturalization was ex
tended, or the law entirely repealed,
would make no difference in the immi
grafton. Foreigners did not come her
to roteI They knew nothing about th
elective franchise unth they learned it o
our soil. He did not object to the
coming. On the contrary he woul
say. come one-come all. We will re
eeive and entertain them; but the rigf
of governing we must reserve to oui
selves, and repel every encroachmer
upon il, snd we could call on our adop
ed citizens to aid US. If these foreign
ers came with cartridges. we would ca
on them to assist in repeahng them; bl
cartridges in their hands would not I
haT as dangerous to the brave Amer
can people as ballots.
Foreigners already formed athird e
tate-giying prepoadersnce to elth
party. ss they cast then influence vi