The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1855-01-19

| erOl Pierce every vote General Scott recei.
we'd, and to General Scott every vote Gener-
al Pierce received, IN the election Of Is ls.
| less than eighty thouoand votes would have
changed the yo'e OF every State of the Un-
ion, except that Of New York, giving'o Cen
erIl Ttylor the votes received by General
Cass. and the vote Of General Cass 10 Gem
eral Taylor. And Ia change nfless than'lwen.
ty.i>e thousand votes in four States would
have elected General Cuss, nstcad of Gem
cral Taylor. II, in the enthusiasm and heat
of American politics, there is any party that
is cool enough as is suspected and charged,
dcberat ely to pr, jet aud exrcutea plan
Ithat shall secure an absolute balance VI pow
er between the great PARTIES, tho remedy,
the only remcdy, must be for the lcpp'e 10
at stain from division upon ordinary quest ous,
as against that party II it be true that any
considerable portion Of the foreign vote has
been directed with view to secure this en-,
there tire NOV votes enough cut Ct two and Il
quarter millions ot resident foreigners TO
effect it, were the statutes Of naturalization
repealed.* There is no remedy but that
UHIOE which has been described ~ us, and
that, understOnd to he chief objec, Of
the patty whose members are called "know-
Noihings." Whiic it denies no rights to II
minority, it demands the rights of a majority
While it denies TO foreigners nothing that
belongs to them. it claims aud assumes the
prerogative Cf Government, which il, here,
the unqulstion,d II .llt vi AMERICANS. D..
nying to NJ crson the rights OF conscience,
or the freedom Of religious opinion, it es'ab-
fishes and pcrpctuaes both, in placing the
Government upon the basis contemplated
by tho Constitution, tnd by the fathers Of
this Republic
1t is useless to speculate upon the extent
to which this power may be carried, should
such 4 policy be adopted. But | may men
ton an incident within my uwn exp p'rirnas
which illustrates possible limit In lS4S
| supported the Democratic candidate for
the Presidency; aud, being earnest in the
canvass, was slngHi,e OF success. | vas
il tlmItc wi-h ore who likewise advoctlc
the claims Of General Clss, but who always
said he would be defeated. 1t was a tight
battle, IA every one knows; AMI non, but
, very wise men knew its results until after
: the election. Some months after, my frien
} mentioned to me his prediction. GLOW wa,
. IT," said ], that, while you lahored for CAS-,
you was certain Of bis dc feat" Said hc "I
am Jcs Iit and our Instructions were to .hou
for Cqss but to vote fof TJyIor." ask no
. gentleman t. take this statement upon tn,
/ credit of any man. repeat it, as an ilus
t traton of the extent to which this balance
/ Of power policy might be carried.
A Now, sir,l know, what have said before,
) that change Of the statutes of naturaIi2I-
= tot, viii not rcm'd any possible evil Of this
= character. The remedy for that have al
= Iuded to. But the revision OF these statute.
j mly be prcsse0 upDa our attention, oy tho
/, example Of rep 'atcd rcvisions and amend
: mentS made by our predecessors; by the cA
tent to which the emigration of that class o
! people, who arr of uneXccp ionabl, persona
Y character. has been carried; by the increase,
/! numhcrui convcts and pau2eIs of other GOV
; crumrnts that I. sent here; by the hthcr,,
= unanticiFatcd emigration from the Chimes,
empire; 1y what we kn,w Of tie past an,
I { ar of tho future, and, again, that some a.
/ utthc Government may mark the period
y when All unjustifublc effort to control thci
= political action was rebukcd by the Ameri
, can people. These things, do not, in III,
t judgment, demand Il repeal o!the statutes U
. naturalization, but, am not prepared to say
- that they will not justify an cXten sion of th
. term of resldcuc now required and Il NOR
a Stringent execution uf the laws exist ~
than has been usual hitherto Whether
that term Shall be twenty-one, or twelve, q,
81 I G,r I.,r 1
/ The gentleman from Mississippi suggested
that this was ii land Of tolcra ion Of rcli
t glous liberation. Sii, 90 far beyond that
! do not agree merely TO the liberation u
4 Catholics or protestants here. They huv
' an absolute right. Every person is enti,c
to religious freedom. federation eNisis il
; France or in Great Britain, because, thcr
= religions are established by Governments
, Here there is yet no Government religion
/ aud therefore 10 mere toeration. The Cath
, che and the Protestant have their right unde
; our institutions. No one will be more r, luc
trnt than myself to disturb or curtail that
; right. | am Tor extending it to III, proles
sors OF every lailh N the largest possibl,
degree. But the concessions OF the consti-
tuition and laws end there. In matters OF
politics, we extend to citizens Of other land.
the right OF participation, not the right o
c0Htroi. In establishing the charter of reli
giuus freedom, we neither avoid the rcspon
sib.hties nor abdicate the duties Of Govern.
mrrt.
Here the hammer fell.
The following table exhibits the cation in the crc
ton at l"is, ~ fourteen o the States orthc intou which
cast manty ni electoral votes, 0tho lorcsn pupua
: l.nI md A..InI La I'M tAnLr nj