New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-09-24
DAILY CRESCENT.
:. s. EXTRACTS FROM
Col. Clemens Great Letter
~ ON AMERIcANIsM.

II Col. Clemens Great Letter
ON AMERIcANIsN.
E - HUNTSVILLE, Ala, July 18th, 1855.
Dear Sw:-I have not before had time
answer your letter in relation to the new ord
Of Know Nothings, nor have now at hand 1
the statistics which are necessary to fl
! telunidatioH Of the subject Very possibly
the opinions anrabout to advance shsllfi
. myself in antagonism to yourself and some
/ those old friends to whom you aliude. At a
events there is no impropriety in asking you
read carefully, not for the purpose OF contri
dscting or finding fault, ner yet for the purpo
Of implinitly believing, but to reasan, to consit
er, to reflect Ii there is truth in what writ
let no previous prejudice dim its brightness
there is error let NO personal partiality prevei
its detection and exposure. -
The violence which has Heretofore charaote,
lzed the dIscussionsson this subject is unbt
coming at all times, and particularly so, upon
question involving so much about which me
may reasonably differ. know not why
me upon Know Nothingism, than upon Demec
Tracy. He has the right to tho maintenance q
his. own opinions, and if he is honest no jus
man will denounce. ,.5
| II Is proper for me to say that never was il
Know Nothing Lodge but onee-that do'no
know o single sign or password, and could no
TO- day. obtain admission to any, Council in tba
state, unless it was through the intervention o
q friend but endorse their platform and pro
pose to defend their principles. They are thu
| principles OF Washington and Jefferson, and
what is of more Importance; they are the prin.
| ciples of the Constitution.
When one OF the seven wise men of Greece
visited the Court of Periander of Corinth, he
was asked, "what is the most perfect popular
government? His answer, which contains a
| whole volume Of truth and beauty in a single
line, is the foundation of the Know Nothing
creed They made it in the beginning the ba-
SIS OF their piatform-not designedly for very
probably the answer of the Sage has not been
| remembered, but reason, reflection, and an
earnest patriotism, led them to the same result
Accordingly wsfnd every member is impera-
lively required to acknowledge the law, as es-
abilshed BY the Constitution, to be supreme
obedience to its mandates is inculcated as the
highest duty, and disobedience-is certain to be
followed by expulsion. /. Thus far, L am sure,
the most violent will agree with me that there
is nothing to condemn--that there is something
te applaud. '''s5 S.
The remaining portions Of the platform may
De disposed Of as satisfactorily, think, if not
as briefly as the first. Americans shall rule
Amerlca--in other words-tor mean to dealin
no equ1yocation-no evasion-to cover up moth
ing, to dodge nothing, to deny nothing--in
other words, then, that native born Americans
shall ill all Offices of political importance under
the Government / do net mean mere money
ofices, such as President of a bank, railroad or
other corporation, but every office which gives
to Its holder an influence on the legislation of
the country. These are the offices from which
we are pledged to exclude foreigners, and this
IS the position am prepared to maintain.
Ii Is not denied that we have enough, and
more than enough competent Americans to fill
every office we have to bestow; but it is urged
that such distinction is odious and unjust to
our foreign population. How is it unjust? He
has been deprived of nothing by his immigration
here In his Own land he did net even havethe
right Of suffrage. His property was neversfor
an hour secure. His personal liberty was con.
standy in danger. He could not vii Or speak
his sentiments with impunity. He was ground
down with taxes A press gang might, at any
moment, tear him down from the bosom of his
family, or an oppressive landlord turn that
family houseless upon the world. All this is
changed. We have given him the right to vote,
We have given him security. We have given
aim independence; and now, because we will
rot give him the right to mako the laws by |
Which we are to be governed, he forgets, in his |
arrogant ingratitude, the hundred blessings
Te have showered upon him, and repays the |
afety of the altar by malignant aspersions of |
ne ministers to whom he owes his protection. |
t is q delusion to talk about the rights of for.
lgners. Privileges is the proper word. We
Fere not bound to extend to them the right Of |
utfrage. We were not bound to give them pro- |
ection, liberty, peace, independence All these
7ere voluntary gifts. 1t was philanthropy in
IS broadest sense. Nor is there one of the mil
IONS who naod the country, who would nothave |
his own land for ours, even If tho
Constitution had denied him the privilege If /
otlng.- The other adyantageshe Obtains wonid
ave been sufficient, and more than sufficient. to1
ave made him anxious for a shelter beneath
he wings of the eagle. Where, then is the
nJusticei He has all he asked more. much I
nore than he would have been willing to TAXA
'ut 1t sargued that exclusion from Office fixes +
n odious brand upon him. Without stopninpl,
Q remark upon the absurdity of such posi-
ion, it is sufficient to say that the brand Is IL
eady fixed, by the Constitution It is mon
i'm until that instrument is torn out from the
rchives of tho nation vi. =
The second section of the first article nre-
cribes that no one shall be Representatives in
Congress who has not sheen seven years a, c;t;. I
en- of the United States" He may have bean
wenty or more years o resident Of the country
etore his naturalization papers were taken ont.
nd Yet, he must remain seven years longer he.sI
,re he can occupy the post ofa Representative
lere is distinction, and o. broad one. IA ia
lie to talk about, degrees of infamy .Ifexclp-
ion for life renders man infamous, exclusion
,r aterm of years must have the same effect
10th alike pre-suppose a difference between the
atiVe and the foreigner, Both have the same
peration, and both, whether justly or upiustlv.
i've preference to native born citizens.
The third section of the same article nre.
cribes that no person shall be Senator who
as not "been nine years acitizen of the United
tates" Here the. distinction is broader. Az
be office rises in importance-as the danger
rising from ignorance, or preconceiyed opinions
ecomss greater. the more careful the trainers
the Constitution were to secure the services
native citizens, until at last in the highest If
IL offices, foreigners are excluded entirely.
In the first section Of the second article tho
constitution declares that s'no person exeept a
atural born citizen shall be eligible to tbeI
flee Of Presideht;'' and the twelfth amepdmentl
eclares that no foreigner shall be. eligible to
le office of Vice President. 1t thus appears
aat foreigners are absolutely prohibited bp
le Constitution from filing the only two otfice,
hich emanate directly from the whole people.
hose incumbentsare elected by the whole peo- Ii
10, and who are, in an especial manner, the III
uardians Of the rights Of the people Il,
What stronger distinctionisit it possible to make
etween the native and the foreign born citizen
l comparison with that, how poor and how I,
eak is the. mere resolution Of political party