New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-02
>. AMERICA FOR AMERICANS"

dsny 7, or withhold the essential rights of clti
zen.tip from one born under other skies or holding
q dif.r,ut faith from ours While We mslntaln
the political rights of the Hebrew. Mormon, Mo-
bammedan. Deist, Atheist, how could we challenge
those of a Christian because be adheres to diff
ferent church from ours While we maintain
the right Of the ignorant or vicious native-bOrn
American to vote, in spite of his ignorance or
vice. how can we deny the equal right OF the intel
lieent and virtuous Immigrant from Europe To
our mind there is no other party IN the land so
radically, essentially I'M American as that which
names itself American, just as there is none other
so glaringy un-democratic as that which gains
votes by it's pretensiOns of exclusive Democracy
Tot constitutional provision, excluding criminals,
habitusl drunkards inyeterate paupers, and even
grossly illiterate persons from the body polltlc,
we here profer no objections. 1t may be plauslbly
urged that felon has forfeited his political fran
cbises BY his crimes, aud must be regarded as an
enemy rather than a pillar OF the State that
drunksrds vote is unintelligent, ana governed by
accident hence entitled to no weight; that
manner will be constrained to vote AS those who
give or withhold his bread may dictate, and that
giving Lin vote is only increasing their power,
often at the expense of his convictions; and that
he who cannot read is liable to be deceived on
every point, not only with regard to the questions
at issue. but even as to the very names on his
ballot An attempt to exclude these would rest
On ineligible principles, and might be supported
or opposed without manifest absurdity
But to say that an upright, intelligent, lndustrl-
GUS tax-pay er shall have no voice in shaping and
modifying the laws under which he lives, or in
choosing the officers by whom they are to be adj
ministered-is not this to repudiate the Republi-
can theory altogether and cODine power to an ire
sponsible oligarcby There are townships and
villages in this country of which not fourth OF the
sdult NJ iles would be legal voters under the rule
which requires twenty.onc years residence PRIOR
to naturalization and this small fraction OF native
Americans do not own even proportional share OF
the property. How monstrOus would be the rule
which restricted all political power to this little
minority, putting the great body of their neghbors
aid townsmens rights and property legally under
their feet And yet this is just what the Ameri'
caui.m Of Ullmann and Headley and Ned Buntline
would do in a hundred instances, and measurably
in all If this is republican, then the imperial des
potism of Gar Alexander or Louis Napoleon is a
model of democracy.
The true American theory welcomes hither the
natives of other lands and proAers them the en-
10, ment of equal privileges and immunities with
ourselves. The five years probation required by
cur laws is intended to exclude those who come
hther under the impulse of curiosity or restless
ness, and soon firing of our plOdding thrifty ways,
pun up stakes and go home again or elsewhere.
II is intended, moreover, to afford time for
becoming acquainted with our Institutions, our
politics our public men. We believe the Immi-
grants as class do not desire that this probation
should be shortened, and we are sure the great
mass Of the community are averse to seeing 1t
heightened We doubt that any new term could
be adopted which would give equal satisfaction
with the present.
Public sentiment may be said to have unequiyo-
cally pronounced on this question. Natiyism may
secure local and transtOry triumph by secretly
selecting its candidates from of the rival tickets Of
the great parties or by Ginning 10 with some local
interest or neetiDg excitement; but it very rarely
triumphs a second time in the same locality. Its
first poll is generally its best and it's triumph the
forerunner of it's dissolution.
We entreat then, thOse members of the Ameri-
can organization who are really hostile to the
diffusion of Slavery over all that portion Of our
territory not yet formed into States, to act as
becomes rational, rejecting, unfettered, patriotic
men in the Election now before 1t has been
abundantly demonstrated that Natyism cannot
carry the country-canrOt form the basis Of a
formidable and permanent party. Of the ten
Slave States which have voted this year, il has
barely carried Kentucky, and that by an insgnif-
cant majority compared with that of the Wings in
other days. In the Presidential contest now before
us, there can be but two substantive psrties-the
regulators Of the Missouri Compact, rallying as
the National Democracy, and the Republicans,
united to rebuke the Nebra ka Iniauity, secure
Kansas 10 Freedom aud erect breakw alter against
the further extension of Slavery. The former
will carry the South; the latter, we trust, the
North, electing President and Congress who will
insist that our Territories, present and prospect
ire, shall be preserved as Free Soil for Free Men.
Between these two hosts, it may be possible for
the American organization to give one or two Free
States to the DOugastes, but not to carry any for
third candidate. We urge, then, the Anti-Slavery
men in the American organization to act as their
consciences prompt, go as to give force TO their
convictions and power to the side Of Freedom.
NewYork on the Republican tack signals the
whole line that the Presidential battle is to be
fought on the great issue, and that Kansas must