The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-12-15
oPEhoUsAs SATURDAY MORNING DECEMBER Is,

ject Of admitting foreigners to the PRIVILEGES oil
Roman citizens, will amply repay the time |
consumed in it and I respectfully recommend
this especially to the leaders Of the Democratic
party. tlf os4i q s.ais,I. ~ 81. .ss.-., |
The early policy Of Rome, and when sfie was |
but feeble power, was to receive freely into |
her bosom all strangers and adventurers-en- |
rolling among her citizens even the captives |
taken in war, all Of whom, in process Of time,
asslmilated with the native race, and formed |
one great people, one distinct nationality but
when her population and resources had 50 in |
creased as to enable her to cope successfully
with the warlike States with which she was
surrounded. she adopted the more restricted
policy Of admitting no alien to the privileges Of
Roman citizens, but such as were distinguished
oy Their personal merits, or eminent abilities
and guarded with jealous caro- the dignity Of
the Roman name and the integrity Of the Ro-
man institutions from all such influences as
threatened to disparage the one or change the
other. s.ftl1
The effect of this caution in admitting aliens
to the privileges Of citizens, so long as it was
persisted in, was, not only to maintain the
public liberty-to give such stability to the
policy Of the Commonwealth as to enable it to
achieve universal dominion, but, at the same
time to impart consideration and protection to
Roman citizens wherever the authority Of
Rome was obeyed, or her power respected
But after Carthage, Macedonia and oil the
more formidable enemies to the progress of
Roman sway had fallen and when the wealth
and treasures Of numerous tributary states and
provinces began to flow into Rome and when,
as natural consequence, it became the resort
Of great multitudes Of foreigners, seeking to
advance their fortunes, in whatever way chance
should offer, then,' was given new and in
creased impulse to the spirit Of faction. Am
bilious and restless aspirants to the public
honors and Offices multiplied rapidly. The
competition between them became more fierce,
and engendered factions formidable to the pub
lie liberty. Many Of the factious leaders did
not scruple, by fraud or arti6ce, to cause great
numbers of the resident foreigners to be in
scribcd on the roll Of citizens and to vote in
the popular elections. The evils arising from
this practice at last arrested the attention Of
the Government, and reused the jealousy Of
the nativeborn Citizens scrutiny was insti-
tuted, and all foreigners who had dared to
usurp the privileges Of Roman citizens were
driven from the city. -fa.,t
But this measure did not suffice to remedy
the evil. The foreign vote and the proneness
Of foreigners to become the instruments Of fac
tions, were elements Of strength, of too much
Importance to factious leaders, to allow the
question Of their claims to be admitted to the
privileges Of Roman citizens, to sleep and one
Of them, who filed the Office Of Tribune, ven
tured, in an assembly Of people, to propose q
law for the admission Of the free Inhabitants of
all Italy to the privileges of Roman citizens !;
but this proposition was so offensive to the
citizens and SO deeply affected their personal
consideration, that a tumult arose, in which
the Tribune and many of his partisans lost
their lives. But this tragedy did not terminate