Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-09-29
COL. I. G. HUNTS SPEECH,
TIE AMERICAN CAUSE,

Our first naturalization law was passed il
1870. The population at that time did no
equal four millions Oar ancestor. desired t.
increase the strength Of the nation. They
therefore, invited foreigners to settle in th
country; and for the purpose Of attracting goo,
men to their society, they superadded to othe
Inducements the privilege Of citizenship
was q natural, o liberal. and wise policy
They calculated that the in lux of numbers
would be Of that moderate degree which woul,
allow them safely to incorporate the imm
grants, after the due probation of law, into thei
body polite, and thus to add to their number.
without endsngering their liberties. The cal
cnlation was reasonable in itself, and warrant
ed by the history of the growth Of other Ia
tons; and the result Of their experiment, for a
long period Of years, corresponded with the
calculation. The immigration prior to 1890
was from 5000 to 5000 persons per wear; from
1900 to 1910, 1000; from 1910 to 1920, IL 900;
and from 1920 to 1880, $4,000. From this
period the numbers begin to swell fearfuIly
Indeed. for the last few years, the influx for
each single year has exceeded the total immi
grafton for the first thirty years Of the govern.
ment; and now for the present year it is believ.
ed that the number Of immigrants will exceed
100000, and amount, perhaps, to larger mum.
Der than the entire population Of Louisiana,
white free and bond
This extraordinary and unexpected increase
shows that the naturalization laws can no lon-
ger serve the purposes for which they were
intended. The vast hords that are preciptat.
ed upon US are composed chiefly Of the rudest
classes OF the common laborers of the monar :
chical governments of uErope. They are un-
educated, ignorant and prejudiced persons, and
bring with them only those false ideas OF go>
vernment derived from their former associa.
ti"ns and their degraded condition of life
They retain, in good degree. their early hab-
its and modes of thinking. They are extreme
ly c|annlsh, and in many instances, of late
years, have not been separated from one anoth.
er, and diffused throughout the land, and nix
ed up with and absorbed in the American pop
ulation; but have formed settlements, some.
times Of counties, by themselves, preserving
even their native language. In short, it can be
tluly said Of the great body of the immigrants,
that they cannot be politically incorporated with
and asslmiated to US, 50 as to be, in heart and
understanding, in principle and feeling, part
and parcel, in every sense, Of the great body
Of the intelligent. republican, free people Of
America. Indeed, it would seem that they
come not here, ~ in earlier times, to school
TO learn our principles of government, and to
conform to our views Of policy, foreign and
domestic. They are scarcely landed on our
shores before they are filled with false and H.
centious ideas OF liberty and equality, and un.
der the instigstion and corrupt arts Of unprin-
cipled political demagogues, arrayed in the
ranks Of party, and made to subserve the pur.
poses of faction and misrule It cannot be
denied that they have exercised an open, dis
inct and powerful influence, for many years
past, on the Presidential and other important
elections. Their power is great and increas-
ing. and If not speedily arrested, will, through
he competition OF parties counting il, exercise
! sway fatal to the liberties of the country.
Who is there, felIow-citizens, who does not
ecollect with indignation, the counsel of the
foreign demagogue, Kossuth, to the
sermans in New York previous TO the late
presidential election. He told them that the
Wing party had pronounced itself hostile to
he view Of foreign policy Gntervention in the
lffairs OF other nations) which they, the Ger
pan citizens Of Ne,o York professed, and that
lNe other party (the Democratic) had passed it
, Ef in silence. He thought silence less IN.
lSabIe than declared opposition. "None the
!. peto quote his own language, "does it ap.
, iuolme necessary to let the silent party
: uponat they cannot rest too confidently
for theogical consequences Of this dilemma;
the Gers third course yet open. viz: that
claration2itizens who agree with the de-
third indeIe at Newark, may agree with
and thsrebpt party. or refrain from voting,
parties, and tyent direct choice By the
j ! meanwhile ex6 the election into Congress,
| fiuence ia tbeeg such constitutional in-
Congress, that ice of Representatives in
there may stand importers Of your policy
Ipolicy of the govern phalanx, to control the
! Such was the politica' y )-Kossuth's speech.
; of Kossuth for the ovgice and calculation
] can policy Of neutralitrw of our Ameri-
. administration from thptaned by every
3 government. udation Of our
81 II is clear from these sta.
} eign powerfully increasinats that fors
! invading our nationality and strength-is
! overthrow Of our american systening the
: inent. 1t is time, fellow -ciizens,N govern
: yourselves to sense Of you. real 10 rouse
. waters are rising, and if you do mr.. The
: and strengthen your embankments, s!arge
{ overflow and desolate the land. Twill
i danger to your liberties lies in the the tsef
Q naturalization Of foreigners. The remedy
this evil ia modification Of the law by
tending the time for naturalization, or Il
repeal of the naturalization laws. This 10
I main object Of the American party. His.
/. informs you that Rome surrendered her lib
! ties when she extended the privilege of {
zenship to the inhabitants OF other States
Q Italy. Il becomes you to profit by instruct
D and to prevent dur vessel Of State from be
q wresked upon the same rock.
n ItisA great mistake 10 suppose that
eigner transplantedto to our country, becomes
the short period Of FIVE years, 80 thoroughly
!. Identified with itthat he eomprehends and
. precistes the fundamental principles Of our
4 culiar liberty-the nature and frame Of
/. fgosernmens--ths rights Of the States, and
d .dutiss and powers of The general goveran
= -}-onr great national domestic interests
ldutics and true policy towards the nation,