The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-09-15


of participating in our privileges, but no candd
man will deny that large proportion are OF very
different character, consisting for the most part OF
/ Red Republicans, or anarchists criminals, and pau
pers-or will venture when dismounfed from the
stump, calmly to assert, that fve.years residence
here win qualify an ignorant foreigner thoroughly
to understand our institutions and Loyalty to conform
10 them. Then let il be remembered that each one
of these. who is admitted TO the exercise OF the
elective franchise without being thus qualified, and
who is consequently liable to be led astray by the
artice of the demagogue, or coerced by the threat
ened anathema of his priest annuls the vote OF one
| citizen-may in fact, expunge your vote, Or mine.
Then consider the number and character OF the
people, who are annually cast upon our shores. l
do not mean to trouble you with statistics dare
say tue records have been ransacked by opposing
candidates for your favor and that the results are
familiar to you / take from the papers OF the
day those to which l refer-uncontradlcted state
ments
Bear in mind then the fact that foreign immi-
grafton. which up to the year eighteen hundred,
| did not exceed FIVE thousand persons, has risen
since eighteen hundred and fifty, to half million,
and which, looking the state OF Europe, VIII pro-
baby and in very short time, mount up 10 a mil
! lion year. Now give free scope to your benevo>
| lent feeIngs-exercise the most extended charity,
in estimating the probable number oil these who are
worthy men-capable by proper probationary
!
fearful residuum will remain-whata mass OF pos-
onous ingredients to be Infused into the body potcl
| The census of 1850 shows that the number of
foreign paupers and criminals exceeded that OF ma
tive paupers and criminals although the naiUe pop
ulation Sas SeUen tines greater than the foreign.
What would be your feelings if poverty and crime
existed in this proportion and to this extent among
yourselves? If the quantum of paupersm, and
vice which existed among you, was the proportion
of population seven times greater in number than
your own, what security would you have for your
free Institutions? what guarantee for your individual
rights?
Consider also, that these emigrants, stunning
the South, from their unwlingness to compete with
slave labor-and focking to the North, from their
abolition tendencies in search of kindred spirits,
are thus rapidly increasing the majority against you
in Congress, ateyery apportionment, and will, unless
checked, in very great length Of time, place the
Constitution and the institutions of the South at
the mercy of fanaticism.
And how are these calamities to be avarted if
this horde of foreigners rapidly increasing, is to be
annually added to your society? The plaques Of
Egypt were mercies, since they were guided by
Divine benevoleuce and stayed by His omnipotence,
when the deliyerance of His chosen people was
effected But who shall stay this moral pestiIence,
if you are insensible to your danger fpersevered
in, in what it eventuate but In the ruin of the
Republic? Can the noble system of Government,
established by our fathers, be administered by men
like these?
You are told that your numbers so largely ex-
coed that of the foreign population, that all appre
hension of danger is idle. | do not mean to give
offence to any man, but to speak in the sincerity of
my heart, when say that such An argument seems
to me to estimate very humbly the understandings
of those to whom it is addressed, In the open,
manly defence Of your rights and lbertes-of that
glorious constitution bequeathed to you, by your
fathers--of your homesteads and your household
in the defence of these against open and manly as
suit, you are competent to resist not only the
foreigners among US, but a world in arms. God
fordbid that one American bosom should palpitate
with craven fear in view of such conflict. But
this is not the danger which menaces Every man
unworthy Of citizenship who is admitted to its privi
eges, is an enemy in your camp-a moral leper,
spreading contagion far and wide. The morals of
the community are corrupted-its heart is tainted
byE such association; for however stained with
crime, the stamp of citizens makes them po-
iticaly part of yourselves. Can you bear the
anal gamaton
Aud why should you bear il? Foreigners aided
us in our revolutionary struggle. Aye,-and they
have received their reward. They became incor-
porated among US, or have voluntarily gone else.
where in quest of new adventure. But we invited
immigration. Aye,-at the close of our revolu.
tionary war, when, amid its tolls and privations we
had achieved our independence, we had a sparse
and exhausted population, and an extensive and
uncultivated domain. We required an increase of
population for the purposes ofinterna Improvement
and external defence and conforming to this policy
our system of naturalization established
Europe then calm at least free from the menace
of intestine commodon. Party spirit among our
selves, was comparatively quiescent We invited
foreigners, and we received them They came to US
in small numbers, mingled with our people, and
peacefully pursued the avocations of industry al
this is changed We have population sufficiently
numerous for every present purpose, and without
the aid Of immigration We are increasing in numbers
as rapidly as We could desire. Notwithstanding
this, there is annual out pouring upon u.s. of the
restless and unquiet spirits OF Europe its paupers
and its criminals. Not mingling with u.s. as when
their numbers small, they now sufficiently
numerous to herd together-to live apart from us
to constitute distinct foreign societies in the midst
of the native population. In the bitterness Of our
party contests, this foreign vote has been eagerly
and often by unworthy means, sought after and
obtained alternately by both partes and acting as
unit the boast OF Kossuth has been reazed-it
holds the balance, and may decide our elections.
This is state of things not to be borne by Ameri-
can freemen. This foreign incursion must be regu
lated, or checked, and the American party has its
origin in the conviction Of this necessity. The
very general existence of this conviction has
secured to them support beyond the limits of
their association. / concur with them in the be-
lief that the laws regulating immigration, and the
naturalization of foreigners ought to be subjected
to thorough and searching revision, that the term
of probation should be largely extended that to pro-
tect from the intrusion Of paupers aud criminals
provisions ought to be made for the ascertain
ment by our consuls abroad, Of the character and
condition OF persons proposing to emigrate to the
United States, and that every safeguard which the
wisdom Of Congress can DEVISE should be thrown
around the smendatory statute, TO prevent and
punish its evasion.
2. As further means OF attaining their object
the individuals composing the American party,
have bound themselves by mutual pledges, each to
the other, TO unite their exertons for its accom-
plishment. ! suppose such pledge, either ex-
pressed, or implied s the tie which connects the
members oil every party. As to their organization
their rtual-their particular modes of proceeding
and Of recognition, and the secrecy which has hth.
erto been observed in their proceedings, ali which
have given occasion for so much eloquent and in
genuous defamation, and denunciation--I am not
required to express an opinion for these it is
derstoodhaye been a bandoned by their National