The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1855-07-21
Tbt felitiana 9tlnotrat.
RIGHTS OF NATURALIZED CITI-
ZENS

1
they arise in any important instance O
national disagreement, is the institution O
war. All national organizations arc prin
cipally indebted to its influence for those
radical rights which CONSTITUTED their sover
eighty. Accordingly, our revolutionary
struggle settled upon our forefathers those
rights for which they so nobly contended
and which was the issue in that memora
BILE contest. U bo 40 moIi
| They fought the battles of the country
and conquered, and to them, and them alone
belong the honors and possessions of the
contest. But at the close of the war Of the
revolution, even then, the territory compris
ed within our boundary, was an extensive
and comparatively unoccupied domain
reaching fromthe great American Lakes on
the North, to the st. Marys on the South
andthe Atlantic to the Mississippi East and
West. To subdue this vast wilderness OF
an early period, this was one of the first
objects of our ancestors, and an accession
of numbers was therefore sought by means
of the naturalization of foreigners, as the
only practicable plan through which such
result could be accomplished. It became
necessary for this purpose, in their estima.
tion, to enjoy their hard earned rights in
common with foreign population, and at
an early period in the history Of our gov
crnment fundamental and statutary rcgula-
tions were made, comforting upon aliens all
the rights and immunities Of an American
citizen. Such being the fact, it is not easy
to perceive that there is any difference be.
tween the rights of a native and foreign
born-citizen. =st'. y. :.
But the exact nature and extent of the
rights of a naturalized citizen, after having
conformed to the laws upon the subject Of
aliens, is after all, proper theme for the
study and reflection Of a class of persons
who, unwittingly perhaps, would commit
an outrage upon the rights of neigh
bOrs. H94fl- sFF
1t is believed that there is no substantial
ground upon which to base the conclusion
that their rights are in any manner inferior
to our own. 1t probably never entered the
minds of the lawmakers to confer upon them
a moiety of rights; and the attempt to do
SO has never been made in issuing their Ger
tificates Of citizenship by any court having
jurisdiction in such cases. There is set
of politicians who are trying to enforce the
doctrine that the naturalization of aliens
is subject belonging to the States, indie
pendent Of the federal government; and if
laws have been passed by any State under
the same belief it is not at all improbable
that they may in some small degree trench
upon that liberal scale Of rights contempla-
ted by the Constitution Of the United
States, and the statute laws passed under
it. But it is not believed that any State
has yet assumed SO much power and, fur
thcr, such an assumption would be entirely
unconstitutional Therefore, it is deemed
quite safe to regard Congress as the only
party having legitimate authority to legis-
late upon this subject, and all court records
in relation to this subject, existing by vir-
tue ofits enactments, are uniform in main
tanning an equality of rights.
Viewing the subject in such light, there
is but little if any reason, for the indulgence
in that malignity, rccrimination and pro-
scription of persons. Why are discrimina-
tions sought to be made prejudical to their
rights and repulsive to their feelings? Is
it because they hold peculiar religious ten
cts, contrary to the more common Protcs-
tant faith, generally believed throughout the
country? If so, let their prosecutors go and
read one Of the wisest provisions contained
in our Constitution, or that of any other
country which refuses to identify the Church
with the State. Will they dispute its wis
dom? is the opinion of the greatest men
that have ever lived in this country, that it
is one of the brightest evidences Of consum-
mate statemanship bequeathed to us by our
forefathers. Would they still, under the
influence of an irascible hatred and intoler-
ant bigotry, desire to obliterate it? Let
them proceed in legitimate manner to-
wards their object, and when they have
accomplished it in fair way, it is time
enough to deprive their neighbors of its
benefits.
The position which ourg government holds
is, that citizen may hold that religious
beliefmost agreeable to his conscience; and
it is principle worthy ofimitation among
individuals. To cherish a respect for the
sentiments ofyour neighbor isno more than
you claim from him in return, and no more
in fact than is enjoined by precept in the
Scriptures.