Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-10-27
THE TRUE ISSUE.
From the Bee.1

From the Beef
Ask any man who has received education
enough to enable him to read the Constitution
of the United States, and who is not a blind
and bigotted partisan, whether he dses not
think the present system of naturalization
loose and inefficient, whether he does not Bee
lieve that the laws on the subject require
modification, and that the safeguards against
fraud should be more numerous and more
stringent-and the chances are ten to one, he
will respond in the affirmative. We care not
whether he be Wing or Democrat, native or
naturalized-if he is endowed with a passable
share of truth and honesty, he will unhesitat-
ingly answer ayes" to these interregatories.
Well, then, the moment he acknowledges the
imperfection of the naturalization laws, and the
necessity of their amendment, he surrenders
the whole question. Herein lies the marrow
of the issues under conference.-the rest1is
mere strplussage, and is composed Of nom
essentials. Why then this clamorous outcry,
this continued %objurgation against a party
which proposes to accomplish reforms admitted
to be necessary by nineteen.twentieths Of the
community.
We think we can explain this. Our adver.
saries blink the real issues, and frame false
ones as the basis of their objections. For ex-
ample, they assert that the American party
proscribes citizens by birth. This is not so.
The American party proscribes no one. The
members of that party deem it safest and best
to entrust the government of the country to
its sons; they do not vote for persons of foreign
origin, just for the same reasons that the Wings
were wont to decline voting for Democrats, and
the Democrats for Whigs-each party pre-
ferring its W candidates, and its own princi-
pies. Whatever prescription or ostracism there
may be in this. is not a whit more culpable than
that invariably p~racticed by the two parties.
Nay, it is far less reprehensible, and more praise.
worthy, since most intelligent foreigners will
not hesitate to aS6w that they would rather be
ruled by Americans, than by the mass of their
own countrymep. The founders of our Gov
ernment w~iselyfbresaw the extreme difficulty
with which men would divest themselves of
their native allegiance, and hence they infused
this principle of prescription in the sacred char.
ter Of our liberties, making it absolute as re-
spects the Presidency and Vice Presidency, and
relative as respects other national Offices. The
American party contemplates nothing beyond
the extension and enforcement of this vital
principle. We are perfectly aware that among
the FOREIGN population there are some who are
as good Americans as any born upon the soil,
and who comprehend our institutions thorou-
ghly. The time will come when distinctions
may be properly drawn, and the position of
such individuals SO changed as to enable them
to cooperate with the American party. The
distinction cannot be made now. The party
is in comparative infancy, and must work IN.
der general rules, until it is strong enough 10
create exceptions, without impairing its politi-
cal integrity.
Conservative foreigners must agree with US.
Most of them have families here, who are ma
tive born Americans. We ask them, in the
language of q contemporary, do they prefer that
the Government should be in the hands Of those
who stand on the same footing with their chill
dren-who, like them, are natives Of the soil,
or do they prefer it to fall into the hands Of
those foreigners who come here by the five
hundred thousand per annum!. When they
came to this country, did they expect to live un.
der q government of natives or q government
of such foreigners as these! Would they
trust them for anything, far less to govern
them! And do they wish their children to live
in a country governed BY such people!
Another false issue adroitly constructed by
our adversarfes is the charge Of religious pros>
cription. This has been so completely exposed,
rs toned but brief notice. Here in Louisiana,
our. platform speaks for itself. No man dares
assert that the American party Of this State
maintains a religious test. III does, he know.
ingly and wilfully falsifes the truth. But even
elsewhere the objects of that party have been
grossly misrepresented. Fhe very gentlemen
who drew up the eighth article Of The Philadel-
phia platform contend that it is not intended
to affect those who profess any particular
creed, so long as they refuse to acknowledge
any authority superior to that Of the Constitu-
lion Of the United States. No American Catho-
liz acknowledges such AUTHORITY; therefore no
American Catholic is prescribed BY the organ.
izati0n.
AfteAall. however. the question reverts 10
the original. cornerstone and foundation Of
the American order-the amendment of the
naturalization laws. Our opponents take good
care not to assail that. On the contrary, they
keep it out Of view az s~equlously as possible,
and hammer away ~ allegations and charges
which have a~oSaieupd work in truth, and
which are o~nlyss6ftoyed. as ingenious expedi-
ents to render unpopular a party which, but for
the ehicansry and fraudulent issues Of its OPP
p~onents, would carry with it oil but the Office.
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