The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-11-08
Hon. ohm j. Crittenden's Speech on
ericaniSm.

Tie following admirable discourse on Ma
tive Americanism was lately pronounced by
Hon. John J. Crittenden, at Falmouth, Ky:
''Amidst the party strife Of the last few
years, when the only struggle seemed to be,
not how the country should be governed, but
who should govern it-unexpectedly a new
party had grown up. Without cause? mol
1t came from tie heart of the people. A
conviction was making its way from heart TO
heart. that foreign influence threatened our
liberties. And the thought of having them
subyerted on our own soil, aroused every true
citizen. II was the peoples party.
! Immediately after the Revolution when
our country was impoverished, and our for
ests to be subdued, foreigners did not care
/ about coming to share labors. For the
sttwenty years, but 6 900 per annum came
In the next twenty, from 1910 to 1880, they
came at the rate of $4,000 per annum. These
were absorbed by our people and became
Americanzed.
But since that time new scene had been
exhibited From 1910 to 1850 they came by
the hundreds of thousands, and since 1850
they had been coming at the rate of between
400 GOO and 500, 900 per annum. This for
eign invasion of armies of voters became
alarming.
Was there any probability of its decrease?
D NO. II Was tIuc tlldt ild0 Oh d Iiltic
in the cast wear. but when the war which is
now swallowing up the surplus population of
Europe, closes, we should be again inunda-
ted with the worthless desperadoes it has
made.
The ike of such an emigration the world
never saw. Wlrn tl.o children Of Iorael
quilted Egypt they were not more in number
than this annual immigration.
Your forests are now subdued, and your
country made habitable, and they now come
to share it with you. Your free institutions
have become a light to the world, and they
are attracted by it.
/ The grave question is, are these foreigners
to be entrusted with the preservation OF our
liberties? He would not boast, but he did
not believe there was another race of men on
Gods earth that could have formed the free
institutions made by our fathers. Since the
worlds history commenced, a Washington
had never arisen in any country but
/ 1t required all our vigilance to preserve this
government Foreigners could not do it
/ They did not love it as we did. He did not
blame them. Every man loved his native
/ land better than any other.
/ He wished change in the naturalization
/ laws-an extension Of the time 50 to give
foreigners better opportunity to become ac-
1 quainted with our institutions, and to fit them
selves for taking part in our government. No
man was to be upbraided for wishing to take
the best possible care of his liberties. for
refusing TO share them out until the little re-
sidium was not worth keeping These men
came from monarchies, where they had been
accustomed, not to governing, but 10 being
governed Were they ever called on TO vote
there2 Why the doctrine Of transubstantia.
lion was not greater mystery than the elect
i've franchise.
If the term of naturalization was extended,
or the law entirely repealed, it would make
no difference in the immigration. Foreign
ers did not come here TO vote. They knew
nothing about the elective franchise until thew
learned it on our soil. He did not object to
their coming. On the contrary he would say
come one come all We will receive and en-
tertain them; but the right of governing we
must reserve 10 ourselves, and repel every en-
croachment upon il: and we would call on our
adopted citizens to aid US. II these foreign
ers came with cartridges, we would call on
them to assist in repelling them: but cartridges
4 In their hands would not be half as danger
Gus 10 the brave American people as ballots.
Foreigners already formed a third estate
I giving preponderance TO either party, as thev
cast their influence with it. They had be.
come an object for parties to paw court to,
and they were vooed to one side and the 9TH
er by every sort of promise and vancouver
| They feel their influence. and are claiming
/ their share in all the offices in the country;
not as Americans. but as foreigners; for they
keep up separate political organization. and