Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-23
NUMBER l6l.
From the Ashevs Spectator.
Clingman ON Foreigners, Roman Catho-


From the Ashevils Spectator.
Clingman on Foreigners, Roman CathO-
lies, &c.
We have just been regalng ourself by read
ing Mr.. Clngmans speech in Congress Of Jan. 9,
lS45, on the Presidential election, and also his
celebrated speech Of March \, 1874, In reply to
DR.. Duncan, of Ohio.
In the latter speech, Mr.. Clingman abused the
Democratic party worse than that party ever was
before or has been since In the halls of Congress
He completely exhausted his nomenclature of vi
Imperative epithets, which were by no means few
or far between. II was in this speech that he
said the Democratic party was governed by seven
princples-the five loaves and the two fishesn II
was in this speech also, when he characterized IT,
as the "Spoils party, held together by the cohe-
sivc power Of public plunderl"
The former was good speech perhaps the best
he ever made, and abounded in sound American
doctrines. In that speech, he spoke for the
Union, and denounced Mr.. Calhoun in severe Ian.
guage for his dsunion sentiments. Mr.. Cngman
made the following remarkable declaration: !" As
1t was said that julius Cesar went forward soberly
and steadily to the ruin Of the Republic; so has
John G. Calhoun gone on cooy and deliberately
to break up the Union and substitute Southern
Confederacy." His pcroraton was an eulogy upon
Henry Clay and the Wing party. Speaking of the
Wing party, he concluded in the following elo
quent language:
Considering its members, so help me God, I
believe there has existed not upon earth party 80
noble! lfit cannot preserve this great country
them sir, you may burn the Constitution, for it is
worthless"
In the same speech, while exposing the fraudu-.
lent manner in which Mr.. Polk was elected Prcsi-
dent, Mr.. Clingman said:
NEARLY one hundred thousand foreigners arc
estimated to arrive annually in the United States;
Of this number very large portion are Roman
Catholics. BY means, which time does not permit
me to recount but the most insdious and unjusti-.
fable, the Democratic party succeeded in inducing
them to band themselves together and rally to the
support of Mr.. Polk. Some of them avowed their
preference for him because his free-trade policy
was more favorable to the interest Of the mother
countries from which they came than was Mr.
Clay's. Others openly proclaimed on their ban
ners that they would not be ruled by Americans
As evidence of the sort of feeling which has been
inculcated into the minds of the most ignorant of
them, may be pardoned for mentioning little
incident that occurred in the room Of friend to
whom chanced 10 make a visit.
"While making his fire, the Irish porter inquired
when Mr.. Polk would come into the cityY Il
am told, he added, that be is great friend to
US poor foreigners we elected him, and We can do
most anything when we all try Sir, had the
foreign Catholics been divided In the late election,
other sects and classes generally were, Mr.. Clay
would have carried by a large majority the State
of New York, as also the States Of Pennsylvania,
Louisiana, and probably some others in the North
west Not only did we have to contend against
the influence Of foreigners here, but British gold
was openly and prrofusely used to promote Mr..
Polk's election professedly with view of breaking
down the tariff, and promoting the sale of manu-
features In this country. All the world may inter-
fere with our domestic matters
Further on, in the same speech, Mr.. Clngman
seems to have been gifted with the spirit of vati
cnation, the prophesy Is now being literally full
filed. Clingman, the prophet, thus spake
"And If foreign Catholics, or foreigners gener..
ally, continue banded together, with view Of
controlling the elections Of the country, there win
be aroused antagonist feelings in the hearts of oil
true Americans, which will sweep away the party
70 which shey have attached thelnsefycs.
These foreign Catholics and foreigners
generally" have continued "banded together
from that day to this for the purposes alleged
antagonist feelings" have been aroused |" in the
hearts Of all true Americans !" those foreigners
have attached themselves" to the Democratic
party and Mr.. Clingman's prophecy Is now being
literally fulfilled The antagonist feelings" viii
soon sweep away" the Democratic party, and
we verify believe Mr.. Clngman prophesied his
own destruction-that he will be swept away with
IL. Little did he dream, then, that at this time.
he would be banded with these foreigners and
Roman Catholics in opposition to the great Amer
lean party. But so Il is-hls vaultng ambition
has overleaped itself ,reiea
Mr.. Clingman, in the same identical speech,
thus expressed himself:
II wish, however, TO see no British Whig no
French Wing, no man, In short, who places the
interest or honor Of another nation in the scale
against that OF this, or who resides among us with
feelings alien TO our government or It's institutions.
desire 10 see the destinies OF the country con-
trolled In future, as they have in the main hereto
fore, by the great American Wing party. BY that
party, and It's genuine republican principles,
am willing to stand or fall
Was there ever more emphatic declaration In
favor Of the patriotic principles Of NAmericans
ruling America ~ But the times have changed,
and Mr.. Clingman has changed with them. Now
he IL opposing the great American party, and Is
doing all he can TO circumyent lis defeat Now
he Is defending and paying court 70 these very
foreigners and Roman Catholics. Never was
man made up with greater contraries and antsgo-
nisms than Mr.. Clingman has been In his public
career.