Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-07-02
James Buchanan on the KNOWN othing
Qnegtinn

Question.
On the 7tb day of October, 1852, James
Buchanan delivered speech ID Greensburg,
"estmoreland county, Pa, in advocacy of
the Democratic cause. In that speech he
thus eioquently alluded to the anti-Ameriean
principles of those who would persecute the
foreign born citizen on account of his birth or
difference of religious views We call the
especial attention of the friends of civil and
religious liberty to his pointed denunciation
| of the principles that are uow at the basis of
| the know-Nothing organization Said Mr.
Buchanan:
From my soul abhor the practice of ming
iiug up religion with politics The doctrine
OF all our Constitutions, both Federal and
State. is, that every man has an iudefeasible
| right TO worship his God according to the die
| tates of his. own conscience he is both a
bigot and q tyrant who would interfere with
that sacred right. When q candidate is be-
fore the people for office, the Inquiry ought
never to be made, what form of religious faith
he possesses bat only, in the language of Dir
Jefferson, 9 Is he honest; is be capable?'
Democratic Americansw What name
for a Native American partYi When all the
records of cur past history prove that Ameri-
can Democrats have ever opened wide their
arms to receive foreigners flying from oppres-
sion in their native land, and have always be-
slowed upon them the rights of American
| citizens after brief residence in this country.
| The Democratic party have always eloried in
this policy, and is fruits have been to increase
Cur population and our power with unexan,-
pied rapidity, and to furnish our country with
vast numbers Of industrious, patriotic and
useful citizens. Surely the name of :. Dem
| ocratc Americans F." was arS unfortunate deg
ignation for the Native American party.
The Native American party an Ae,ari-
can excellence" and the glory Of It's founder
ship belongs 10 George Washington No
teiow-citizens, the Ameriean people will rise
up with one accOrd 10 vindicate the memory OF
Eat illustrIous man from such an iuputation.
As long as the recent memory of our reyolu-
tionary struggle remained vividly impressed
| on the hearts OF cur country men, no such
party eould have existed The recollection
of Montgomery, Lafayette, De Kali, Kasci-
usko, and hong list of foreigners, both Off
GERS and soldiers who freely shed their blood
10 secure our liberties, would have rendered
such ingrattade i'm possible Our revolution
arg a.my was filed with the brave and patri
otie natives of their lands and George Wash
ington was tu-.r oa,nandcr-In-C Chief =
| Would he have ever closed the door against
the admission u foreigners 10 the rights OF
American citizens? Let his acts speak for
| themselves.
So early as the Goth of March. 1890, Gen.
| Washington, Is Pr~s.l, q Of the Uuited States
! approved the hsst law which ever passed Cen
| gress on the subject Of naturalization ana
this only required residence Of two years
previous 10 the adoption of foreigner as an
american citizen Gu the 29ttl of January.
| 1898, the term of residence vas extended
/ by Congress TO i've years aud thus it remain
| ed throughout General Nashington's admin
| istration, and until the accession of John
Adams to the Presidency. In his ADMINISTERS
I ton, which will ever be known In history as
the reign OF terror--as the era of alien and
/ sedltlon laws-an act was passed on the 18th
of June, 1888 which prohibited any foreign
er from becoming citiz5n until after 4 resi-
| dence Of fourteen years; and this is the law
or else perpetual exclusion which General
! Scott preferred. and which the native Ameri-
| can party now desire to restore
| The Presidential election of 1900 secured
the ascendeney- Of the Democratic party; and
under the administration Of Thomas Jeier-
/ son, Its great apostle. on ti.e 4tL Of s uril
| lS02, the term OF residence, previous TO nat
uraiization, was restored N FIVE wears, what II
had been under General Washington, aud
| where It has ever since remained. No fel-
! low-etizens. the Father of his Country was
/ never q Native American. This :. Ameri-
can excellence never belonged to him