The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-04-05

| before the tribunals OF the United States by
men who stand by them to pay the fee of
naturalization out of their own pockets: men
whose papers are not even conlidcd to their
own keeping, but are kept by politicians in
! their own possession until they are marched
up in files to the polls upon the day of cleo
| ton.
Mr.. Quitman.-Will the gentleman allow
me to ask him question!
| Mr. Davis.-Certainly with pleasure.
| Mr.. Quitman.-Does not the gentleman
know full well, that every foreign born ind-
vidual, who is naturalizcd in the country.
has to go through probation of five years.
Docs not he know that he has to make his
declaration Of intention to become citizen in
| three years before he takes out his papers!
And | ask whether the application of his
principle would not be equally good as to the
Young man, who is undergoing the same pro.
baton, when he arrives al twenty one years
of age. Is not five years long enough for
foreign born person to lean him TO vote,
when he has property and has paid his taxes.
Mi. Dayis.--l will answer the gentleman
with pleasure. It is the policy of every
State in this Union, as far as know, to re.
q,lirc every cN'crn Of the En,ted States coming
from another State, TO reside in that State one
or two years be fore he is entitled to vote, in
''dCi Wat nav lliS tiit III III 'LGil>ilp
around him, he may know how to exercise
that right. That is an answer to one branch
OF the gentleman's question.
My answer to the second question is, that
the principle of this amendment docs not re-
qnre that Americans by birth should be re-
9ured to reside a year after attaining twenty
one. They are born to the birthright Of cit
izenslip, yet their rights to vote is postponed
till hrfniy one though they have been all the
tlme cHisens of the Republic. Their resi-
dcncc during minority is still residence dur
ing citizenship, under all the Obligations and
inspired with all the feelings of citizenship
and only awaiting the time when the law
SuppoScs this discipline and probation have
fitted the nGt'rs c'ii-en for the exercise of the
privilege Of Suffrage.
And now to return to the point which
was arguing when the gentleman interrupted
me. was Speaking Of the practical oIcra-
ton of the naturalization laws as they now
exist, and Of their abuses. desire to apply
a remedy to those evils in this mode, in which
alone it can be applied by Congress- to this
District. The naturalization laws nor re-
qmrc that the parties shall have acquired
such knowledge and be so imbncd with the
spirit Of the institutions of the United States
as will enable them to exercise free
ly and wisely the privilege of suffrage. All
'nc provisions OF 'he cN'S'i'g law cnh't'h,
P'ate 'hat rrS"n-a result good IN user ana
WHICH, W'"'"c": removes many OIL 'hr cV!'S OF
our l'ec laws o, '!'''''era''of-out "h'cn inc
r'c''i''SS VI Poli.'cai pa. ''a''S mas eh''re'y
"'i.a'eo' IN POM Oh 'aHt' we know 'haV
men are nov 'r'' ~, 10 sceh ,hc'r h"'niarIa''oh
Pape'S "' o'e o'n.'','S Vi lhe'r own instincts
az '"e nnS'".Ice vi '"e'' own IePuh'can ierl'
,'or' 'He'' I'M u,ane W eNelI'>g ny
l""e'H VI c'''IVn>'HP; uu' tne9 are '"Ncu anu
Sc'"p,u 'INe','r'' '''o "i'"S,'' III ''''s>cS 10
ne ,'"'uTa'l]ei oy men Who nave a PERSONAL
az" !'''''s' ucs''e 70 'c'' ,''e '"''!'oe VI '''o
e'ec''o'' oy 'o'e' '''"oe 10y '''o oeca''o"'
neither five years residence OF an nnnat-
urallzcd foreigner be or he not equivalent to
twcn'y.one wears OF probation and education
under American institutions, ! leave 1t to any
gentleman to determine who knows how dn-
iicult 1t is 10 learn habits. and no" exceed
lng'y difficult to u"learn habits who knows
how completely our republican institutions
operate upon the education OF young men lv-
ing under them; who KNOWS how alien to men
Vi '"'e'G' p,rt"' G'''ca'lo''; anu iao.'s, Is ,he
spur. o' Independence ana ''G SP'ri' VI poi'',
e" '''.!' ".u ','a'ty ''''''.e "''s
hiooc'"''o"' WHICH grows WIN 'ht E'""'h OF
our }o"l,s men, au'a''e'.'s 'lo'i ehI'u''ooo 10
n'.:'''ou ''.' t".''9 wy '"'' VI p.o'
n'''o'' ~ VIZ ''.1' " ooi Iel"'i''l' ''''''t"-
''o'H' W. '''''' '''o' '''' WI" nave s'"" !,
up u"uer uISi'o.Ic governments ''''e 'e''Ira
10 ooSy ""tlo'''y IRON, Je"I' ana there'ofc
'"ey zoos upon ""'ho'',y, "ot as po" or u
"'.'o'' '".l "'e p'''' "at o. '''''t ''h'u'"'
eNe''y ., 1e,,rf". a"N 'ne Se"t!e'',a"
10 Io''si'e; :he u,g,en.e III .ne s'auc OF pow
'cal anu ct'll i'l'el''se'ce oe'"ee' '''e ior'
e'eHcr a"a our young men ol twenty one
}ea,s Oh aye "A ooy o. ili'eeh' OIL .i,hI:leah
''r.',' carries n'"re VI inherent "''o n'''S
,eP"o''c"',.S'', III MS breast ''a, any man
porn III 'ore'sn country cai-than any man
''3' e'',"c' oi 1.'e ''''leu o'"'es' never eau
eu gu upon W exercise any Oh our poi'''ca' Pll-
N'l'scs' never o'!,'u upon " .o,e az '1"
,iiee'sS. nol call'u ui,o" 10 Jr''SeS Vi e'ec-
IONS hot caliel upon 10 J"a1e oi Vhe queli'
licatl'ns OIL caha'da'eS; ana not called upon
10 no any one o. inc great acts OF r'puoh-
can government whicn' more tnali reading
ana wfith <, are the education OF american
ci''zci,S'. MS IS my answer 10 another
orahch Oh the gentleman question.
Sir. not long since the United States Court
at Baltimore sat OH election day for the purpose
OF com pletlnr the naturaIlIS ION OF foreign