Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1856-06-28
A Wair from the Past.

We make the following extract from a speech
delivered by the Hon. JAMES BUCHANAN a
Greensburg, Pa. on the I'm Of October, 1902
when the incpient Know Nphings were know
by the name of Natirc americans
From nv soul abhor the practice ofmiu,
Cling up religion with politics. The doctrine
of all our Constitutions, both Federal and
State, is, that every man has nn indeiensbe
right TO worship his God according to the dc
tntes of his own conscience. He is both n
bgo aud tyrant, who would interfere with
that sacred right. When a candidate is be-
fore the people for oiii:e, the inquiry ought
never TO be made, what form of religious faith
he possesses, but onEy in the language Of Mr.
Jefferson Is he honest, is he caNnhle|
"s Democratic Americans! What Oame
tor Native American party! When all the
records Of our past history prove that Ameri
can Democrats have ever opened wide jhciI
arms to receive foreigners flying from oppIos
sion in their native land, and have always be
slowed upon them the rights Of American cit
zcns, after brief period of residence in thi:
country The Democratic party have always
gloried in his policy, and its fruits have been
to increase our population aud onr power with
unexampled rap;dity, and to furnsh our coun-
try with vast numbers of industrious, pilriotr
and useful citizens Surely, the name Of
Democratic Americans was an unfortunate
designation for the Native American porty.
The Native American party, an Ameri-
can excellence, and the glory ol its ioundership
belongs TO George Washington No, IeoW-
citizens, the American people will rise up with
one accord 10 vndicate The memory Of that H.
lustrous man from such an impuaiion. As
long as the recent memory Of our c0untrymen,
no such party could have existed. The reCcI-
lection of Montgomery, Lafayette, Dekaih,
Kosciusko, and long list of foreigners, both
officers and soldiers, who freely shed their
blood to secure our liberties, would have rem
dsred such ingratitude impossible. Our reyo-
iutionary army was filed with the brave and
patriotic natives of their lands: and George
Washington was their Commander-inChic
Would he have ever closed the door against
the admission of foreigners 70 the rights cl
American citizens Let his acts speak for
themselves. So early as the goth Of March
1870, General Washington, as President OF
the United States, approved the first law which
ever passed Congress on this subject of natu-
ralization and this on y required residence
Of two wears, previous TO the adoption OF Tor
eigner as an American citizen. On the 29th
of January, 1875, the term Of residence was eX-
tended bv Congress to five years, and thus it
remained throughout General Washington
administration, and until the accession Of John
Adams TO the Presidency. In his adminisra-
ton, which will ever be known in history as
the reign of terror, as the era of alien and Sc
dition laws, an act was passed, on the 18th Of
June, 179S, which prohibited any foreigner
from becoming citizen until after residence
of fourteen years, and this is the law, or else
perpetual exclusion. which General Scott pre-.
ferred, and which the Native American party
now desire 10 restore.
1" The Presidential election of 1900 secured
tn. ascehiancy The Democrats party, and