The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-04-17
THE STRAIGHT PATH.
GENEsEE, ILL, AprI 3, I8J

UENEsEE, ILL, ApTH s, 1896.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
The position of our foreign population is a
very remarkable one at the present time. The
Irish appear to be almost en- masse Nebraska and
Whisky, priest and people. The Germans, it
appears, are inclined to the principles of Free
dom, as a general thing; but they are hopelessly
clannish, regard lager beer and whisky para
mount to all other principles Hence, as in the
Chicago election, they will go with the liquor in
serest, OH which side soever it is found Again,
he principles Of Freedom" as held by the
Germans to very great extent, appear to be
freedom to crafty the passions and appetites,
freedom from the restraints of Bible morality.
There cannot probably be foand a more cor
rupt and debssed class of people, especially in
our cities, not even excepting the Roman Irish.
And where will you find, this side of Kansas,
cases of the abuse and the corruption of the
elective franchise, but that the Dutch and Irish
are at the bottom of 1t? Now know you have
difficult case to manage. e. to conciliate
he Anti Slavery Know Nothings On the one
hand, and the foreigners on the other If YOU
lean towards the one side. you displease the
other. Know Nothingism, of course, will go by
The board. II was conceived in sin and brought
'orth in iniquity and its leaders, led on by a
blind infatuation, have sealed its doom by the
domination of the Galphinizing Pro-Savery Fill
more, and the greasy Tennessean with his
one hundred slaves. And the question is, now,
how to deal with the Anti-Slavery portion of the
party, 80 as to draw them into the Republican
ranks, and how this can be done so as not to
give umbrage to naturalized citizens. II there
sre intelligent, moral people among them. rs no
ioubt there are, they will be found on our side.
Of course.
Douglas hopes, no doubt, to carry this State.
through the liquor interest: and the result of
he Chicago election has no donbt ius pired him
and his friends to hope for his success, and was
The cause OF the new outbreak of the pent. up
ires of his wrath, of late upon his enemies, in
he United States Senate. He evidently hopes
hat his schemes, when attached to the LIQUOR
interest, will carry him over the moral sentiment
IF the people into the Presidential chair: and
then. if the fearful day should come. would be
realized the truth of the proverb of Solomon,
hat when the wicked bear rule, the people
mourn"
sympathize with you in the difficult position
in which you are placed, but doubt not YOU are
sustained by consciousness of rec.itude of in.
tention, and by the hope that the time is near
when the rule of corrupt demagogues will end.
and when men of pure principles and intentions
shall hold the helm of State
We recognise the difficulties of our position.
but see our path straight through.
We have never INDUCED in demagogical ap-
peals to naturalized citizens. On one side, or
temporized with the Know Nothings, on the
other. Whenever the efforts of the former have
been directed to the perpetuation of distinct
nstionaliiies, We have condemned them and
we have resisted to the uttermost the attempts
OF the latter, by prescription, to build ND a
bind, bigoted, Anita merican Americanism. In
our efforts to conciliate both sides. and induce
citizens, native and foreign-born, to act to-
gether for Freedom in the present crisis, we
have appealed to their reason, not their preju.
dices, repudiating every scheme of union in.
volving concession to bad habits or princi
pies.
Is our friend sure that he regards the Irish
and German populations with an unprecedented
eye? Both classes have generally voted with
the Democr attic Party and as this Party, since
the commencement of the agitation of the Sla
very Question has, for the most part, taken g
Pro Slavery position, its German and Irish ad
herents have sinned with it. But, why should
they be held to peculiar responsibility, ant
treated as more criminal than the masses O
nativeborn citizens belonging to the Democra
cy, when, in fact, the latter, being more en-
lightened. are the more blameworthy, on tn.
principle that from him to whom much is civ
en-, much ia required? Besides, we must re
member that the Native.American sentiment
was always more prevalent liz the Wing thar
in the Democratic Party, SO that the adherence
of naturalized citizens to the latter was, to 4
certain extent, the dictate of selfrespect anG
self-preservation, men naturally ciesving to the
power that is pledged to protect them.
As to the Irish generally, we suppose they
will continue TO sustain the so-called Democrs
cy. The AnG-Slavery sentiment among then
is feeble-they hate England more than they
do oppression, and TIT. hostile tone towards thu
English People INDUCED in by the orators o
the so-called Democracy, grsti6es their nation
al antipathy. We cannot elevate them. however
or iufuse generous ideas into their politics, b.