New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-13
FROM WASHING TON.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
co-.,o,ao,,, Of The n Y. Tribun..

nection with the chasing of Members VINO vOted
on the final ballot for Speaker-namely, that OF
those who voted for Mr.. Banks only Col. Eide OF
Pa proclaimed himself an American The factis
of course otherwise The Members from New
Hampshire, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and Con-
necticut, were oil chosen avowedly as Americans,
and have never disclaimed the association. In the
division of last Fall, halfthe Massachusetts Delega'
t;on sustained Gov. Gardner and the distinctive
American" ticket while the other half supported
Mr. Rockwell and the Republican ticket, but
these did not cease thereby to be Americans,
nor those to concur substantially in the views dis
tinctively known 0s Republican" And so they
stood together here from first to last in support OF
Mr. Banks for Speaker, though he was known 70
have taken an active and leading part last Fall in
favor of Mr.. Rockwell and the Republican
State ticket
have no quarrel, and will have none, with an
earnest, faithful opponent of the Nebraska nlqulty
because of AmeIicanism.' II be wishes pro-
baton of twenty -One years imposed on immigrants
as a condition precedent of naturalization L must
differ from him on that point very decidedly; but
will be at least as tolerant OF his view as he shall be
of mine. My warfare is with that kind OF Amer
icanism" whose cornerstone is abatement to
Slavery extension and the slave power. With this
sort do not expect to be at peace with the other
/ will not quarrel unless quarrel is forced upon
me.
/ deplore the american organization and
movement, because see that they tend to divide
and defeat the opposition to the Nebraska lniquity
If Senator Douglas and his cOnfederates had been
able to guide the councils of their opponents they
must naturally have devised and set on foot just
such movement as the american" Already
tens Of thousands of earnest Republicans of German
or other European birth have been aienated from
the Anti-Nebraska cause by their dread of the as
cendancy of Natiyism If Wisconsin, Illinois and
other Western States should be lost to the Repub-
lican cause next Fall, they will be lost solely
through aversion TO Natiyism.
Now hold that there are faults in our Natural
ization Laws and prevalent abuses under them
which ought TO be promptly and thoroughly cor
rected | cannot assent to twenty-one years
probation for immigrants aspiring to citizenship,
L
enough for the better class of immigrants and forty
years too short for the worse; but would like to
see ell malefactors, whether their crimes were
committed before or after their arrival in
this country, inhibited from NaturalizatiOn
ard the same with regard to inyeterate pau.
pers. l would gladly have every applicant for
Naturalization required to swear that he was acting
under no impulse or suggestion from any other per-
son, and that lie would permit no individual or
committee TO pay the cost of making him citizen.
heartily approve the principle embodied in that
provision Of our Reformed State Constitution
which requires ten days to intervene after Natural
izatiOn prior to an exercise of the Right of Suf
frage. heartily wish the ten days were ten months
South Carolina, see it stated, has just passed an
act requiring teo years to elapse after Naturaliza
ton prior to an exercise of the Right of Suffrage.
This term seems TO me unrcas0nably, needessly
long; but the principle affirmed is sound and i'm
portsnt. Az no youth can hasten his majority in
order that he may vote in some approaching cleo
ton, so would have no immigrant tempted TO be-
come citizen in order to vote for some candidate
or party in an election just at hand.
Now, object to what calls itself American
ism " that it stands directly in the way of those
reforms which it seems to favor. BY seeking to
prescribe American citizens of European birth, it
sxctes the hostility Of all adopted citizens and
their friends by making war upon the adherents
of particular Church, it alarms all who do not
choose TO take or hold their tenets at the prescrp
ton OF the majority; by making war upon Nat
uralizatiOn, il impes thousands TO become natural
lied on purpose to resist and defeat the Americans
/ want TO see our Naturalization Laws so amended
that the safeguards against fraudulent or unworthy
accessions to citizenship now contemplated by
their spirit shall be secured by their letter / be-
lieve our adopted citizens might have been induced,
not merely to acquiesce in, but to demand sautary
and proper amendments of, our Naturalization
Laws; but when the demand is made part of
Sys stem Of warfare upon the fOreignborn and their
rights, how can such cooperation be expected
| object to "Americansm' as %atchword of
party, because events are constantly showing that
the pretense Of making this the pivot of political
action is insncere. A Congress might be elected
on the " American" platform; but it could not sit
Q month without being resolved into its original
elements. Here is the present House, for exam
pie, Of which very large proportion, and perhaps
q majority, was elected on the &" American" plat
form. But on coming together it was found that
Americanism could not afford basis for concur
rent action. There were thirty-fve Americans"
with Southern prOcliyites; there were perhaps
twice as many with Northern and the smaller
number utterly refused to fellowship the
larger. The South Americans would not meet