Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-02-06

/ by the common sense and eager patriotism of
the American people. Millions of swords
are ever ready to flash upwards in its defence;
millions of rotes. to fall like snov-fakes, into
| the ballot-box. for its peaceful support. As
incident to popular institutions there may be
excitements, differences, heart-burnipgs, re-
! criminations, threats. and fears but as before
| so again, sectionalism will expand into na-
| .ionaiism, impulsive sentiment will chasten
itself by serene lessons from the past; disu-
nion will be whipped back into It's filthy re-
treat; Americans will join brotherly hands
around the grave of Washington, and the
majestic proportions of their national Consti-
| tuition; aI.a this hallosad Union. r-sl l,ss,ssss
| to be, what patriotic foresight eagerly con
| lectures, parental source Of peace, great
ness and liberty to all.
But, sir, let me now advert to another topic
! I had hoped that the Convention would take
position, plainly, and squarely, against what
not so easy to define this thing, precisely, for
it is secret organization, bound by secret
obligations and oaths, and working in the
dark And this secresy itself is a fatal OBJ
lection to any association for political purpo-
ses Such secrecy indicates a want of prin-
ciples, or very bad principles. Such secresy
may have suited Byzantine despotism, Vene-
tian Ohgarchy, Or the Jaeobinism of the
Reign of Terror. It is monstrous in our
land of free speech, free presses, public meet
ings, avowed principles. and universal suf-
frage Such secresy is the resort of knavish
demagogucs and defeated tricksters. 1t i'm
plies distrust of popular government. 1t
degenerates our Democratic Institutions into
the Nero tools of cabal, elections into cow
ardly Guerrilla skirmish, and politics into
conspiracy 1t aspires to rule US by hidden
powers and they of course will be irresponsi-
bic and therefore despotic.
The Constitution of the Know Nothing
Order is, as far as is known, essentially oil
garchic Central Juntas, sitting with closed
doors, and excluding the mass of their con-
federates, by secret signs and mysterious
watch-wo.ds. concoct principles to be swal
lowed and set forth candidates to be voted
for, dupe the devoted with sonorous pronun-
camentos, and hector the rebellious with the
terrors of accommodation.
This secrecy has amounted to deceit. The
faithful have heretofore been instructed to de-
ny the very existence Of the Order, and in
the guise of Wings or Democrats, to sacrifice
the parties with which they professed TO act
to the demands of their yelled mistress. AVON
ing opposition to Jesuitisln they have orga-
Ii
buted 10 the followers of Loyola.
The Know Nothing party let us know that
they seek to alter the present Naturalization
Laws. They would either refuse Naturaliza-
ton entirely, or largely protract the period of
probation for it. Either proposal is most I'M
wise. In no event will immigration cease.
The currents of destiny, and the necessities of
the race drive the old world myriads hither.
No narrow or exclusive policy can stop the
march of historical events, or the multitude
nous tread of the human To refuse cit
izenshp to the strangers viii not drive them
back It will simply create and increase, in
our midst, a sullen, revolutionary, fostering
crowd OF alien enemies. TO adopt them as
fellow-eitizens, is obviously to attach them to
US and our Institutions. For men will love
and defend what protects and exalts them.
Nor is there any reason why naturalization
should be long withheld. An accidentally
born 90 Native" cannot vote till he is twenty
one years of age. During two-thirds of his
minority he was a baby boy. To place
an adult foreigner in the situation of a child,
and give such talismanic virtue to IN arbitra-
ry number, is itself most childish
The Constitution makes it power of
Congress to pass laws for naturalization that
is, to settle a policy Of naturalization, and OBJ
viousy policy of encouragement. Our faith
ers, few in numbers, confined in territory,
limited in resources, and just entering upon
the experiment of self-government. initiated
liberal and inviting policy towards immi-
grants With that policy onr free institutions
have strengthened, expanded and improved
the experiment is realized fact and all his
tory is outstripped by our progress, our pros
perity, and our grandeur. Shall twenty mil
lions of sturdy freemen now chafe or tremble
at the poor pilgrims that seek homes with US ?
The vast immigration may be attended, here
or there, now and then, with turbulence, or
pauperism, or crime; but in the main it is
peaceful. Industrious, honest and loyal. The
strangers are not royalists or oligarchs. They
are not slaves or heathens They come, in
deed, from the bogs and huts OF Ireland
the dark factories and mines Of Britain-the
crowded and smoky hamlets of Prussia or Ba-
varia; from the poverty 9Th, injustice, cp-
preston and despair of Europe but they are
attracted hither by the light, the IDEAS and
the visions that pour from US to them; they
are lured over the waters by hopes of plenty,
justice and freedom. They are all worship
ers of Washington they all teach his name
to their children. They may be strange to
our language, or our manners, or the detailed
workings of our institutions; but they are
the deyotees of liberty and equality The
poorest of them and the most ignorant are
possessed with that divine thought of Democ-
racy which once enshrined in the heart,
:. shines TO the perfect day" Why the Irish
are generally emi-fanatieal in their devotion
to the American flag. and the Germans in
their devotion to Democratic freedom.
Let ragged Pat come, and ruby haired San
dy, and square John Bull, and solid Hans,