The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1856-05-10
PERTINENT AND FoRc1BhE.

We extract the following from o speech de-
liyered in Albany, N. Y, recently, by Hon. j.
7. Headley, Secretary of State Of NcwYork.
We know his picture Of the state Of things in
NewYork city fifteen years ago to be correct,
for we have witnessed the same thing there
ourselves. Every word in the following ex-
tract applies with the same force to the State
of Louisiana and its demagogue-ridden city of
Newt Orleans, where we have known a good
man to be refused q petty Office because he uus
a natice american, and probably could not ON
mand a portion Of the foreign uote, and for no
other reason whateyer-where our eyes have
been witness TO even greater enormities COM
mitted by foreigners upon the freedom and
paritysof the ballot-box than those spoken of
by Mr.. Headley-and we have silently hoped
that the day would come when the possession
of a erich brogue" would cease to be an in
dispensable qualification for M unobstructed
passage to the polls. And that time is coming!
Fifteen years ago, / saw in NewYor k City
the polls in some Of the wards guarded by
.Irishmen with b~ludgeons, and peaceable citi-
zens who approached to vote, turn back, afraiI.
to deposite their ballots. / sow, also, a ballot
box in one ward wrested from the inspectors,
broken in pieces by q band Of Irishmen, and
tho votes scattered over the street. I SAID then,
there must be an end to this. In the heat of
party strife, carried away by the strong desire
to win, men may for a while shut their eyes to
this appalling evil, but the reaction will come.
The great fact that American born citizens
dare not vote for their own rulers because
foreign desperadoes guard the ballot-box, will
one day fall like a new revelation OH the heart
Of the people, and the swelling accents of i'll
dignation will come up like the tarsoff murmur
Of the sea. They say that familiarity with
danger breeds contempt Of it. 1t is true Of the
soldier and of the sailor. 1t has been true, al
SO, Of the American people in regard to the
power and character of the foreign vote in our
elections. Had it been told to our sires ut the
close of the revolutionary struggle that before
the last Of the heroic band that won our free
dom had passed away, Americans would be
afraid to vote because foreign paupers drove
them back from the polls, they would have
heayed a sigh Of modification and despair.
Had it been told to the brave farmers who left
their W harvests standing in the field to
descend to the greater harvest Of men on Sara
toga Heights, that within hearing of the can
non which Numbered on that day, their children
would be chased from the polls by foreign hire
lings, think you their steps would have been
as firm, their stroke rs heavy, and their shout
as clear and joyous as it was? OF all the
marvellous things in the history of the human
race, the most marvellous is that a free and
enlightened people can quietly look on and see
their rights voted away at the dictation Of a
foreign population. Meekness, certainly, can
no farther go. The forbearance and patience
of Moses do not equal the humility of the
American people in this respect. There is not
another nation on the globe that would sub
init to it. Even degraded Ireland would moi
allow Americans to do what America allows
Irishmen to do. The indignity yearly put upon
us by this ignorant illegal foreign vote should
make the cheek of every honest man mantle
with the blush of shame. Violence is always
to be deprecated, and should be the last resorl
Of q man when struggling for his rights, but
have no hesitation in saying that il foreigners
by force, take possession of the polls, by force
should they be driven away. II they cannot
be kept open and free to American voters
then let them be girdled by American bayonets
This is not a matter Of politics-it is not {
mere question of general interest and vel
being, it is a matter Of life and death to GU
institutions.
I refer not solely to illegal voting, but tt
the entire effects of foreign influence on til,
ballot box. Although the whole country ha.
great interests at sake, yet no State is SO i'm
perativcly called upon to look the matter in
the face as the State of NewYork OF the
nearly half a million of foreigners that landed
on our shores in 1854, more than 100000 en-.
tered the port of NewYork. No other State
absorbs so large q portion of this heteroge.
ncous mass as ours. Half of the voters OF
NcwYork city are foreigners. Nearly half Of
those Of Albany are also foreigners, and the
ratio is increasing every year. You have but
to keep OH as YOU have been going and youl
ballot box will be a farce. As l said before