Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-08-27
JAMES BUCHANAN ON THE KNOW
NOTHING QUESTION.

NOTHING QUESTION.
On the 9TH day of October, 1852, James
Buchanan delivered speech in Greensburg,
" Testmoreland county, Pa. in advocacy of
'the Democratic cause. La that speech he
stl1t.s eloqueutly alluded to the anti-American
principles of those who would persecute the
foreign born citizen on account Of his birth
or differeLce of religious views. We call the
especial attention of he friends of civil and
religious liberty to his pointed denuuciation
of the principles that are now at the basis of
the Know Nothing organization. Said Mr
buchanan:
Prom nv soul athor the practice Of min
alinc up religion with politics. The doctrine
-of ali our Constitutions. both Federal and
State. is, tha every man has an indefeasible
right to worship his God according to the die
'rates of his own conscience. He is both
bigot sid a tyrant who would interfere with
4hat sacred right. When candidate is be-
fore the people for ofEce, the inquiry ought
never to be made. what form of religious faith
he possesses. but only in the language of Mr..
Ssffersou, lis he honest; is he capable?"
Democratic Americans What a name
for Native American party. When all the
records of our past history prove that AmeIi-
can Democrats have ever opened wide their
arms to receive foreigners flying from oppres-
zion in their native land, and have always be-
slowed upon them the rights of american
citiueu.. after brief residence in this coun-
try. The Democratic party have always glo-
ried in this policy, and its fruits have been to
increase our population and our power with
unexampied rapidity. and to furnish oar coun-
80, 4
and useful citizens Surely the name of
Democratic Americans" was an unfortu-
na:a designation for the Native American
party.
The Native American party an % Amcri-
-asn excellence" and the glory Of its foander-
ship belongs to George Washington No,
fsllew citizens, the Amecan people will rise
up with one accord TO vindicate tAe memory
af that illustrious man from such an imputa-
ton As long as the recent memory of our
revolutionary struggle remained vividly i'm
pressed on the hearts of our countrymen, no
such party could have ever existed. The
recollection of Montgomery, Lafayette, De
Kalb, Koscusko and long list of foreigners
beth officers and soldiers. who freely shed
their blood to secure our liberties, would have
rendered such ingratitude impossible. Our
revolutionary army filed with the brave
asd patriotic natives of other lands; and
Georges Washington was their Commander-in-
Chief. Would he have ever closed the door
against the admission off5rci gners to the rights
of American citizens, Let his acts speak
for themselves.
So early as the Goth March, 1870, Gener-
al Washington, as President of the United
States approved the first law which ever pass
ed Congress on the subject Of naturalization
and this only required a residence of two
years previous to the adoption of foreigner
as an American citizen. On the 29th Of jan
uary 1895, the term of residence was extern
ded by Congress to FIVE years. and thus it re-
znained throu ghout General Washing gton's ad-
nninistratiou, and until the accession of John
Adams TO the Presidency In his admins
tration, which will ever be known in history
as the reign Of terror-as the era of alien
and sedition laws-an act was passed on the
18th of June 1913, which prohibited any
foreigner from becoming citizen until after
a residence of fourteen years and this is the
law, or else perpetual exclusion, which Gen
ersl Scott preferred, and which the Native
American party now desire to restore.
The Presidential election of 1900 secured
The ascendency of the Democratic party and
under the administration of Thomas Jeifersen,
rs great apostle, on the 14th of April, 1902,
the term of residence, previous to naturaliza-
tion, was restored to five years, what it had
been under General Washington, and where
1t has ever since remained. No, fellCw-citi-
aens, the Father of his Country was never
Native American. This American excel
lence" never belonged to him
AFFRAY IN EsTMoRELAND County A
scrious affray occurred ON Thursday evening
at the farm of Mr.. Thomas Kennedy, IN
Westmoreland county. A giil by the name
of Ts ylor el ped with mar named Osborne.