Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-10-29
ARouT PRESCRIPTION.

ABOUI
We hear so much said by some the friends
of Mr.. Buchanan about what they call the pro-
scriptive principles of Americans, that we feel
constrained once more to set them right ON a
subject we had hoped to be so we'll understood
as not to admit of cavil or Misrepresentation
1t is asserted that the American party pro-
scribes foreign Catholics. BY this it is inten-
ded to mean that there is political organiza-
tion in our midst which has determined that 1t
will not vote for, or assist in any way in the e.
lection of such persons to offices of honor, pro-
fit or trust. For the sake of argument, let US
admit this to be true. Then let us see TO what
extent such an organization is guilty of outra-
ging and libeling our free institutions.
Ever since the establishment of our govern
ment it has been custom with our citizens
to vote at elections for such men as they may
think proper. In exercising their privilege
of making choice between rival candidates,
they have been guided by no legal enactments.
There is no law, expressed or implied, which
determines the proper manner of making this
choice. The voter has an indisputablc right
to cast his ballot for any one of the candidates
or he may Ieiusc To NOlC AoO USdi -
this privilege that to tamper with it would be
the signal for the destruction of our country.
In the exercise of that right the voter has
perfect unlimited privilege. No reason for
his choice is deemed absurd, because his de-
termination is uncomfortable by any legal or
natural means.
John Smith has perfect and inalienable
right to say that he Will not vote for Barnabas
Buncombe, because the said Barnabas has red
hair, or because he wears moustaches, or be-
cause he sports striped pantaloOns and gold
headed cane or because he chews tobacco !;
or because he drinks brandy or because he is
a Mormon or Catholic, or Protestant; or
because he is a Foreigner; or because he is
not Foreigner. Any one of these reasons is
a good and sufficient one for the aforesaid
John Smith to predicate his vote upon. And
why? Why, simply and only because said
reason satisfies John Smith, and because no
one else has any right to be displease6, if John
Smith pleases himself. What is true of John
| Smith is true of the American party, or of any
other party. Any party has right to fix u
pom the eligibility or fitness of its candidates,
! anu io SCI Va hhcH iis5Al ~ lOISc lciu 10
/ do otherwise than may seem best to them.
Certainly all of US remember this much
| that Wings seldom voted for Democrats, and
| Democrats seldom voted for Wings. Also,
that Wings nerer placed Democrats in office,
and Democrats nerer placed Wings in office,
whenever either party happened to be in pnwer.
Does any body pretend to say that those parties
l,x1 III. 4 81,
never heard the thing doubted. Never have
we heard it denied that Democrat had per-
| feet right not to vote fora Whig. And was
this ever called prescription, and denounced as
san outrage, and libel upon our free ins;itu-
tions' ''' We may be ignorant in the premises,
but must confess that we have never heard
it SO Intended.
Let US see how far these examples apply to
the great outcry raised against the supposed
prescription Of the American party. This
party is supposed to be unwilling to vote for
! foreign Roman Catholics. Is there any more
crime or outrage in this, than there was in the
fact that a Whig would not vote for a native
born, peaceable, upright, capable, Democrat
Good reasons have been alleged for this deter
| mination. But those reasons have nothing to
do with the question at issue. 1t matters not
if they give bad reasons, or no reasons at all
for their determination. Who has the audaci-
ty TO say that they, or any other set of men,
shall not vote as they please Who has the au-
dacity to attempt to prove that an American
shall give such reasons for his vote as shall
satisfy every one7 It's an utter absurditv to
think of such thing. And, the more we think
oft, the more we are disguised with the cant
of fogy politicians, who so eagerly condemn
what they have been practicing all their polit-
ical lives.