The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-01-11


upon any particular subject, cannot under
any circumstances, be justified. Where il
may appear that such acts have been done,
corrective should be applied, as far AZ il
falls within the power Of the Legislature.
An act was passed by the Legislature re-
curing persons, who had been naturalized,
to exhibit their naturalization papers three
months, at least before the day Of election,
10 entitle them to vote. When an alien be-
comes an American citizen, he is such fully
and efiectually in all respects. lie is en-
titled to oil the rights and privileges Of citi-
zenship. No particular duty can DO rcquir-
cd of him that is not required of other citi-
zens. And laws should be uniform in their
operation, capable Of affecting all classes
alike, and those which are made exclusive
ly for some and cannot in any event apply
to Others, are not the laws contemplated by
the constitution. The essence and nature
of law in free government is rule OF
action for all the people. 1t is such laws
only that the Legislature can enact. If the
Legislature has the power to provide that
all the electors in the States should furnish
evidence of their right to vote, three months
before election, the act in question is not OF
that general character and must therefore
be invalid.
The constitution of this State requires a
residence of three months next preceding
any election, to cntitle q person to vote for
State officers. Can the Legislature add an
other prerequisite to the constitution, and
say that the electors should do other acts Mt
certain prescribed times before election? II
it can, then the constitution may be so far
changed rs to add new qualifications by
statute to the elective franchise.
The law requiring the names of voters to
DO entered upon the lists, authorizes it to be
done down to the time of voting. If it pre-
cludcd person from exhibiting evidence at
the polls of his right to vote, and from hay-
ing his name then put upon tho lists, il
would appear to be n requirement additional
to the Constitution, and not within the
power of the Legislature.
The act under consideration is amcnable
to both of the foregoing objections, and, in
nv Judgment, is unconstitutional.
The act of the same legislature, forbidding
the courts of the State from exercising ju.
risdiction in relation to naturalization, may
not be liable to the charge Of being uncon.
stitutional, but it is extremely illibcral, and
bears with unnecessary severity upon per-
sons of foreign birth. The exercise of this
Jurisdiction by the State courts has been CO.
e,ul with the organization of the govern
mint. Under this law, those who desire to
become citizens must he subjected to increas-
ed expense and trouble, and travel great
dista nee with their witnesses to reach the
Courts of the United States.
The true policy o. our State is to cncour-
age the introduction o.r foreign labor. AT
the last census, Maine hal population oil
five hundred and eighty-threc thousand one
hundred and sixty-ninc.
Of these persons only thirty-onc thousand
eight hundred and twenty-five were born IN
foreign countries. Every full grown person
who is able and willing to labor, adds veiy
much to the riches of State.
The census shows that no just ground of
apprehension can be entertained from the
amount of foreign population. Our expo
rience teaches that it soon amalgamates with
our native population, and after few years
cannot be distinguished from it. II is not
crcditable to us, who, in tracing our anccs-
try two or three generations find them to be
persons born in foreign lands, to awaken
preudices against foreigners. This country
was made for the down trodden and OPP
pressed of all nations. by liberal laws we
have invited foreigners to our shores, and
there are hardships enough incident to their
exile from their native homes, without the
imposition of new and oncrous regulations,
causing unnecessary disquict and ycxation
in their efforts to avail themselves of the
benefit of those laws.
There il another act passed by the last
legislature, which must tend to continue the
irritation already existing on the subject OF
slavery. Its purport is to prevent any one
holding Office under this State from aiding
in the apprehension of fugitive slaves. This
law would probably have no practical effect,
for a fugitive slave has never been rc-taken
in this State, and if one should come hithcr,
the expense of following him at 70 great a
distance would be very likely to deter an
owner from the pursuit. But in amy event,
all such laws are Objectionable. They indi-
cate disposition to escape from our consti-
tutional obligations. We ought not to
expect to enjoy all that il agreeable in our
national relations, while we rcpudate what
is uncongcnial to our tastes. We should
never give our consent to law which il not
required by strong necessity, when i is di-
rcctly calculated to create an luminosity
between the inhabitants of different States.
The strength of great Republic consists
in the integrity and intelligence OF its PEG.
pie. In their hands are all the powers of
Government. If they are vicious and igno-
rant, they cannot long retain their liberty.
II is the duty Of the Legislature to promote
the education of the great body of the peo-
pie. 1t is true, that towns and districts ex-
crcisc watchful care over the schools with
in their limits, and wc must look to them ~
the immediate and constantly active guard
ians Of education.
The legislature can increase their means,
and enable them to impart instruction in n
more perfect and thorough manner, and to
n greater extent. The instruction OF teach
ers appears to be measure of direct prac-
teal benefit. The increase of knowledge ON
their mart enables them to communicate
more abundantly to others, and thus the
way is prepared for u broader field Of infor-
nation.
The legislature is moreover bound by the
Constitution suitably to endow literary In
stitutions of higher grade than common
schools. IL those who engage in the vari.
GUS and ordinary occupations of life, could
receive liberal education, such as may be
obtained in our colleges, it would not only
be beneficial to them personally, but would
greatly increase their ability for usefulness.
Under the favoring auspices of the Union,
Maine must ever DO great commercial
State. Her long line of sea-coast, with nu-
merous safe and commodious harbos, in
yites commerce to her shores. The building
of n greater number of ships than any other
State of the Union, the merchant service
upon the ocean, the fisheries, and the me
chanic arts, engage the attention, and fur
nsh employment to n large number of per-
sons. But three hundred thousand, at least
of our whole population are directly sup
ported by agriculture, andall are dependent
Tor subsistence on those who cultivate the
earth. The improved culture Of every farm
adds TO the real wealth of the State. The
of we'll written treatise on
agricultural chemistry, to the several towns
and plantations il is believed, would prove