New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-15

Oefbg On cSecnt VI ettcpStn 10 ntW, was positive
source Of weakness.
And yet the Americans" a. party, protested
some principles and advocated some measures
which the Judgment Of the Nation heartily approves.
The carefully guarded purity of the Ballot Box
the restriction Of Suffrage to Native and Natural
lied citizens-a peaceful and unerasping Foreign
PoEcy-tbe fostering Of American enterprise, To-
dustry and natiOnality-these propositions found q
hearty response in the hearts of our countrymen.
But prescription because Of Religious diversites-
the eXaction of twenty one years residence as q
prerequisite to Nsturalization-and di,crimina-
ton against Naturalzed citizens in the bestowment
Of Ofice-these are propositions at war with the
generous instincts Of our People and the funds-
mental principles of our Republic. Once admitted
to citizenship, the immigrant Il to all intents an
American: he does wrong if be ever more reg ards
himself as German or Irishman; and we do
wrong if We compel him so to do. To bid immi-
grants submit to a probation of twenty-One years
before they can claim the rights and incur the respon
sbilities Of citizenship, is to doom nine tenths of
them to live and die aliens and subjects; and it
would be more manly and less disquieting to deny
them the Right of Suffrage absolutely and per-
petually.
As to Religion, there might be ground for argu.
ment as to the proscnptive basis Of " American
ISM" if its spirit had not been so clearly manifested
in its warfare on Col. Fremont But the whole
country saw that he was ferociously and persist
emily assaied by the Americans On the assump-
ton that he was q Roman CathOlic-that this was
the principal count in the indictment on which he
was arragned. Of those Americans who would
have preferred to vote for the Free Kansas candi-
date yet did not, far more were deferred BY Their
suspicion that he was a Catholic than by any
other consideration. True, some Of the leaders
grew ashamed of this toward the last, and tried to
substitute another issue-a charge, namely, that he
had equivocated or dissembled with regard to his
former relations toward the Catholic Church
but this was palpabIy an afterthOught, and sheer
pretense. But for the assertion and belief that
Col. Fremont was Catholic, it would have been
impossible to keep the " Americans" from hockiDg
generally to the support of the Free-Kansas tcke:
throughout the Free States. Religious intolerance
and prOscTiptiOn-On the assumption that Chris
tians of the Romish faith were unit for civil
trusts-was one fundamental base Of the "Ameri-
can party, and the revolt of liberal minds against
that assumption has sealed the doom of the party
which prOpOundedit Though the Romish hierarchy
and polity are objects of very general hostility
jealousy and dread among our people, there is still
large majority profoundly adverse to carrying the
illogical or ecclesiastica differences into politics.
Should anything be undertaken or proposed by
Roman Catholics which they disapprove, they will
surdily oppose that movement but will not be led
into political crusade against the Roman Church,
or any other. Whatever mOmentary alteration may
be INDUCED in under the impulse Oflocal excitement
or personal ambition, they will have no theological
test of fitness for political duties; and this poin.
may now be regarded as settled forever A few
zealos may be induced to cast their votes against
candidate stigmatized as Catholic, and so subject
him to defeat; but great party can be maintained
on the principle of religious intolerance. So much,
at least, has been fixed by the result of our recent
election.