The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-06-18
JAMES RUCHANAN. NOT A KNOW
NOTHINGS

W.
Among the many falsehoods put forth
in the Fusion presses against JAMES Blu
cHANAN, since his nomination by the
Democratic National Convention, none
is SO utterly without foundation as that
he entertains sentiments favorable to the
unholy order of Know N~othings! We
would not feel called upon to refute SO
foul a Islander against our illustrious
standard bearer, if it were not for the
fact that the Fusion presses have uni
versally engaged in circulating this false
hood. To sustain their charge, they pro-
duce the following extract from a Fourth
of July Grafton said to have been deliv-
cred by Mr.. BUCHANAN, in the town OF
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when only
twenty-four years old-orer torty gears
ago!
"Abovt all, we ought to drive from our shores
foreign influence, and cherish exclusive Ameri-
can feelings. Foreign influence has heen new
cry age the curse OF Republics. Her jaun-
diced eye sees all things in false colorsl The
thielatrnoSnhere of prejudice. by which she
is forever surrounded, Observation-Disclosures
the light ofreason."
Now admitting this extract to begen-
uine-which is certainly counting large
ly upon the credulity Of the peoplezwe
ask every candid man whether the extract
contains any endorsement of those iHib-
eral sentiments, entertained by the So
called American party of the present
day. It shows evidently, that Nj. b.
cHANAN was only deprieating the policy
of allowing foreign governments to in
termeddle with our national affairs,
GEORGE WASHINGTON gave utterance to
the same sentiments in his Farewell Ad-
dress-yet who would think of charging
the Father of is Country with being a
Know Nothing Certainly no man
with an American heart in his bosom.
But we are not left to idle speculation
in regard to Mr.. BUcHANAN's sentiments,
on this or any other question now before
the American people. On the 9TH of
October, 1852. Mr.. BUCHANAN addressed
a meeting of the Democracy of West
moreland County, Pa, at Greensburg, in
which he gave utterance to the following
patriotic sentiments. His remarks on
this occasion completely refute the
charge that he in any way sympathises
with the church burning order, in their
attempts to create distinctions on ac,
count of birth or religion. Said Mr..
BUCHANAN:
"From my soul Iabhor the practice of ming
ling up religion with politics. The doctrine
of all our Constitutions, both Federal and State,
is, that every man has an indefeasible right to
worship his God according to the dictates of
his own conscience. de Is both a 6igot and
tyrant who would interfere with that sacred
right. When a candidate is before the people
for office, the inquiry ought never to be made,
what form of religious faith he possesses, but
only, in the language of Mr.. Jefferson, els be
honest ; is he capablef"
Democratic Americans What q name
for o Native American party! When all the
records of our past history prove that American
Democrats have ever opened wide their arms
10 receive i.ne-s-ayIrs ia
their native land, and have always oessoTed
upon them the rights of American citizens; at
ter a brief period of residence in this country.
The Democratic party have always gloried in
this policy, and its fruits have been to increase
our population and our power with uneXanpled
rapidly, and to furnish our country with vast
numbers of industrious, patriotic and useful
citizens. Surely the name Of Democratic
Americans was an unfortunate designation
for the Native American party.
"TheN ati ye-American party an American
excellence and the glory of its toundershiP
belongs to George Washington No, fellow
citizens, the American people will ris. up with
one accord to vindicate the menlory.o of that IL
man from such an imputation. As
long as the recent memory of our evolutionary
remained wildly impressed on the
have ever existed. The recollection of Mont
gomeyy, Lafayette, De Kalb. Kosciusku, and ,
long list of foreigners, both officers and soldiers,
who freely shed their blood to secure our lIber-
ties, would have rendered such ingratitude inn
possible. Our revolutionary army was filled
the brave and patriotic natives of their
lands and George Washington was their com
mander-in-c chief. Would he have ever closed
the door against the admission of foreigners to
the rights of American Citizens ? Let his acts
speak for themselves. So carly as the 2Oth OF
March, 1890, General Washington, as President
Of the United States, approved the hrSt law
ever passed Congress on the subject OF
naturalization and this only required q resi-.
lence of two years previous to the Adoption OF
| foreigner as an American citizen. On the
18th of January, 1879, the term OF esldenc
extended by Congress to five years, and
.hus it remained throughout General Washing
.on's administration and until the accession OF
John Adams to the Presidency. 1u his admin
which will ever be known in history
IS the reign Of terror-as the era of alien and
laws-an act was passed on the 18th
Of June, 1888, which prohibited any foreigner
from becoming u citizen until after a residence
IF fourteen years and this is the law, or else
perpetual exclusion, which General Scott pre-
ferfed, and which the Native-Amerlcan party
now desire to restore.
1.-The Presidential election of 1900 secured
he ascendency of the Democratic party and,
under the administration of Thomas Jefferson.
is great apostle, on the 18th of April, 1859, the
.erin of residence, previous to naturalization,
restored to Ave years, what 1t had been
lndcr General Washington, and where it has
ever since remained. No fellow-citizens, the
Father ofhis Country wa never a Native-Ame
can. This American excellence never be-
onged to hiIn."
We might rest this refutatiQn of the
charge of Native Americanism prefer
ed against Mr.. BUCHANAN here, with
The full assurance that the people would
DC fully satisfied as to it's falsity. On
our outside, however, We give a brief
from Mr.. BUCHANAN, in which
lie endorses fully every plank in the
Platform adopted by the Convention
xhich nominated him. We therefore
mote the following resolution. takenfrom