Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-04-16
Principles Of the American Party..Goyern0r
Wise's Letter Reviewed.-NO. 4.

Principles Of the American Party..Goyerno
Wise's Letter Reviewed..NO. 4.
{ GENTLEMEN
My last number was devoted to the consider
= alton of the naturalization laws of 1870 and II
95 and the opinions expressed by distinguishes
statesmen whilst those bills were under consi
deration. ] come now to the laws of 1898.
Between 1893 and 1898 our country had beer
the scene of great excitement The people seem
ed to lose sight OF their own affairs in their anx
iety about the questions which then agitated Eu
rope to its centre. There were two great partie.
in the public councils and amongst the people
one of which was partial to England, and tht
) other to France. Foreigners Hocked to oul
shores, and openly attempted to control the
politics of the country.
/ Under circumstances like these, the law o.
1895 was found to be inefficient, and 1t was deem
ed necessary to frame one better adapted TO tht
exigencies of the time, extending the terms O
residence before naturalization to FOURTEEN
YEARS, and requiring the applicant at the time
of making his declaration to enter on the record
a description of his person. age occupation, ma.
tivity, &C., so as to establish his identity, and
prevent imposition by fraudulent use OF his
papers. This certificate was to be filed in the
office of the Secretary of State.
This bill was fully discussed by many distin-
guished men, but having devoted so much space
already to this branch of the subject, | cannot
extract largely from that debate There is one
speech, however, which contains SO able an ex-
position of the principles of the American party
that cannot forbear from giving paragraph or
+, two. from it. allude to the speech OF Robert
Goodloe Harper. He said ~ D. i}-t i".sH !,
"He believed that it was high time we should
recover from the mistake which the country fell
into when it first began to form its constitutions,
of admitting foreigners to citizenship. This mis-
take, he believed had been productive OF very
great evils to this country and unless corrected,
he was apprehensive these evils would greatly
increase. He believed the time was now come
when it would be proper to declare that nothing
but birth should entitle a man to citizenship in
this country. He thought this was a proper
season for making a declaration. He believed
| the United States had experience enough to cure
them of the folly Of believing that the strength
and happiness Of the country would be promoted
BY admitting to the rights of citizenship all the
congregations of people who resort to these
shores from every part of the world. Under
these impressions, which, as he supposed they
would have the same force upon Others as upon
himself, he should not detain the Committee by
dating upon,-he proposed to amend the resolu-
ton by adding to it the following words, wiz
''that provision ought to be made by law for
preventing any person becoming entitled to the
rights of citizen of the United States, except
BY BIRTH" Mr. Harper said he was for giving
foreigners every facility of acquiring property,
of fholding this property, of raising their families
and of transferring their property to their tani-
| lies. lie was willing they should form citizens
for us; but as to the rights of citizenship,he was
not willing they should be enjoyed, except by
persons born in this country. He did not think
even this was desirable by the persons them
selves Why, he asked, did foreigners seek a
residence in this country He supposed it was
either to better their condition or to live under
government better and more free than the one
they had left. But was it necessary these per-
SONS should at once become entitled to take a
part in the concerns Of our Governments he
believed it was by no means necessary, either to
their happiness or prosperity, and he was sure
it would not tend to the happiness of this coun-
try Ifthe natioe citizens are not indeed dde-
qaate to tile performance Of the duties Of gorern-
meat, 1t might be erpedient to incite legislators
or roters from other countries to do that business
for ,chieh they themselves are not qualified. BIT
If the people Of the country, whO Oace their birth
to it, are ae1equate to all the duties OF the gorern-
anent he could not see for lohdt reason strangers
should be admitted; strangers, aoho, ho,ceoer ac-
ceptdble they may be an other respects, could not
hare the same giews and attachments mitb ma
tire citizens Under this view of the subject,
he was convinced it was an essential policy,
which lay at the bottom of civil society, that no
foreigner should be permitted to take part in
the government. There might have been, Mr..
II. acknowledged, individual exceptions and
there might be again, to this general rule, but it
was necessary to make regulations general, and
he believed the danger arising from admitting
foreigners, generally, to citizenship, would be
greater than the inconvenience arising from de-
} barring from citizenship the most deserving
: foreigners. He believed it would have been
well for this country, if the principle contained
} in this amendment had been adopted sooner; he
hoped it would now be adopted"
| 1t will be perceived that Mr.. Harper went
} further than the American party now propose
, to 90. and that too, at time when the practl-
cal evil was not of one-tcnth the magnitude i
, has now attained. Yet who questions his patri
} otsm? who dreamed that he was arrayed a.
, gainst the 'cause of civil and religious free
5 dom?r
In the same debate Wm Craik, of Nd, said
proposed in the bill, in restricting aliens from
becoming citizens of this country. He shoult
have no objection to say that no foreigner com
ing in this country after this time shall eve
l become citizen"
z James A. Bayard, of Delaware, said
'Aliens cannot be considered as members o.
the society of the U. s. Our laws are passed oI
the ground of our policy, and whatever is grant
ed to aliens is a mere matter of favor, and if i
4 is taken away, they have no right to complain.
Upon the general principle of discouragin;
l excessive immigration / will, on the branch
t the question quote but one other authority, ant
5 that is from the writings of Thomas Jefferson.
: Candor compels me to admit that when MIR
Jefferson became candidate for the Presidency
he relaxed his opposition to foreigners to yer.
considerable extent, and that after his election
he recommended change in the law OF l79e
which had been passed under the administration
, of his great rival and political antagonist, Johl
: Adams, SO as to reduce the term OF residence Il
, five years.
, But it will be seen that Mr.. JeffeIson's caln
8 judgement in 1881, when he wrote his notes o.
:. Va, and his practice whilst President las sha
:. hereafter have occasion TO show conformed q
y the doctrines of the American party. In III
4 notes on Virginia. he says: >,
Every species OF government has its specifi
; principles Ours are more peculiar than tllos
of any other in the universe. 1t is a composition
of the freest principles of the English constitu
n ton. with Others derived from natural right an
o natural reason. To these nothing can be NOR
n opposed than the maxims of absolute, monarch
: vet, from such we are to expect the creates
d number of immigrants. They will bring wit
them the principles of the governments they In
e bibed in their early youth; or if able to throw
i them otf,it will be in exchange tor an uhoouhde
: licentiousness passing, as is usual, from one ex
i treme to another. 1t would be miracle wer
!, they TO stop precisely at the point of temperat