Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-06-19
WHOLE NO. 5O3


Buchanan ON Foreigners.
The Lancaster correspondent of the Philadel.
phia News, publishes the following passage in Mr..
Buchanan's political history
IL seems that IL Is not only on Slavery and Fed
eralisni that James Buchanan has been continualy
shifting his ground find by copy Of the Chron-
icle OR Harrisburg Visiter, Of February IL. 1915.
paper then published in Harrisburg by William
Gillmor-that Mr.. Buchanan, then in our State
Legislature, was radical Z" Know Nothnglp On
the sixth Of February of that year. the military bill
being under consideration in the House, Mr. Row
land moved an amendment to exempt school teach
ers from military duty. After various amendments
being offered and lost, the motion was agreed to.
We now quote from the report perJatim.
Mr.. Grosh then moved an amendment. which.
at the suggestion Of Mr.. Raguet, was made to ex-
clude from the militia all subjects of our enemy'
" This was not agreed to.
Mr.. Buchanan then moved to exclude from
military duty all subjects of foreign Powers with
which the United States now are, or hereafter may
be, at war. How could we force men into the ser.
wee oil the country, when they might, IL taken>in
Eattle, be hung as traitorsY p beaSa
Mr.. t. Morgan moved to amend the amend
ment, by adding, with the exception of such
person or persons as shall neglect TO avail himself
or themselves Of the rights of citizenship
Mr.. Buchanan asked il they would force into
the service OF the country one who had not been
long enough In the country to fall in love with its
governmentS Would man, with all the feelings
OF monarchst, pressed into our lines for the de-
fence Of the State, be a good soldier2 He hoped
we were able to defend ourselves, without trusting
to such means Of defence"
Mr.. I. Morgan then replied. The objections OF
the gentleman from Lancaster( Mr.. Buchanan) we're
rather plausible than solid. If that gentleman
would advert to the principles of human nature, he
would find that mankind in general are willing to
avoid peril; that they viii not voluntarily place
themselves in situation subjecting themselves to
danger, and participation in the public burden.
There might be few honorable exceptions, but
lie apprehended the rule was general.
'sThe amendment to the amendment was not
agreed to.
"Mr. Buchanan's amendment did not prevail"
What beautiful spectacle we have here pre-
sented in the leader of sthe great Democratic
Ant-N othing partyl" In 1916, before the present
American movement was talked of Mr.. Buchanan,
in the Legislature of his adopted State, advocated
the exclusion of foreigners from our armies. He
was then In favor of just what his party now
denounce the Americans for--the advocacy Of
principle which they aege would have deprived
the country of the services of Lafayette, Kos
ciusko, and other distinguished foreigners, who
aided In our struggle for liberty. He was not even
in favor of allowing them to avail themselves of
the privileges of citizenship as qualification for
defending the country of their adoption He con-
tended then that man "who had not been long
enonghn the country to fall in love with its gov
ernment," could not be good soldier; and he now,
by the Cincinnati platform, which he has so ''cor-
daily" endorsed, denounces the Americans for
applying the same rule which he then advocated
othe selection of men to fill the offices of trust in
our government. a5 ..tsr#
He then said he hoped we were able to defend
ourselves without trusting to such means oi de-
fence" and we, as Americans now say that Amer
ican citizens are able to govern themselves with
out trusting to such means of filing our offices.
Why did James Buchanan change his views, thus
emphaticaly expressed in 1915? For the same
reason that he has been political turncoat all his
me--for the sake of Office He soon found, after
he had turned from Federalism to democracy, that
the Democrats relied upon the very men whom he
wanted to exclude from the army; and he now
courts the foreign vote, not because he loves them
more or thinks them better qualified to fight the
battles and administer the government of the coun-
try, but because he knows he can have no chance
Of the Presidency without their votes. Of course,
they viii sustain the old X. N.