New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-03-04

"The American State Council" has issued an
address "TO the Americans of New. York State, "
which has the single merit of brevity. On the
other hand we must say that for so short docu.
ment it is very full of absurdities. The great
original Dark Lantern has been smashed; the ter
rife osths have been abolished; the signs and grips,
the secret nocturnal cOnclayes the mummey and
the machinery have been abandoned; but the Ad'
dress reafirms, either directly or indirectly sew
eral of the old nOtiOns-for we cannot call them
doctrines-of the party To be sure, these are
stated with amentable indiff, renee 10 precision,
which il not perhaps positive popularity OF the
literary performances of the bad writer who is
understood to have brought forth the Address.
The first proposition maintained is THAT the
"men born on this coil educated under our free
constitutions, and breathing their spirit, are best
"qualied TO control the destines of our country"
This is well enough, and if the writer had added
that they probably rould control the destinies afore
said, he would not have been hundred miles
from the truth. But be launches Immediately into
srhspsOdy on the danger Of "pilng into the struc-
ture" of our institutions "such materials as des-
before heard that "desposs" we're in the habit Of
contributing to the structure" We hsd always
supposed that nine tenths of those foreigners who
seek our shores, so far from being contributed BY
the despots, ran away from them.
A little further along we are exhorted to manage
our affairs without what the writer is pleased 10
call "tbe assistance Of priesty dictation." Ono
would think, the refore, from all this, that Pope and
potentates were in copartnership for the express
purpose of exporting hither hordes of subseryient
emgrants, who are u overthrow Democracy by
voting with the Democrats. This is only another
exhibition Of the eIqusitely circular style If rea-
sonipg IN which the Dark Lanterns indulge, and
which they cannot abandon even after they have
become simple Lanterns The address proposes
no particular remedy for the evil thus touchngIy
set forth and left to the inference that the
Council is in favor Of forever excluding from the
ballot box all who were not born in tho United
States. We wish tina. the Council had told US pre-
cisely what it desired, and then we should have
known precisely what to 10Y about It. As is,
We are put of with the dry remainder Of very
dubious and exceedingly stale rhetoric.
In the second place, it is in this Address declared
10 be self evident" that linen are not qualified TO
vote or make laws IN Ter Constitution which
"tbey are unable 10 read" Now, there two views
to b. taken of this proposition. Should i. be car
ried into effect how many excellent Americans
might be ds'ranchised How many people of I'M
doubted Columbian extraction might be debsrred
r., tha ry;vilsoe and tina hIss ~ vo,;cct What
a row would there be among the immediate con-
stituenrs Of Gov. Wise, the gallant but uulettered
uen # Acccmac If ability to read is TO be thetest,
wby go further and exclude from the polls the for
eigper who can read And, moreover, We should
IKE to inquire how mauy fullbloOded, genuine
ADsrcsrs hare rad the Constitution We say
nothing Of abity-ws are merely speaking Of IL