The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-11-27

# Jup0E GouLD ON .NAruRALixArIos.-
The Hou.1Geo. Gould ofTroy, while hold
ing a4circut Of the Supreme Court In tn.
Third District, was applied to by a stout
Hibcrnian for ahis papers," in the man.
ner following. TO wit {: .t-,, frrlralF
l. The clerk informed the Judge that a
man wished to DO inatunlized, md he
(tho clerk proposed to conduct the mat.
tor, Us usual, at his own desk, without in.
terrupting the business Of the Court
The Judge replied that he knew no bust
ness more important than giving man
the full rights Of an American citizen,
and that he would conduct the proceed.
ings in open Court. 4, fe .s ..--1al..-.
The applicant thereupon produced his
certificate Of intention, and his witnesses
as to residence, good character, &c.-
After which, the following colloquy en-
sued s,,nI.H ..r.I-I . ,t o..
Judge-You. say you prefer living in
this country. t,tesurnine to Ireland; will
you tell me why . ~ i'l7.n' .i.N Elllsl 1
Pat--Thisis is a land Of liberty, your
honor. '''. '.-..-.. '.'D- ~. Nj, ....
Judgc-You show that you are attach.
cd to our institutions; what arc theyT
'' Pat-(No answcr.) ". erm.
Judgc-Who governs the countryl
Pat-Thc President shurc.
Judgc-Who makes the laws!
p Pat-Sucli as yer honor.
Judgc-No; | only administer the
laws. Who governs this State
Pat-(No answer. p ......g
Judgc-Mr. Clerk, hand me the blank
form OF the naturalization oath. This
being handed to the Court, he addressed
the applicant again. There is in this
oath clause by which you are to swear
that YOU will support he Constellation ct
the United States. s.. ..
Pat-Oh, yes, your honor! rmrcady
to swear to that. .I .'.
Judge-Did YOU ever read the Con
stitution f'1 ..I
Pat-No, yer honor.
Judge-Or n word of it!
Pat-No, yer honor.
Judge-Did You ever hear word OF
it read. fI..v
Pat--No, yer honor.
Judge--Can YOU read and write.
Pat-Yes, sir.
Judgc-Do YOU know one word that
is in the Constitution Of the United
States. .. ....... ....
Pat-Indccd and do not, yer honor.
Judgc-You have livcdin this country
nearly six years; you can read and write,
and you have been all this time intend
ing to becomea citizen here, yet YOU have
never taken the trouble to learn, or know
one word Of the instrument YOU are now
ready TO take solemn oath to support
An American born here, and living here
until he is twenty-onc years Of age, learns
more or less OF the Constitution under
which he lives, as well as the rights and
duties Of citizenship. Atany rate, whetl-
er he docs this or not, he 4; presumed to
have done it, and therefore the laws OF
the land give him the riyhtto vote with
out the forinality of an oath; it is his
Jirh-right. To those not born on the
soil, the law applies a different rule, and
requires from them the oath now under
consideration in your case. ] hold that
the due, even the decent administration
of that oath depends in part on the con
dItion that the applicant should at least
understand it; and / will never allow
such an abuse of the law as would be
committed by your taking that oath in
your present circumstances. You can
not be naturalized by this court.
The above, which is an exact relation
of an actual occurrence, touches the very
root of this matter of naturalization, and
Of course applies to all nationalitics as
well as that of the subject OF the story.
The evils of which the american party
profess to seek the cure, are the conse-
quences of the abuse Of the Naturalization
Laws, not their proper administration.
Had those laws been always, and were
they now, administered with the intcgri-
ty Of purpose and common sense view OF
their requirements, exhibited by Judge
Gould, there would be little ground fob
lection, il any, to the effect Of their oper-
alton. The scattered remnants Of the
Know Nothing party may make them.
selves consistently useful in their day and
generation by endeayoring to secure the
universal application Of the sound and
simple principles of which this case is an
exponcnt.-N. y. Courier and Eaquir-