The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-12-04
JUDGE GuoLD on NATURALIZATION.

The Hon. Geo. Gould, of Troy, while
holding circuit Of the Supreme Court Ia
the Third District, was applied to BY a stout
Hibernian for "his papsrs,"in the manner
following, 10 wit:
The Clerk Informed the Judge that the
man wished TO DO nnturalized, and he (the
Clerk) proposed to conduct the matter, as
usunl, at his own desk, without interrupting
the business of the Court. The Judge re-
piled that NJ knew no business more impor-
tau,than giving man the full rights of an
American citizen. and that he would himself
conduct the proceedings In open Court.
The applicant thereupon produced his GER
tifcate Of intention and his. witnesses MS 10
residence, good character, &c. After which
the following colloquy ensued:
Judge-You say you prefer living in this
country to returning to Ireland; you will tell
me whyi
Pat-This is land of liberty, yer Honor.
Judge-You say that you are attached to
ohr Institutions; what are they?
,Pat-(No nnswer.)
yudge-Who governs the country!
Pat--The President, sure.
Judge-Who makes the laval
Pat-Sch as yer honor.
Judgs-No; only administer the laws
Who governs this State.
Pat--(No auswer.)
Judge-Mr. Clerk, hand me the blank
form Of the Naturalization Oath. This be.
ing handed to the Court, he addressed the
applicant again.l There Is in this oath a
claase by which you are Ia swenr that you
will support the Constitution of the United
States.s
Pat-Oh, yes, yer Honor! I'm ready to
swear to that.
Jadge-Did you ever read that Constitu.
toni
Pat-No, yer Honor.
Judge-Ora word of III
Pat-No, yer Honor.
Judge--Dd you ever hear q word Of II
read! t,
Pat--No, yer Honor.
yudge-Can you read and writei
-Pat-Yes, sir.
"Judgr-Oo you know one word that 10 in
the Constitution of the United Stntes7
Pat-lnd. ed and do not, yer Honor.
Judge--You have lived in this country
nearly six years; you can read and write, and
you have been all this time intending to be-
come a citizen here, yet you have never taken
the trouble TO learn or know one word Of the
instrument you are now ready to take a SOL
emn oath to support. An American born
here, and living here until he is twenty-on
years of nge, learns more or less of the
Constitution under which he lives, rs well as
of the rights and duties Of citizenship. Al
any rate, whether he does this or not, he il
presumed 10 have done II, and therefore the
laws Of the land give him the right to vote
without the formality Of an oath; IL 10 hin
birth right. To those not born on the soils
the law applies different rnle, and requires
from them the oath now under consideration
IN your cnse. ! hold, that the due, even the
decent, administration of that oath depends
in part on the condition that the applcan,
should at least understand it; and will npveI
allow such IN abuse Of the law rs would be
committed by your taking that oath in your
present circumstances. You canno! be ma
turalized by this Court.
s. The above which is an exact relation o.
40 actual occurrence, touches the very ROOT
Of this matter of Naturalization, and Of course
applies TO all nationalities as well as that o.
the subject of the story. The evils of which
the American party profess to seek the cure
are the. consequences of the abuse of thu
Naturalization Laws, not their proper ad
ministration. Had those laws been always
and were they now, administered with tn,
/. Integrity of purpose and common sense view
of their requirements, exhibited by Judgt
Gould, there would be little ground Of OBJ
lection, it any, to the effect of their opera
tons. The scattered remnants of the Ameri
can party may make themselves consistently
useful in their day and generation by en-
dsavoring to secure the universal application
of the sound and simple principles of which
this cuse is an exponent