Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-06-20


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But there is another question Of momentous inn
portance, upon which parties have divided, that
merits grave consideration by every real American.
allude to the foreign immigration now pouringinto
our midst, from all quarters of Europe. This vast
tide flor such il isl is unprecedented in the history
of the United States, or of any other government
that ever existed. There is not State 10 Europe,
free or despotic, that would tolerate for moment,
| the policy we maintain on this subject. Jealousy
of their own nationality and sense of sell-preser-
walton would prompt them to adopt restrictions
adequate to the evil. This immigration, amount
| ing to several hundred thousand per annnm, per-
haps at present, to half million, is made up OF
every variety and shade of human character and
condition, from the bold, heightened man of enter
prise to the pauper and criminal. The question
now is, is this immigration an evil to our institu-
tons? and il it is, ought and can correct it.
That it is an evil and one of immense magnitude,
ought to be so apparent to every observant man as
| to need no argument. Our government had Its orr
| gin in native homebred spirit of independence,
inspired in our progenitos, by the necessities which
| surrounded them. Cut off from the mother coun-
try by wide ocean, and separated also by diver
sity Of interest and pursuits, a natural divergence
of sentiment and feeling began to obtain long be-
/ fore the occurrence Of open breach. The colo
MES were forced to rely upon themselves, and for a
long time were left to their fate until their growing
| Importance and numbers suggested 10 a greedy
ministry the idea of rendering them subservent to
the wants and the policy of the mother country. By
this time they had grown to maturity like their own
native forests not in hothouse or by artificial cul-
ture but in the hard school of frontier life, with
adaptations and views and sentiments in harmony
| with surrounding circumstances. In word they
became thoroughly American, and wholly different
! from any other civilized people then living. In
these pecuarites lies the true original spring of ac-
ton, which resulted in our independence and the
establishment of the government of the U. States.
Who believes, that if in lieu Of these hardy colo
nists thus schooled and thus trained, their places
had been supplied by the same number of emf
| grants Just from Europe, with all their prejudces
and prepossessions, history would ever have had to
record the glorious chapter Of our revolution? Or
| if they could have won in the contest of physical
/ force who believes that the fabric they might have
reared, would not have toppled and fallen, ere the
last-sone had been laid? Such has been the result
of every attempt at self-gOvernment in Europe
| The ignorance of many-the viciousness of not q
few, combined with prejudiees in favor of preroga-
| tive and CASTE have rendered abortve every plan
hitherto proposed for popular representative govern
| ment in any of the old States of the world. Our
| our own experiment stands alone among the ma
| tons of the EARTH The ideas of liberty in Europe
and America are totally diverse. Even the En-
glish system, potent as 1t has been and is, IN the
great field of civilization and the arts, and jealous
of the rights of Englishmen wherever they are, is
shaded by prerogative, and castles and orders, and
restricted by limitations on the right OF suffrage
1t is no more to compare to our system 1--WE being
| the iudges) in every element of full grown, high
souled liberty than their own stunted oak, the pro
duct of artificial and appliance, is to the native
monarch of our groves-the green monument oil
centuries lifting his brawny arms in defiance up
amid the highway of the lightnings of heaven
Liberty is not RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1t does not confer on
its votaries the right to do they please. 1t is in
separable from law and order. The river swollen
| by rude torrents from the mountains and sweeping
every thing before it, is the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF nature
defying all restraints. While the stream within its
banks murmuring on in gentle beauty toward the
ocean, and gladdening the herds and flocks thai
Craze and gambol on its margin is liberty within the
range of reason, of law and order. Under the one
there is dread, and apprehension, and distinctions
under the other there is composure and confidence
and prosperity Under the one the honest vOtary
of industry is kept awake and vgilant, best the
swelling flood may carry off the earnings of his
! life, and overwhelm with ruin even the pledges Of
his affection Under the other he repOses in secu
rity, not doubling but the bright morn Of the com
| ing day will CLEAN in smiling radiance, upon the
same picture Of contentment and happiness, which
wooed him To his slumbers.
Hit be true then, that our early struggles and con
seuuent establishment of independent government
had their origin, in chastened, disciplined indom
! table spirit Of Amercansm,l what other means
what other spirit shall be able to preserve US from
the communicating influence of foreign policy
What would have failed in the process of construc
ton will destroy the fabric after it is reared The
greatest document ever penned by man, the fare
! well address of General Washington, has given u:
a solemn warning on this very subject. He says
Against the nsidous evils of foreign influence q
coniure You to believe me, feow-citizens) the eal
ousy Of free people ought to be constantly awake
since history and experience prove that foreign in
huence is one of the most baneful foes of republican
| government.
Does it matter for the sake of the evil, whence
| that foreign influence emanates? Whether it comes
through the arts of diplomacy and the blandsh
ments of official station, or through the ceasees'
| stream of immigration, which is every day gradually
and insidiously, but certainly changing the orgna
theory and spirit of the government? If foreigners
come here who are vicious in their habits and tastes
| and biased against simple form Of self-govern
ment will not their contributions to public opinion
! be pesncious? What do we want with the mobs o.
Paris or Vienna, or Manchester VIII they make
good republicans? They cannot succeed at home
when fully invested with the power, wrath and de
structon lie in their pathway, and it is difficult tC
perceive how a voyage across the Atlantic car
change their natures. They are kept in order Al
home alone by the sword. Here we have govern
ment created by virtue and intelligence, and which
can be maintained by no other means.
| This government could not live an hour i the
ideas of law and order we're banished from ii
population Passion lust of dominion, cupidity, anC
an inhamed radcalsm, would sweep like torren
through the high places, where now reign the
badges of authority If you could let loose upor
our shores the population, now repressed in France
and Germany and Italy, By force of arms, and ready
in their wrath to set the world fire, do you thinl
there would be no danger TO our institutions
Wronged they may have been-but full of vengeanc,
against the human race, for special injuries the!
would find in every phase OF happiness and content
ment the sworn foes OF their rights. Your cite
and country-s seats would fall before them like tn,
palaces of Rome before the wild squadrons of Asia
Our people commit great mistake when they com
pare the fitful fiery revolutions Of Europe with on
own. They forget the difference in circumstances
in education and training and in opportunity. Their
they are like a river swollen in a night by a rain
storm, and overiown by thousand torrents from
the mountains until its resstess current bears dow
before il the palace Of the nobleman and the cottag
of the shepherd-the farms OF the poor and tn
vineyards of the rich-carryng them onward int
one common whirlpool Of destruction Here il wa
like the gentle stream, rising gradually by tn
tributes Of its own inherent fountains but restrain
ed within its natural embankments, bearing on il
majestic bosom gallant crafts laden with the produc
Of adjacent vallies, and sparing in its course, tn
meadow and the lawn, the castle and the howell III
rich and the poor, and imparting life and vigor an
prosperity 20 a whole population. No blood Q
murdered innocence cries up from the ground, be
meath the sword Of our revolution. No wall q
poverty deprived Of its Inheritance by ruthles
moh, comes up to sully the glory the achievement
Bot the genii OF religion, OF philosophy aud Of pol
tical liberty, unite in proclaiming their hallowe
sanction, 10 this the first and greatest effort Of ma
in vindicaion Of his native rights and dignity. b.
how is il with the revolutions OF EaropeY Coul
their cemeteries aud cAtaeombs with their counties
victims, speak out, they would raise a voice OF NO
that would pierce the skies. Blind rage, infarate
.s;o all f.n.t;eiso, and ruthless van geaoca usr