The Placer herald., 1857-08-01

| the same tlme II was very strong, very sig
| nfcant manner of expressing their opinion of me,
and had no objection [Great laughter.] l say
| now, as l said in the speech which made in the
| United States Senate, when the American people
see proper to assemble in peaceable manner to
express their opinion of any man, in public or in
private life, they have an indisputable right un-
der the Constitution so to do, And to show my
sincerity in this matter, will pay out of my own
pocket for the printing of that speech, if those
who now condemn me for it will circulate-if
those men will only put it in circulation in the
quarters where they have spread the high sound
ing charges founded upon it. [Applause.1 There
is not single sentence in it which have any
disposition to modify or retract. l stand upon
that speech, and am content to go to posterity
upon it. Loud applause.]
Now, in regard to this charge of my hostility
to the Irish. was the first man in the American
Senate who undertook to denounce the American
party. hold in my hand speech made in Con-
gress upon that occasion, and shall take pleasure
in reading few extracts, in order to show you
how far my prejudices may be against these adop-
ted citizens of ours. 1t is the first time l ever
put on spectacles before an audience in my life.
am getting old.
"Mr. President: There has been much said upon
this floor in connection with this subject, which
does not receive the sanction of my judgment. l
know not why it is that, just at this particular
juncture, certain Senators here have found it ne
cessary to enter into crusade against our foreign
States. Why is it that, during the pendency of
this bill, we have heard these foreigners denoun-
ced as paupers, as vagabonds, as worthless men,
bers of society? You may find the secret of it
perhaps, in the statement made by the Senator
from Delaware, [Mr. Clayton,1 that there is Sc
cret political association in this country, known
by the name of "Know Nothings," who are
cisng tremendous influence over it's politics.
Why was it that the Senator from Delaware in
formed the Senate that this association had car
been held? Did he state that fact for the purpose
of justifying himself in this crusade against the
foreign population? 1t is q matter of the most
perfect indifference to me whether that secret as
socation be powerful one or not know moth
ing of the principles upon which they have been
acting; but if theirs be the creed adverted to by
the Senator from New York, have no hesitation
in denouncing them as unworthy the age in which
we live They propose, it is affirmed
|. A repeal of all naturalization laws.
2. None but native-bOrn Americans for Office.
3. War to the hilt on Romanism.
4. Opposition first and last to the formation Of
military companies composed Of foreigners.
| can scarcely believe, Mr.. President that men
have associated together for the accomplishment
of these objects, but if they have, must be per-
mitted to say that, in my judgment, they should
be denounced by all true and honest Americans.
He who proscrbes another for his religious opin-
ions, seeks to revive the spirit of intolerance
which expelled our ancestors from their native
land, and forced them to these shores To main
tain political liberty, a liberation of religion is
Indispensable Every man must be left free to
worship the Creator of the Universe in his own
way, and according to the dictates of his own
conscience. He who would deny him this right
is an enemy to our republican institutions. He
who Intermediates with the religion of others has
little OF the spirit of Christianity in his own heart
The Senator from New York [Mr. Seward] did
not hesitate to denounce them. There is u bid for
the opponents of the Know Nothings, while on
the other hand, you have direct bid for that
overwhelming influence Of theirs which, the Sena-
tor from Delaware says, has carried all the cities
where they have raised their standard! Allow me
to say, Mr. President, that the cities do not con-
sttute the Republic of the United States. know
they have their secret associations in your cities
and large towns; but the great mass of your me-
chanics, your farmers, your laboring men, have no
interest, no connection whatever with any of those
political associations which seek to attain their
object by secret means. Let them once understand
that men have banded together in your cities to
control, by secret influences, the destnies of the
Republic, and the whrlwind of their indignation
will soon sweep them from exstence. If pub
lie man is to be prostrated, let it be by the voice
of the people, openly, manfuly, fearlessly ex-
pressed. and not by the hand Of the secret assas
sin who strikes in the dark The party with
which am Identified never sought political pow
er in any other way than by frank and open
avOwal OF their principles. When they strike
their political enemies, they strike with the light
OF the mondays sun resting upon them and not
in the darkness of the midnight cOnclave. They
enter into no combinations they form no alliances
which will not bear the test Of public scrutiny"
Now, gentlemen, in regard to the foreign popu-
lation. This speech was made on the Sth OF Ju-
ly, 1854. | made speech on the subject of the
homestead. proposition was introduced that
foreigners should not be allowed to occupy pub
lie lands by virtue of the Homestead Act In
other words, it was thought to exclude from the
provisions of this beneficent Act, all those per-
sons who had been born unfortunately in foreign
lands. The language | used on this occasion was
this
81 do not desire here, or anywhere else, to at
tempt to draw distinction between the native
and foreign population, neither in the walks of
civil life nor upon the field of battle. But
have said what proves to be true, thai there
was not single battle fought during the whole
of the Mexican war, in which very large pro-
portion of the American force was not composed
of foreigners Every field was drenched with
their blood.
81 ask you, now Mr.. President after you have
availed yourself of the services of these people,
after they have shown, in war as well as in peace
their devotion to your republican inst tutions,
why should you attempt to prescribe them? Are
they to be prescribed by gentlemen on the 9th
er side of the chamber because the great body Of
the foreign born in this country choose to con-
meet themselves with the Democratic party? Is
it because they who have escaped from the lash
of the oppressor in their native land, and who
have come hore for the enjoyment of religious
and political liberty, choose to connect their
destinies with the Democratic party? Sir no
such motive as that could have Influenced the
mind of my friend from South Carolina, for,
although he is not party man, although he will
not claim or acknowledge any party associations,
yet, in his general leanings, he belongs to the
Democratic organization of 1852, which opened
of the whole human family, and 'the rest of man
kind" [Laughter.) In my own State (Califor-
nia) there are Hungarians and Poles, Germans
and Frenchman, who are devotedly attached to
our institutions, and who are as ready and will
ling to sacrifice their lives, if necessary in main
tanning them as any of our native born Amer