Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-07-24
Is Gen. Hur Alien sunrage1

Is Gen. Hurl = Alien SunraRef
The fifty thousl hen who have attended
the discussions between the opposing oandi
dateasfor Governor, can have no sort of diff
Guilty in answering this question. The Union
and American however, says that Gen. HAIR
RS has not taken his position in favor of alien
suffrage, in the territories, nor, Is athls, 'has
any democrat whom we have eveF heafd of" 1t
says that what we call alien suffrage IS not
alien suffrage, and takes issue with US as to the
import of the terms. 1t is too late in the day
for US to enter into an elaborate inquiry, as to
the meaning of alien suffrage. We have under
stood it to mean the allowance of persons, who
are not citizens of the United States to vote
in the territories This we venture to say,
has been the universal understanding, among
men of all parties; and we repeat that Gen.
! HARRIS has taken his position in favor Of this
| doctrine, perhaps, forty times in this canvass,
and this, the people of all parties who have at
| tended the discussions can substantiate. The
Union and A1nerican has doubtless found this
doctrine unpalatabe to men, even of its own
party, and that it is working powerfully, as 1t
should DO, against Gen. HARRIS. And in or
der to break its overwhelming force, it puts
forth denial of the fact, and attempts to
make a new issue as to the meaning Of the
terms. This is a very fair sample of that pa
per's usual course of discussi time
we find it unfolding and promising to defend,
what we have termed alien suffrage; at an
other we have seen it denouncing the doctrine
as part of the creed of black-republicanism
and 'sham democracy"-an now we have
it denying the meaning that has been uniform
| ly attached to these words.
But our neighbor thinks that when for
eigner has declared his intention to become a
citizen, he is no longer an alien, and may well
be allowed to vote; and this is Gen. HARRIs's
position. But, all men of reflection will in
uuire how does a declaration of intention
qualify him to vote2 This declaration may be
made before the foreigner, has been in the
country dozen hours. He may be pauper,
iail-bird, the veriest otfscouring from the
old world, aud with all these damning attrib
utes clustering thick upon. his person, and with
out the capacity to speak or understand sin
gle word of English, he is made qualified
voter, according to Gen. HARRIs's position.
He is elevated to a level with the intelligent
native American citizen in all that concerns
the control aud management of the weighty
affairs of vast republic. This Gen. HARRIS
favors and defends and which forsooth, the
doughty champion of the Union and amer
lean denies to be alien suffragel What are
these men, if not aliens2 Gan you draft them
into the army service of the United States2
| Can you compel them to join in repeing inya
sionsl Can you punish them for tressonl Can
/ you subject them TO any service or any penal
! ty under the laws of the general government
! for public wrongsl No; none of these things
can be done; but you desire to make them
rulers and voters, equal in all respects to the
native citizen This is position unworthy
Of leading organ Of great party, and pays
as poor a compliment to its own as to the in
| telligence of its readers.
! In the outset of this canvass. Gen. HARRIS
takes broader ground than this in respect to
/ Foreigners in the territories. In his advocacy
OF alien suffrage in the territories, lac depreca
ted the fact that the alien was the first to pen
citrate the wilderness, that he cleared his fields,
raised corn, aud extended the hand of hospi-
tality TO the immigrant; aud all this before
Courts were established or be had an oppor-
tgnity Of being naturalzed, of changing his
condition from slenAge, and for these aud
like reasons urged that he, .the AIES should
be allowed 10 vote. Before our neghbor I'M
dertakes TO deny these facts, We suggest that
he refer 70 the Memphis APpsaL giving an 40.
count Of the discussion at that place; and he
viii there fnd the distinct avoRals Of Gen
ilARRIs upon this subject. Our contemporary
ought 70 know, that We sre not apt TO attrib-
ute positions 70 public or private men, which
We cannot substantiate; and he ought 70 have
examined tie Zeal positions Of his candidate
before he presents Issues Of this sort. We
reiiegate all sc have said upon the sahiect OF
alien suffrage, aud Of Gen. HAhRIs's position
IN reference % H.