Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-03-05

argument OF J0hn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
o. the subject Of foreiEn immigration,
and we now give the following, on the same
subject, from the N Y. Tsmes-Black Re
publican-both affirming, and ably sustain
ing one of the positions Of the American
party
"The police records of this city are, af-
ter all, the strongest argument that any
Know Nothing can advance for the faith
that is in him. We are almost tempted to
say that they are an unanswerable argu-
ment. No candid and intelligent man
will deny that they point out a necessity
for sweeping reforms, reforms which it
might have been the destiny of "Ameri-
canism" to carry out, if Americanism, so
called, had been less exclusive and dicta-
torial and more practical in its policy.
We published several days ago the re-
port of our Police Superintendent on Me
tropolitan Crime and Criminals, and from
that document it appeared that, during the
last three months, some twelve thousand
arrests were made in this city. OF these,
eight thousand we're Irish, and over two
thousand were foreigners of other nation
alities. In all the large cities of the I'm
ion the same story is repeated. The pro-
portion of foreign criminals is as five to
one in the prisons which law abiding citi-
zens are so heavily taxed to support.
This is an alarming exhibit, and sug-
gestive subject for the legislator, and for
every man who deposits his vote in the
ballot-box. What-we hear asked-would
New York be without it's foreign elements
of ignorance, pauperism, and crime p
Why, its courts, jails, and work houses
would be comparatively empty; about one
half its present police force would be am
ply sufficient for all contingencies and
instead of being, as it is, the worst gov
erned aud most heavily taxed city in the
world, it would become what enthuastic
Americans imagine their metropolis ought
to be--a model to the capitals of the down
trodden States of Europe. Unfortunate
ly for New York, however, it has been for
half century a house of refuge to all
the down trodden wretches in the world
Escaped convicts and men who had not
the remotest claim to our sympathy have
been publicly recognised as patriots, and
when we gather in our tri-monthly harvest
of ten thousand foreign criminals, we re-
ally reap the fruit Of what we ourselves
have sown.
1t is unnecessary to say here that we are
altogether opposed to any policy that would
place obstacles in the way of legitimate
immigration to these shores. 1t was part
ly by such immigration that the Northern
States, especially, acquired their prepon-
dorating influence, and rose so rapidly to
their high position among the nations of
the earth. We will readily admit that
every honest, Woodworking man, be he
poor or rich, who arrives in this country,
is an addition to its wealth and strength
but, on the other hand, every dishonest,
|, idle scoundrel, who seeks refuge here
, more than counterbalances the honest i'm
migrant, for he contaminates others with
/, whom he is brought in contact.
i If we are to credit the report of super
, intendent Tallmadgc, it would appear that
! as far as the Irish are concerned, the vi
, cious outweigh the pcaceably disposed
, The crimes to which they are peculiarly
, addicted are crimes of blood, from murder
, down to simple assault. The English
: who emigrate to this country, though vast
ly inferior in numbers, are little better
than their Irish compatriots. New Yorl
, is an asylum for all English pickpockets
. thieves, and burglars, when they find Lon
y don, and other large cities in the British
isles, too hot to hold them The Ger.
mans are by far the best behaved of tn,
t foreign population of New York-suct
v inference, at least, is to be drawn from
2 the figures presented in the superinten
' dents report.
In addition to the offences that proper
8 ly belong to police report, it is not to-
= much to say that to the foreign element o
the present day can be traced vast dea
of that bribery and corruption with whicl
the administration, both of State and Fed
7 eral Government, has been disgraced.-
c Statesmen, of otherwise high standing, d.
9 not hesitate to pander to the passions ant
prejudces of an "Irish party" or of an
= other un-American party, and thus en-
n courage them to renew, on American soil
G the feuds that cursed the land of thei
a birth. This it was that gave rise to a
great an evil, in the shape of Know 9th
{ ingism but, though that abortion ha
Q been repudiated, some of its principles
r. which were sound and polite, have no
been without their influence on the publ
mind.
A great outcry was raised abroad agains
"Americanism and it was ignorantly O
malciously asserted that general perse
/. cution of foreigners was intended. Such
however, was never the case: the rights c
foreigners has never been invaded, an
never will be invaded. Popular sentimen
here has always erred on the opposite sid'
and, unfortunately for the public good, ha
. sympathized with people of every class an
condition, without the slightest discrim
is nation. We should not, perhaps, regrt
&c our exravigant generosity, even though
st had been often extravigantly abused, BIZ
t. at the same time, this great increase {
e criminals among the foreign population {