St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-09-01
ilolititaI.
The Naturalization Question.

Some time since, several Germans
of Dubuque and other counties add
dressed the following intcrrogatorics
to Senator Harlan
lst " Are you in favor of the naturalization
laws rs they now stand. and particularly
against all and every extension of the proba-
tiuu time.
"a, Do you regard ii Il solemn duty of the
l;rpuhIiUni Party. as bc PARTY of equal rights
t" upp"sr Hnl war upon each and every dis
elimination that may hr attempted tu he made
I"twrcn the natir" born and adopted citizens
;tr t" the right Of suffrage
3i. DO You condemn the late action of the
Republicans ia the Al'lSsarhuscttss Legislature
excluding the adopted citizen for two years.
from the ballot box, as unwisc, unjust and
uncallcd fUr!"
To these questions Mr.. Harlan re-
piled frankly and fully, and from his
reply we make the following extracts {:
Many migrants are as we'll quail
fled to become citizens of the United
States when they first land on our
shores--arc as industrious, intclIi-
gent, virtuous, and trustworty as
the native population. This is par
ticularly true of some Of the German
States. In their own country they
enjoy the advantages of common
schools, similar, and, some think, SUI
pCrlor to our own, open to the children
of all classes, including the most indi-
gcnt,-and of acadcmical instruction
of the highest grade. The mass Of
the people are well educated and they
furnish the world with their fnll pro
portion of the ripcst scholars and
most profound thinkers of the age. In
the highest walks of literature, sci
ence and art, they have no supcriors
\ people thus taught, cmigrating to
this country and desiring to become
citizens, would seem to require but Il
short probation to fit them for the per-
tormancc of the corresponding dntics
Nor could much difficulty arise in
their case, in making proof of bona fde
intention 10 become citizens, or of
their moral character, and attachment
to our forms of government But is
this equally true of the mass Of cmi-
grants from all countries They
come on account of a variety Of causes
operating in the old world, and their
number and character Huctuatc. At
one time the number is one hundred
thousand per annum, at another time
the number is increased to half a mil
lion, i'll consequence Of a famine in
Ireland, and other causes in the states
of Europe, including mcmdcauts. vag-
abondS, and criminals, in whose hands
no free government could hc safely
entrusted. Many of them remain as
sojourncrs and advcnturcrs for time,
and then return to the Fathcr-Iamd.
But after their admission as citizens
Of the United States under It's laws, it
is njuSt and offensive for Il State Of
the Union to discriminate against
them by its local laws. When the
foreign cmigrant complies with the
requirements of the naturalization
| laws and becomes citizen Of this
great Republic, he assumes all the re-
sponSiDilitics involved in the relation,
Iand is entitled TO all the correspond
| ing lmmunities and franchises and
it is an indignity to him and to the
Republic to impose peculiar burthens
and disabilities. He is then as much
a citizen nndcr the supreme law of
the land as if born in the realm.
And if such discrimination against
him were attempted by a foreign Gov
crnmcnt, it would bc regarded as an
insult to the nation to be avenged at
every hazard and at any cost. That
a State of the contcdcracy has power
under the Constitution TO treat its
citizens, or citizens of other States re
siding within its jurisdiction, unjustly
cannot be denied while fifteen OF these
States hold in absolute slavery one
half of their people. But we are moi
bound TO approve all which We have
no power to redress.
1t is clearly the interest Of the Re
publican Party and of the nation t,
encourage the emigration and settle
ment among us, of the industrious
and intelligent, and moral from ever,
part of the world, and to facilitat,
their naturalization and admission t.
the enjoyment Of all the franchises o
free men. \ conclusive reason il
thus furnished by the present condi
ton of public affairs. \ new cause o
alarm for the stability of our free in
stitutions has arisen within a few
past years. A new party has engraft
ed itself on the old Democratic part,
and assumed its name, which denic
! the truth Of the fundamental principle