The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-05-28
keok uk, May ID: 1859.


Your circular address. to the
| Iowa delegation was received few days
since, and my answer is delayed on account
of temporary illness. You ask the follow
! ing questions, which am very willing to
answer, although my colleagues of The Sen
ate have done full justice to the subject
These are your questions
| lst. Are you in favor of the naturalization
laws as they stand, and particularly against
all and every extension Of the probation
time.
ID. Do you regard it, duty Of the Re-
| publican party, as the party Vt equal rights :,
to oppose the war upon each and every dis
! elimination that may be attempted to be
made between the nntive born and adopted
| citizens, as to the right of suffrage:
Sd. DO you condemn the late action of
the Republicans in the Massachusetts Legis-
lature, for attempting to exclude the adopt
ed citizens for two years from the ballot
box as unwisc, unjustand uncalled for?
|. In answer to your first enquiry respond
as follows: consider the probation time
longer than necessary, us time only proves
that man is satisfied with his new dOmicil;
and be and others can determine that part
| about as well in five years as twenty. The
intent is what determines a mans domicil {:
and SO long as we permit immigration (Which
will be for all time) We snail allow men to
change allegiance when they actually change
their domlcil, and become settled, and GER
tainly satisfied with the change.
Our present naturalization laws institute
akind of initiation, which as now executed,
is either farce or fraud, as all lawyers
well know. am not disposed to tie my po-
lItical faith to such badge of impcrfecton,
which leads to needless trouble, cost, false
proof, false swearing. think they can and
should be improved for the sake Of emigrants
and good morals.
2. Our principles rs party, as we'll rs
the dictates Of reason and justice, oppose all
political distinctions between native and
adopted citizens not especially because our
platform was made for the purpose. but be-
cause as Republicans We have adopted the
fundamental principles of the founders of the
republic who made their platform wide
enough for all the world.
3. As to two years additional probation,
| am utterly opposed to it. If u man is full
grown and fairly dom,ciled according to
law, let him exercise his rational func-
tons. To naturalize foreigner, and then
require two more years before admitting
him to his natural rights, is like building
and finishing ship, and requiring her to
lay two years on tie stocks before she is
permitted to Goat in her natura. clement
| can readily premise the grounds of YOUR
'ndignlty. 1t seems like requiring YOU to
dress for and conclude nuptials, two
years before you are to enjoy your marriage
rights.
But this is entirely local question, as
every State has the sovereign hight to pre-
scribe her own voters, Massachusetts, as one
Of her Hon. Representatives. recently said,
is crowded with population. Its very diff
ferent in the West, and therefore the encour-
agemcnt given to emigration, will be differ
cnt in different localities. From this appar-
ent political blunder in our distinguished
sister Of New England, we may hope to re-
ceive some advantage, by becoming the re-
ceipleuts of those who will escape from
the new provision and in the end it may
assist in distributing the surplus population
of the East where they can End better homes
on the rich prairies of Iowa.
Very respectfully your fellow citizen.
SAMUEL R. CURTIS.
To Messrs. kuestenmacber, Henry Ritch.
ter, silas Schmit and ~ other German Re.
rublicans.