Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-23
CoHMCSICATFD.

SIDUUi DiNfTf'f, " Ifh"'"" -" ''' .
Hny .>hacksLiord.-No.
Mr.. Enslish.--"I merely wish 10 inquire
Of the Gentleman. whether he holds Gov. W Use
10 be in or ont ui the Democratic organlza-
tom" 80.
mr.. Smith, of Na.-"Well. sir, hold him
- be- outside Of the Democratic organization,
and do not hesitate 10 say il. All gentle
men who refuse o. cooperate with the Demo
cratic PARTY in the great measures 81 the
party. are necessarily outside of that party
organization.
The most careless observer must be satis-
fed that GDy. Smith did not cooperate WIN
the Democratic PARTY III the campaign oil
lSjj. We might mere rest our case. relying
on Goy. Smiths own definition Of n Demo
crat. t" make good our reasons Tor not sus-
tanning him III the present contest Tor. not
cooperating in the great measures OF the
Democratic party in 1850, he was neccssa-
rily outside of that party organization.
But. il NAV he suggested. that however
true this NAV have been in $3.50, yet, since.
he has returned to his old position in the
party. has since done the State some ser
vice" and that, therefore. his wanderlngs OF
80 should be forgotten and forgiven. Were
the premises true. We would yield 10 the con-
cluSion. But we deny that Coy. Smith has
returned To- the Democratic fold: but, on the
contrary. affirm that he holds essentially the
same doctrines and principles which he
ayowrd and maintained in 81: and this be-
inc true. no Democrat who voted against HIM
in -. ran do 50 with consistency mow 10
vote for him now, would in effect be TO say
. 49,, 49,. mol -, = q. ,lnt l'4, SthIf Npn.
then right; and, by 80 doing. convict our
selves Of party di,loyalty at that time. We
do not wish thus gIaringly To stultify our
selves.
Principles. if true, cannot vary; and the
relations Of Gov. Smith to the Democratic
party can be determined without difficulty,
by the concordance of his avowed public
sentiments in regard TO the great measures
of the Democratic and Know Nothing parties.
Let us apply this test.
The following are two articles contained
in the Basis Principles of the American
party of Virginia. proclaimed by the Con-
v"cntion Of that party. AT Winchester, on the
18th of March, 80:
|. That the suffrages of the American
people. for political Offices, should not be CIV
EN- to any Others than Mose born on our soil,
and reared and matlred under the influence
of our institutions"
>. That no toreigney ought to be allowed
to exercise the elective franchise. till he shall
have resided within the United States a sutf-
cient length Of time to have become acquain-
ted with the principles. and imbucd with the
spirit, Of our institutions, &c.
These two articles. taken from the platform
of the Know NothingS. indicate most unmis-
takablv their origin. They find their pater-
nifty in the Federalism OF John Adams, dur
ing whose administration the Alien and Sc
ditiOn Law were passed. TO crush and OPP
press the foreign emigrant. These law
were ]strenuously advocated by all the lead
ers Of the Federal party men whose politl-
cal career had been characterized By an in
tense hatred of the foreign emigrants, and
would have denied to them the privilege Of
becoming citizens for twenty-one years after
their arrival in the country.
Now. Gov. Smith adopted. as his own, the
basis principles Of Know Nothingism. lie
proclaimed them good enough Democratic
doctrine for him. And proclaimed that if
the Know Nothings did not carry out in good
faith, the principles promulgated by them,
then he WIS against them.
Thus we find that. in 1855, Gov. Smith
had abandoned the faith Of the Democratic
party, and became the eloquent and earnest
defender of those doctrines which had dis
tinguished the Federalists of the days OF
John Adams.
But Ciov. Smith was not content to suffer
the foreigner TO enjoy the boon which even
the F.deralist and the Know Nothing were
Willing 10 accord to him. lie went, rs he
himself declared. "a how-shot" beyond the
Know Nothings. lie should have added, be.
vond old Federalism. too. Gov. Smith de-
sired ~ arrest the emigration Of the foreign
ar altogether. He would have the exiled
rmigrant met upon the shore. and told that
the United States had ceased 10 offer 10 the
exile II home. And what reasona did Gov.
Smith fer for this intense opposition 10 for
rign emigration. In his speech at Salem,
in ttr. county Of Fauquier. in -. he is re-
ported to have demonstrated by figures, that
If something was not done 10 break the food
tide Of emigration uow bursting On our
shores, the sceI ire Of power must soon he
transferred from the South to the North.
lie showed that Al th. present rate of emf
grafton, five Representatives would be- annu-
nlIy added To- the North -eL,rioi Gy tJ,eiga-
srS-and that the result must he the %inevitn-
bic standardization Of the country" Thus |
Gov. Smith WAS opposed L. any further rmi-