Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-07-08

LETTER FRoE TIE HoN. JoHN HIcKMAN.-The
Hon. John Hickman, of Pennsylvania has writ
ten letter on the Naturalization question,
called out by a note from number of Irish
residents of West Chester, Penn. He says:
In the United States there is but one kind of
citizenship, 1t is absolute and unqualified, and
confers a perfect equality of social, religious,
legal and political rights upon the native born
and the naturalized, with the single exception
of the ineligibity of the latter to the Presiden.
cy. have entertained this opinion, without
change, for the last twenty eight years, and the
reasons for my belief are embodied in the fol-
lowing propositions:
1.-The Declaration of Independence proclaims
the equality of all men, aud makes the conduct
of the English King, in refusing to pass laws
Encouraging the migration of foreigners hither,
and in constructing laws for their naturaliza-
ton, ground for revolution.
2. The founders of the Republic intended it
should be an asylum for the oppressed of all
nations; and that can scarcely be regarded as
an asylum which allows restraints upon the in
dividual who travels either for business or
pleasure, suhjecting him to the peril of being
forever separated from his family and home
prison, in this sense, may be considered a
refuge from oppression.
3. The Constitution makes no distinction be-
tween citizens, with the single exception already
noticed.
4. When duties and obligations to Govern
ment are equal, rights and protection under it
ought to be without discrimination
8. Under the various administrations of the
General Government, all claims upon our
adopted citizens by foreign Powers, because OF
former allegiance, have been denied, and all at
tempts to enforce them sternly resisted or con-
sidered cause of war. This was clearly SO in
the KosZta case and the war of 1912.
b. The Democratic party, which has mainly
controlled the political affairs of the country,
has antagonized with every movement creating
distinctions between men on account of their
nativity.
Z. All Offices below the Chief Magistracv
being open to foreigners, and our army and
naval forces being in great part, made up OF
them, would seem to force upon us the main
tenance of such doctrines us would make it I'M
wise for Great Britain to arrest and detain a
Secretary of State, Major General or the cap.
tain of feet, whose birthplace may chance to
have been across a lake, and few miles north
of the residence of Mr.. Cass.
=. Allegiance to State means fidelity and
subsection to that State. No man can be in ale
glance to two States at the same Time any more
than he can serve two masters. All our natu-
rallzatlon laws assume that old or implied allie
glance may be renowned, and new or express
allegiance assumed.
9. The fact that strangers to, and enemies of,
our system of Government contend for doctrines
irreconciable with those we hold cannot dis
prove the truth OF our positions, inasmuch as
the form and principles of our Government dif$
fer radically from those of every other which
we are acquainted. Under such circumstances
we are driven to the necessity of admitting a
defect in the groundwork of our political struc.
ture, or Of resisting all cncroachments upon it.
You will thus see that regard any refusal of
the United States to defend and protect natu.
rallied citizen, either at home or abroad, as Wig
orousIy and fully as an American born, destruc-
tive alike of the theory, principles, aud practices
of our Government, and demanding the marked
rebuke of every consistent Democrat
am truly yours, JouN HICKMAN.