Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-04-23

refined logic of our own, the naturalized citi-
zen ought or ought not to feel aggrieved by the
DISTINGUISHING amendment, but whether he
does so feel or not and on this point there is,
but one report, and that is of decided, and even
in some cases of bitter denunciation Were
we now for the first time constructing the sys-
TEN of naturalization the number Seuen might
be adopted without offence. But the country
has settled down on period of five years as
the probationary period, and on the policy of
allowing the right of suffrage on its expiration,
apolicy which dates from the administration
OF Thomas Jefferson, and has lasted for more
than fifty years and new and unnecessary
discrimination here in Massachusetts,, at this
late day, is looked upon as deliberate attempt
to change that established system.
The amendment, it will further be perceived
requires two years residence in the United
States, and not in Massachusetts, or any one OF
the free States, and therein it differs from the
amendment which passed the Senate of 1857.
which required such additional res idence in
Massachusetts. A residence in Massachusetts
the duties of citizenship, but how can resi-
dence on plantation in Alabama or near a
slave auction block in South Carolina, have
any such benefcent effect? Better have
German who had aided to drive Francis
Joseph from Vienna, or the soldier who had
fought for his native land on the blood drench-
ed fields of Hungary, or the Italian who had
pined in Neapolitan dungeons or Joined in ex-
pelling Plus the TX from Rome, and inaugur-
ating the glorious day of the triumvirate, come
fresh to Massachusetts to deposite his ballot in
the electoral urn, than to admit him to citi-
zenship after two years probation under the
peculiar institutions of South Carolina. We
think Frederick Hecker who first declared for
the Republic in Germany in 1913, and Carl
Shurz to whom Massachusetts, has just opened
the doors Of Fanueil Hall, are quite as well
qualified to be loyal and true citizens of this
Commonwealth, after conforming to exis ting
requirements, as Preston S. Brooks or the
slave catchers who came here to kidnap Thos
Sims and Anthony Burns.
1t is claimed that the amendment will pre-
vent partizans from adding large numbers of
naturalized voters to the voting lists on the eve
of an election. Whatever evils of this kind
may exist now at the end of five years, will,
underthe amendment exist at the end of seven
years. If what had been desired was to re-
quire the naturalized citizen to give two years
notice before acquiring the elective franchise,
that could have been accomplished without
extending his probationary period. Practically
he has to do that now-for under our present
naturalization system, two years must inter-
vene between the obtaining of the primary
and final papers.
The amendment presses more heavily on
the German than on the Celtic foreigners
The emigration of the former has increased
while that of the latter has diminished
and is now less than the German. The
sale of encountered estates in Ireland, the de
pletion of population arising from previous
emigration, the consequent demand for labor
and the efforts of the priests to restrain emf
grafton have brought about this result This
disfranchsement has therefore been more Sc
verely felt by the Germans and in large bod
les they have protested against it in New
Toledo and st. Louis. 1t is suggested that
the amendment is mere local regulation, and
other States can do as they choose-and that
Western States which allow voting before
naturalization have no reason to complain of
us any more than we have to complain of them
1t may be a local regulation, but Massachu-
sets is representative State-her public men
are representative men-and the action of the
State is regarded as indicative of the general
action of the Republican party throughout the
country. And further, the conclusion is most
illogical that the liberality of the West is as of
fensive as the prescription proposed 1t is not
human nature for man to feel outraged when
other men are admitted to equal privileges
with himself, as it is to be offended when he is
himself deprived of the privileges secured to
others.
The proposed amendment will have a most
disastrous effect on the political influence of
Massachusetts. She has within her limits
men of rare statesmanship-of the highest Or
with eminent success the highest trusts in
this government-and whose names have been
mentioned in connection with them. The
passage of this amendment will beyond all
question exclude them from the list of availa-
BILE candidates for those trusts. They will be
held responsible for measure which the iudg-
ment of the country will pronounce proscrip-
tive of class Of men who have already rem
dered essential service to the cause, and on
whom the highest expectations may be conf
IDENTITY placed. 1t will be pronounced hostile
to the traditions of our government, and
ascribed to narrow provincalism worse than
that which marked the public men who parti-
cipated in the Hartford Convention.
1t has been suggested that the amendment is
necessary to secure to the Republicans the two
Congressional Districts of Boston, Aside from
the apparent absurdity of founding national
policy in the supposed peculiar exigencies of a
single municipality, this suggestion is without
foundation. Let such policy be pursued as
makes the electoral vote ofeight western states
sure for Republican candidate for the Presi-
dency, thereby making his election secure,
and the moral effect of that assurance will Sc
cure thousand majority for the Republican
candidates in those districts and furnish for
them far stronger support than the disfran-
chising amendment Nor do we believe our
friends can afford to lose the five hundred Ger
man Republican votes of Boston, or to adopt a