Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-05-14
The Massachusetts Amendment-..The
Result Of the Election...What Erected

The Massachusctts Amendment...TheI |
Result Of the ElectiOn.-.What Effected
II. ~-s eea-------.---- --s-.-
We were prepared for a week past for the |
mortifying result disclosed by the telegraphic
despatch in another column, relative to the |
adoption, on the 9th instant, of the amend
| ment to the Constitution of Massachusetts, |
| requiring foreigners hereafter to reside two |
years in that State after naturalization, before
being allowed vote therein. We were pre-
pared for this result, because a short time
since we received a letter from Massachu-
setts Republican, in which the writer referred
to the coming vote on the subject, and re.
marked as follows:
"The passage Of this amendment is one of
the fruits of the Republicans having ever con-
sented to even temporary union, though on
the Anti-Slavery issue only, with the so-called
American party. Though acting with the
Republicans on one point, they remained pro-
scriptive Know Nothings in everything else;
and it is they that have violated the Philadel-
phia Platform of the National Republican par
ty, by setting up this narrow local policy for
Massachusetts,. The Republicans, proper, of
Massachusetts,, have had nothing to do with it.
admit, however, that they are to blame
in not having at once vigorously fought the
thing to the bitter end in its very inception
Still they are trying hard to beat it now at
the election before the people on Monday, the
9th of May next; but doubt their being able
to do so, for two or three reasons.
In the first place, it is impossible to rouse
out large popular vote at such an election,
when no other question is up. The Republi-
cans being mainly in the country districts
among the farmers,-the Democrats and
Americans being strongest in the towns, the
Republican vote will therefore be the least
fully polled.
In the second place, the Know Nothings
and all the American branch of the Demo-
cracy, are GOING FOR Ir-the first, because
they "believe in it," and the last, because
the Democratic leaders have passed the word
around amongst them that it is the party pol
icy to have the amendment adopted, so as to
affect other States, and particularly your
: Western States, wherein the German Repub.
: lican vote is strong-their idea being, that al
" a distance the effect of its adoption will be
attributed entirely to the Republicans of Mas
Is sachusettes, and in that way it will benefit
y the Democratic party generally; while Mas
sachusetts being hopeless case for Democ
's racy, and there being few or no Germans il
a it, the Democratic party here could not b.
), practically hurt by such course, if even tn
l. double dealing of being ostensibly against, bu
.e secretly for the amendment, should be discov
W cred.
t. This assure you, is the way the Democ
r. racy are acting here on this question, and be
= tween them and the Know Nothings l expec
70 the Republicans, though united with the Iris
- portion of the Democracy, will be defeated O
I'd the 9th.
~ The amendment itself is proposition, yo
Nv are aware, that originated from frauds and pc,
Is juries annually committed in naturalizing RAJ
it Irishmen on the eve of our State elections
is is The whole thing, therefore, though wrong
" principle, your Germans should understan
be is the product merely of local feeling again!
M the Irish only! No other class would be a
ho fected by it in this State. There are few {
no Germans in Massachusetts,, as our statistic
and census prove. Thus the whole number
- Irish and Germans in Massachusetts, mir
- years ago, was:
In 1880 German Germ population. :, II
- In five years the Irish population has 4
a creased and the Germans has decreased
a follows:
ate In 1855 German population. n.......... goo
roc In 1855 Irish .......... I2, 600
N. The Germans having decreased 500 ar
the Irish increased 81 900 in thattime The
ho are, this year, in Massachusetts,, about sc, OF
Nv Irish voters and less than 800 German voter
You say, that these facts are no excuse f
ON the proposed violation by this amendment
e;r principle-of Republican principles, as la
;ch down by the National Party Convention, al
nd. adopted by the Republicans of all the State
in favor of the equality of all men.
rp True-but the real Republicans of Mass
,,s chusetts, with their presses and their leader
on are entirely guiltless in this matter. They a
ned now working to prevent its adoption: and m;
the yet succeed, and if they do not, ascribe t
result to Democratic votes cast for the amen
we ment from Democratic policy, along with
m'' Know Nothing votes which it obtains throu
.es dislike of the Irish. If we had Germans
,rh other foreigners amongst us, instead of Iris
ves there would be no doubt of the defeat of t
WIN proposition by thousands. AS it is, l fear
un shall be beaten" Yours, &C., X
Threatened Inundation of New Orleau
New Orleans papers of the 29th ult, ste
~ that at that date the river was four inch
higher than ever known before, and was 81
rising as far up as Vicksburg. In ma
-, places the water was running over the leve
while hundreds of men and carts were e1
: ployed in raising the levee at those poir
most threatened. The editor of the Cresce1
ave after passing along the levee for the VIII
=, ~, front of the city, says:
=, .no The result of our whole observation W
the that tho Fourtb u.oc tho dstr;ct most sorio,
eioC IiiO iOui III liiC uo1ii III AiOo1 oSii III
ly menaced by the overflow; the upper p;
of the First District almost as bad; the 81
ond District less menaced than either of t
GA. first named, and the Third District menac
least of all. A rise of one foot more in
N.Y. river would overrun not only three-fourths
AID. the whole city front, but the dirt-ridges n
18th being made
uc- Several very serious crevasses had {
CURED both above and below the city. CO
siderable apprehension was felt as to t
result.
ave