Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-08-29
Woodward and the Foreigners,

sue, chopped in it's next issue to be able to
do justice to both the platform and can
didates of the Democratic party" When
the second number appeared we were sor-
ry to learn that "the review of TIE DEM
ocratic State Convention, its candidates
and PLATFORM" had been unavoidably post
poned. We were anxious to know what
the editors pecu lar sense of justice would
prompt him to say. The long expected
article appeared in last weeks issue, and
as fair sample of this desperate attempt
at justice, we quote from it the following
exploded libel upon Judge Woodward,
which, after being successfully refuted on
several previous occasions, has been again
trumpcd up by the Repository, for use dur
ing the present campaign. Its charge
against Judge Woodward is in the follow
ing language
"Judge Woodward is a man of conce-
ded ability, and as subtle and dangerous
as he is able. His official career COM
menced By his election as Delegate to the
Constitutional Convention in 1887, in
which body he was one of the youngest
members. He took considerable part in
the able debates which characterized its
proceedings, and made his mark especially
in his earnest efforts to disf-anchise all for-
cigners iu Pennsylvania. He made one
OF his ablest speeches in favor of incorpo-
raling the denial of suffrage to foreigners
with our organic law, but he failed,-so
that the Irish and Germans who vote for
him in October, can do so with the salts
!, factory assurance that if Woodward had
succeeded in his efforts to amend our Con-
stitution, they would now be without even
, the right to vote at ALL"
1t appears from the published proceed
ings of the "Reform Convention" which
assembled at Harrisburg, in May, 1887,
that Mr.. Woodward, then young man of
!, twenty-eight, was delegate to that Con-
vention from Wayne county. In the
, course of the deliberations OF that body,
: a resolution was introduced by Mr.. Thorn.
as and seconded by Mr.. Konigmacher
', both WHIa delegates, directing "that q
committee be appointed to enquire into the
expediency of so amending the Constitu.
4 ton of Pennsylvania, as to prohibit the
future immigration into this State of for.
eigners, free persons of color, and fugitive
slaves, from other States or Territories. ;!
This resolution was sustained by large
$ number of Wings in the Convention, and
probably would have passed, had not Mr.
Woodward, with view, as he himself has
I since stated, to bring out the true eharac.
1 ter of the measure, and at the same time
defeat it if possible, proposed an amend
ment, which compelled the withdrawal ot
: the original motion, and thus saved thc
foreigners from disfranchisement by theil
pretended friends, the Wings. The re.
marks imputed to Mr.. Woodward, in sup.
port of his amendment, were not taker
down by the regular secretaries of the
Convention, who recorded the facts VIZ
have just given but by a stenographer
who gave him no opportunity for their re
vision, but incorporated them, garblec
=. and perverted, into the published de.
. bates" His true position on this question
may be learned from his reply to Mr.
i Earl, in this same Convention, on the lOtl
T of the ensuing January, when he made
: use of these words
81 never did propose to exclude the for
, elgners now in the country, from politi
y cal privileges nor those who should a
> any time hereafter come to the country
n Is My amendment was to a PROPOSE
ton made by the gentleman from Chester
Mr.. Thomas,) suggesting an inquiry int
y the expediency of excluding forei gners al
t together from our soil, and the amount @
It it was, to give the proposed inquiry dit
n fercnt direction from that proposed by th
gentleman from Chester"
4 And it may still further be gathore
: from the following letter written by hir
h to the Wayne County Herald, in 1851, ii
. which he said
$ 81 am not going to profess any new
+, born zeal for foreigners nor to fatter thei
= passions or prejudices. am going to trea
IS them as | have always treated them--a
D American Citizens, entitled to equal right
J. with myself, but no more entitled to max
e war on me for sentiments imputed to IN
by political opponents, and on accord
ing to which l have never acted, than
e have to make war on them, 1 am no Ma
e tive American, and / never was, either i
sentiment or action. have no hostilit
to foreigners, and never had. They an
I have always lived in peace. I hav
!. many warm friends amongst them whor
i I value above all price, and no intriguin
" politicians or unscrupulous editors are t
J. be permitted to array US in hostile att
7, tude"
$ Again, in 1916, Judge Woodward We