Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-10
IMMIGRATION.
A Tennessee Speech-Remar ks of
Col. Clay Roberts, of Nashville.


A Tennessee Spcech-Remar ks OF
Col. Clay Roberts, of Nashville.
Upon the proposition in the Indianap-
oils immigration Convention to establish
National Immigration Bureau, Col.
Gay Roberts, of Nashville, spoke in sub.
stance as follows: 49,
The delegation from the States of Ten
nessee, Mississippi and Arkausas, which
l believe are the only Southern
States represented in this convention.
have now sat here quietly for two days
ana have not occupied one moment of the
time OF tbs convention. When we clme
here we agreed that SO long as the inter
est OF our particular section of the eoun-
try was not placed in danger, that we
would say nothing for ourselves, but that
we would willingly join hand in hand
with the balance of the convention in the
support of any measure that we might
consider was for the good, the welfare
and the prosperity of the whole coun-
try.
We still say so long as We can be of
any advantage TO our common country,
irrespective of particular localities, that
we are for any measures, no matter how
expensive in pecuniary point of view
they may be TO our respective States, and
that we will advance the interest, the
prosperity, the growth, the happiness,
and the general good of the whole country,
even to the extent of slight damage to
ourselves.
But now, sir, comes up q proposition,
the consideration of which makes US feel
that we would be unworthy the name of
''SOutherners, and that we would be I'M
worthy the confidence reposed in US by
the powers that appointed US as delegates
to this convention, did we fail to come
forward to the assistance of the State of
New York, and other States here repre-.
sented, in defeating that portion of the
resolution which provides for recommend
ing to the Congress of the United States
a law establishing an immigration bureau,
to be governed and controlled by officers
of the United States government.
know, sir, that hailing from the coun-
try from which my commission as dele
gate to this convention is dated, that it
may be supposed that we are fearful of
our Estates rights" and that we hold
State authority IS paramount TO all other;
bG', sir, permit me 10 say to you that so
far as | am concerned, and so far as my
associate delegates are concerned, we are
not nor never were what in common par
lance is called Estates rights msn," so far
as the particular significance of that term
is concerned. We are human, sir, to the
'manner boIn,n we here cherish, honor,
and desire TO protect cur particular sec
ton of the country, at least SO long as it
DOES not damage The interest of the coun-
try at large. If the resolutions, as pre-
scented by the committee, are adopted, SO
far as they relate to the recommendation
to Congress to establish an immigration
Bureau, and Congress, acting upon our
resolution establishing such bureau does
establish it. then we are inevitably lost
But II may be asked by some gentleman
who is an advocate of this measure,
why would it dsmage the Southern
and Southwestern States mure than it
does the other States of the Union9 The
question IS easily answered, In the South
our houses have been burned, our fences
have been destroyed, nearly one-half of
our properly has been taken from US, and
We stand before the world an impover-
ished people. Our railroads were run
during the late war by tie United States
Government, and at It's close turned over
to the stockholders worn and in debt.
And to-day there is not a railroad in the
State Of Tennessee, with, perhaps, two
exceptions, that can even pay the interest
on the debt they owe the State, and they
are, at this very moment, advertised for
sale. How is it., sir, with the roads in the
Northwest? Thousands upon thousands
of dollars have been giVed them by the
United States Government, and we to- day.,
in the South, as poor as we are, are help
ing 20 pay the expenses of the General
Government 10 keep up these roads. The
consequence is, they are rich and flour
ishing. They have arrangements with
wealthy land agencies in the West to
work in. concert with them.
Let CJngrCss pass a bill establish
ing an immigration bureau; let
the officers be appointed under the acf,
and in sixty days the whole board vii
be more u less under the influence of
those Northwestern railroads and land
agencies, and the Southern States will
have to advertise for him if they procure
even one ITishman to settle in their midst
This, sir, is the sectional view l take of
the case and now let US examine into
its national advantage. Suppose, sir, an
immigration bureau is established by the
Congress Of the United States. Does any
reasonable man pretend TO say that The Of
ticer Of that bureau, when appointed by
the President, no matter who he may be,
will not be governed by the political
party to which they belong. and the
whole affair in a short time will be con-
Quoted by political tTicksters There is
another objection to this measure, and
that is the expense to the Government of
the United States. Establish this bureau,
as recommended in the resolutions, and in
twelve months it will take the State of Ne
braska to pay for the wood to build it, the
State of Oregon 10 paint it, the State of
Kansas to vanrish it, and I VERY much fesr
you will want the State of Tennessee to
pay for knobs to 60 on it. With this
view of the case, Mr.. President, l move
to strike out that portion of the resolutions
which provide for the appointment of a
national immigration bureau.
He declared it as mis- opinion that the
bureau of immigration would be good
deal like the operations of bureau we
have recently had ia the South-a Freed
mems Bureau, which brought amongst Us
q horde of Office holders from the very
lowest depths Of all the Northern States.
The law itself was good; the negro should
have some protection thrown around
him, but when in the hands of politicians
it became q mscbine for mischief. He
concluded 10y moving that the resolution
providing for bureau of immigration be
stricken from the report.
4 ROMANTIC HISTORY.