Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-29
IMMIGRATION AND IT'S Eff
+ Ae E8s FEOTS.

GEN. Harding Replies TO His Assail-
ants-A Vigorous Defense of HIS
POsition-His Views Tersely Stated
To the Editors of the Union and American:
Many friends advise me to let this SUBJ
ject drop and run no farther against the
popular current. But remember an ex-
cellent motto promulgated by that odd
but worthy man, Davy Crockett; when
dying he said "I leave this motto for
other men when / am dead. Be sure you
are right, then go ahead" do not pro-
TESS more of acumen or foresight than
Others, but honestly entertain opinions
upon subject, engaging, at present.
much of the public mind, directly in
opposition to the views generally enter
tanned. claim the right TO express them
and throw them out to the public for
what they are worth. I earnestly desire
that they be considered and closely scru-
tinized by all classes of the community,
both foreign and native. This question
4mmigration) is an extensive subject and
like all others of magnitude, has two
sides which hope to show before / am
done Twill deal fairly with it and en-
deavor to show in my crude way, its ad-
vsntsges and disadvantages, its blessings
and discomforts, who are to be its bene-
ficiaries and who will be the sufferers.
To present come of the strongest points
usually claimed by its advocates. gas
l. 1t will make our nation strong.
Now, my friends, l ask whether you
have a personal interest in strengthening
this great American nation, already strong
enough to protect itself against the en-
croachments of the greatest powers, or
all the powers of Europe2
Q. 1t will enrich this great nation by
increasing its revenues and fill its treasury
with untold wealth. Let me ask how
are you to obtain q personal benefit by
increase of government revenue unless
you are so fortunate as to get your fingers
into the public crib2 Do you expect your
taxes to be decreased by enriching the
treasury national or StateO Let me as
sure you, paradOxical as it may appear,
the reverse is true. Increase of national
wealth, believe, universally Increases
national taxes; the older and more popu-
lous country, the greater the burdens of
taxation. If increase of national wealth
has the effect of decreasing taxes, then
the citizens of the old and wealthy gov
ernments of Europe should not feel, as
they do now, the burdens of taxation.
Then, if l am right, you have no per-
sonal interest in this matter.
8. immigration will help 10 occupy
and cultivate our wild and unoccupied
lands, greatly beautify our country, and
thereby add to the pleasure and interest
of the passing traveller; but, my friends,
let me ask again, how is all this to con-
tribute to the individual interest (1nan-
cially) of those who have no lands 1t
will certainly add to the value of the
difficulty of you and your descendants to
possess it.
4. 1t will make the rich man Kicker
by enhancing the value of his houses and
lands. Among all the classes of society,
if the landholder consuls his own indi-
vidual interest, he will be the strongest
and loudest advocate for foreign immi-
grafton, for he will be most assuredly the
greatest beneficiary financially The
true prosperity of governments can not
be measured by its wealth or its power,
but by the prosperity, comfort and moral
condition of its citizens. Now, my for
eign friends, let me ask, do you not num-
Der among your foreign friends some of
these lordly arlstocra.s who can boast of
their acres by the thousands, and herds
without number. II so, you will find
tbor,, the ardapf a1uOootas Of ir,,y,ioro
ton societies and aiding them with their
ample means, thereby adding to the value
of their vast possessions as well as to
their flocks and herds. These wealthy
gentlemen, like yourselves, have left their
native land, the graves of their ancestors,
their homes with all its dear surroundings,
to cast their lot and that of their descend
ants with the citizens of the United States.
All classes and conditions have csme to
our shores for ike object. The rich
to grow richer-the artisan hoping to find
greater demand for his skill-the laborer
more remunerative reward for his labor,
hoping thereby to procure a home for
himself and family. Now my friends,
Foreign and native have l not fairly
presented the strong points of your side
of this great national question. Do ask
too much when l request you for the
moment to lay aside your prejudices I'M
duly excited, perhaps, by recent occur
rences, and examine fairly and critically
the other sidel l have said that the tend
ency of the increase of population is to
make the rich richer; therefore the srgu-
ments which l shall advance are not
addressed TO that class, but to
all other men, foreign and native,
who live by the sweat of the brow,
l include all those, also, who live by their
wits. The policy of the government
should not be directed to advance the par
ticular interests of the wealthy-they, al
ready, possess az abundance of the
worlds goods and do not need help-but
to assist the poor and needy. Now, my
foreign friends, you know much better
than l, thst a great and powerful govern
ment, with its millions of treasure and
of population did not supply your wants.
Aye population, this great blessing
from which many imagine all human
comfort, prosperity and happiness is to
flow, is the very thing from which you
fed. True it has enriched your country;
it felled the forest, it cut up the posses
sions of lordly landlords Ito their pecu-
mary gain,) besutified the land and
built magnificent cities; but, my friends,
did all tits wealth and beauty supply
your daily needs If so, you. have not
acted wisely to leave your native land to
cast your destiny in this sparsely popula-
ted country. have sometimes thought
my native friends, many of whom are the
warm advocates of immigration, ought to
meet that human current that is
daily flowing from the old world, and tell
them of their mistake-teach them the
blessings of dense population and the
curse of a spare one. Tell them we in
America are too thin to thrive, and thus
turn them back to enjoy the blessings of
the dense population from which they are
fleeing, and that they themselves might
sooner reach the object of their hopes by
going with them. 1 fear they would fail
in their mission of love. Perhaps the
emigrants would reply: "We have expe-
rimentsl knowledge of all those blessings
of which you speak. We found our
country too thick to thrive. Every ave-
nue to wealth is closed to US every place
of honor and profit is already occupied,
and legions of disappointed applicants are
waiting in the hope that something may
turn up; and even we, who live by the
energetic application of our own strong
r r