Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-22
QUE FOREIGN CITIZENS.

ten,iop. 5fF. Ruhfn, The former editor Of |
the Stats ,Zeifasag was The principal
speaker on Che occasion, and as was ft |
and proper, he was the chairman Of the |
committee which presented the resolu-
tons. The fact of his being The chair
man of the committee may be, to some,
presumptiye evidence that he was the
author of the resolutions. There are,
however, certain ear-msrks about them
which show conclnsiveiy that they were
the connection of s native American
brain. Ttmsy be that the political idents
ity of this author, If it can be traced
back fifteen or sixteen years viii be found
in the ranks Of Know Noihingism. We
are satisfied that he win be found fore
most among those who have since the
war favored the Acknowledgement and dis
qualification of the natives of the South,
II may be that he has been the
beneficiary of his own precepiA
and the receptacle of the drip
rings of the sanctuary which has
been erected by his own example. s97
Thus much by way of general preface.
We come now to the particular clauses in
the preamble and resolutions which claim
our attention. L E .osEg .a5-
eve deeply deplore the fact that the
daily American press of this city have not
word of disapproval, not particle of
reprimand for the spirit of prejudice so
deliberately promulgated by the honorable
gentleman"
Resolved, That we call upon the city
press to deal out even Justice to those
who are not blessed with the multitude
of this worlds goods as is the happily
situated minority 10 which Gen. Harding
belongs
Here are reflections upon the UNION
AND AMERICAS, as portion of the city
press, which we cannot permit to pass in
silence. And yet perhaps, we might re-
| ly without an additional word upon our
past record, for full expose of our sp-
probation of the manhood snd worthiness
as citszens of our foreign population. We
think We may say with becoming msdesty,
and yet with pride, that in the dark days
| of Know Nothinglsm the Union AND
AMERICAN fiosted on the political deep,
turbulent as it then was, and in that hour
of danger was regarded as the plank
which the storm beaten foreigner could
clasp with certainty and safety. We
do not wish even to have the
semblance of arrogating to ourselves any
especial excellence In the present or past,
but all of our foreign population well
know that the UNION AND AMERICAN has
ever stood in the very front rank in the
war against political prescription,
whether that prescription was aimed st
native or foreigner whether it was pro-
scription because of civil or religious dis
abilities. We are too broad and catholic
in our views TO believe that all of the
virtue, all of the intelligence, all of the
patriotism, all of the religion is confined
to any one sect or church, to any one
State or nation, to any particular latitude
| or longitude.
We have too often advocated the sd-
vantsges of immigration to occupy a
doubtful position upon that question at
this time.
For Gen. Harding as quiet unobtru-
sive, aw-abiding citizen we have q very
high regard. So far as we know, and be
is now one of the Oldest citizens of the
county, he has neither politics, in the
general accePtation of the term, nor po-
litlcsl aspirations. Although native here,
PAST his three score, and one of our
very weslthiest citizens, we do not re-
member that he ever was candidate for
Office. With large family connections
and relations, he and they have kept
sloof from politics. He has his own pc
culisr views, from many of which we
have had frequent occasion to dissent;
still this has not lessened our appreciation
of that ''manliness" and ''moral cour-
age" which the resolutions of Friday
night extol. Yet whenever Gen. Hard.
ing, or any other man, high or low, de.
nounces in general terms the immigration
from Europe IS Scum" he denounces
his own ancestry and that of every othel
native Caucasian in the United States
So far as our knowledge of the peopl,
of the South extends, it is in favor of i'm
migration; indeed the main effort of TIT
Southern people since the war has beer
to induce immigration without regard t.
nationality or religion; and the effort
the purpose of which is to create con-
trsry impression, is false in It's inception
and can but work injury, in our opinion
TO the best interests of the South, materia
and political.
The remarks of Gen. Harding, in thu
farmers Club, were reported by our city
reporter Just as the remarks of other
present on that occasion were reported
and just as is done by US in ali public
meetings. They are published in tn.
UNION AND AMERICAN as q record of pass
ing eventa without being read by the edi'
tors of the paper and certainly with nc
intention either TO endorse the one or the
other. The editorial columns alone are