Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-07-02
American Citizenship.

enee approaches and crowns popular
government with a century's success, n
few thoughts on American citizenship
will not be inappropriate.
The establishment Unpopular govern
ment in America was not the result of
local causes. The attempt to tax with
out representation and the spirit of
resistance manifest in the tea riot and
other disturbances, were incidents that
contributed to the revolution. But the
actual cause.-the one which actually
brought about the revolution and con-
trolled its mighty impulses, was much
greater, broader and deeper one than a
mere selfish motive.
The teachings of the philosophers of
Greece, of Socrates and Plato, had been
resurrected by Sidney, Lock, Milton
and other moral heroes of fthe Common
wealth under Cromwell; and there eX-
listed an historical necessity for just
such government as the government
of the United States. And here, i'm this
newly discovered world, where there
were no old dynasties, no long line of
royalty-no established form ofgovern-
ment, was the natural place to form a
system upon the principle formulated
by Jefferson: Governments derive
their just powers from the consent of
the governed"
For the recognition of this broad and
just principle of government the revo-
luton wasinstituted; and, through years
of hardships and deprivations, was con-
Quoted to successful termination, and
"a government of the people, for the
people and by the people" became a
reality. The theory of Filmer-that
governments existed by sort of divine
suffrage and that Kings and rulers ex-
ercised authority by the right of in
heritance and not by the consent of the
governed-was exploded, and n govern
ment was established upon the theory
that public officers are public servants,
deriving their power from and RESPONSE
BILE to the people-and it became sue
cess.
But the true power and greatness of
the American people is not found alone
in this peculiar and popular feature of
its government. Another element-the
homogeneity of its people, its citizen
ship, forms distinction characteristic
of its greatness. Our national motto
"E piup16us num," has much great
er Specification than a mere motto
stamped on the eagle and the dollar.
1t means not merely one State from
many States, but one nation from all
the nations of the earth-one great
American people from all the people of
the world-a home for the free in heart
from every cline. Here we have not
only new nation but a new people,
formed from every other people, and
deriving new energy, new blood, new
life from its very admixture. Not only
those born upon the soil, but those from
every other country, by the simple pro-
cess of naturalization, become equally
American citizens, entitled to all the
privileges and immunities of those to
the ''manor born"
This process of translation, of re-
generation, is so simple that it is fire.
quently not fully understood nor appre-
ciated. By the simple form of naturaliza-
ton the Irishman, the Englishman, the
German, the Frerchman, and all others,
sever their connection from theirparent
government and become american
citizens. For the general welfare of our
country, this fact can not be too deeply
impressed upon all. Prejudice against
as well as preferences for nationalities
should cease, and all energies be direct
ed to the new order of things-to the
good of the new, the adopted country.
No person becomes better or worse by
reason of his birth place, but should,
and must, stand upon his own individu-
ality, his merit, his manhood; and the
person who, in this country will en-
deavor to create annimosities or to court
favor by an appeal to national prejudices
or the creation of factions Of former
nationalities, is no good American citi-
zen, and in the very logic of events will
only work his own ruin. That we have
bad naturalized citizens no one will dis
pute; that we have equally bad native
born ones is equally true. That the
majority ofboth are good and have the
common welfare at heart all will ad-
nit. Birth place does not make the
man. Manhood is the criterion OF
merit and worth the true test of Ameri-
can citizenship. A truly good and great
man belongs to no nation and no age
he belongs to the universe and to all
time.
For the Benefit of Wool Growers.
Secretary Manning has discovered
several abuseS in the impOrtatiOn of raw