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Native Americanism

Native Americanism image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
December
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Nativo American farty nací r.s ongin wilh slaveholciers, and is a part ano poini ui thegreat scheme of muinlaining ajid extend mtr slavery in íhis connl ry. A numerou3and nreetricted franchise is incompatible with fftesafe existence Of slavery in this age of t'ie worlt'. Therefore slavcliolders wish to de-Jtroy tiiia niiglity engine of powet wbich may al ony tiuie be vvielded agoinst slavery: ihey see thtxt tho same power which they have tumed to fheir use for the purpose of annexing Tex os and exlending slavery, ruay at a future ancí uot dislant period, be iised to overthrow their cKorished institution. They knovv very weü that in tfie increasing intelligence of the free States, the laboiing people can be made to undersland, that hetcho will ensluve a colortd man to-day, will ensluve an InsJtman, or a Germán, or a ivhile American to-morrow. - Henee, while they want tlaves who have no power to vote, to constitute part of the basis oi Represen talion in their own States, they want freemen prohibiled trom exercising this right in the free States. The foreign popular vote has been thrown principally for the Democratie party, and has assisted in accomplishing the object of the slaveholders 60 far as the popular vote could be made to bear upon iktxi object. It will nów be for the intereet of the slaveholders of all patiks to have the popular vote in the free statee dim'mished in order to shun the danger which they might expect to their instituten from thie 3ource, whenever the mass of voiers shall become enlightened in regard to the objects which the elaveliolders design o aecomph'sh. The preience thnt the exercise of the elee tive franchise by the foreign populaüon, and the influence of the Roman Cathoüc religión are dangerous to our free institutions, basno foundation in trutb, ana is put forth by demagogues to deceive the unthinking.lhe ttepublican (jovernment of the United States was established professedly for the purpose of maintaining the personal, poHtical, and religious liberty of the inhabitnnts: but now, sincc the nation has prospered under this gov eminent for half a cintury, and ihere is eomo probabiliiy that in a few yeors the inestimable tolessings of freeom under its protecting care will be extended to all the people of every condition, we nre told by the slaveholders of the South, xinited icith the aristocracy of the Nortk, ho.l the bare toleration of these very principies which the government was designed to protect and maintain, will undermineand destroy iteelf, and all the great and glorious institutions offreedom that have sprung up under it. That our syatem of Republican Governmenl, which we have blazoned forth to the world as a perfect model for the protection of liberty is found, after a trial of half a century, to be fit only for the use of sJaveholders and their abettors, to be used by the.Ti for the oppresslon of mankind.. They have been perniitted to keep the colored race in bondagejand not satisfied with having enslaved three raillions of these, they now wish to reduce the foreign population to a state ofserjslavery. This istbe first onset ihathag been openly and boldly mnde by a great politica! party pnon tfiö Ubertiesofa distinct clnss of white inbabitanfe, but if this should succoed W V,'jll swelv nnt hs the jast; this is but otie etep towards the accomplishment öf the rêat Bcheme of slavery: to have the laborer owned in some form or other by the capitalisl. The membergoftheNative American partr no'.v say, that Forelners are ignorant of republican institutions, ariö (herefore ought not lo vote, ihat twenty or more rears of residence are requisite to enable them to vote understandingly, and tlierefore the American people ought to shut them out from the privilege of voting for this lenglh of time. Thrs ís an insult to common sense; and is put forth to cover up the reai design which is the destruction of the of the elective franchise. If this argument be good, our Fathers of the Revolution ought to have remajned in a state of anarchy twenty years after they abolisbed their allegiance to the British Government in order to become acquainted with republican institutions. if Foreigners cannot safely be permitled to resaain in Ihis country wiih the enjoyment of lhe political franchise, it is not safe to have Ihem here at all. VVhen a man lives under a government that extends to hini, equal privileges with Iris' fellows, and protects his life, liberty and property, he bas an interest in that Government, and in the country where he 3ivee; but when he is deprived of any or all of these.his attachment to the government and country is weakened or deBtroyed, and a large class of rnen who o interest in the country in which they live cannot foil to be dangerous to the happiness of its inhabitan'8-.There have been many foreigncr6 in the country for years who have enjoyed the privileges of citizens afrer a few years residence, and ït is not susceptible of proof that the interests of the country have suffered in conse quence of the privileges they have enjoyed. - Then3will it be wise for the people of the free states to submit to tli3 dictation of elavery and deprive this class of citizens of their privileges and thereby lay the foundation for farther orgressions upon their own liberties, and transform the foreigners into natural enemies of the country?The unúcrstandings ot men cannot be enlightened oriraproved by pereccution eitherin politics or religión : iherefore it is proper to extend to all foreignera who adopt tbi9 country lor tbeir home, those privileges which wil] secure their attacriinent lo it: if they bring with ibera erroncous views of politics or religión, these may possibly be removed by friendly intercouse, friendly iustruction and frienoly remonstrance, but never by persecution. The Nntive Americnns will doubtlefe try to fan into uuquonchablc fl.-.mts -he prejudices thntolready exist to some extent, insomesections of the country, between Roman Catholica and Pru-cstants, with the hope of dividing and distracting the Liberty party: liut Liberty mr üiild remember that they, os members of the liiberty party, have but one object to accomplish, and that it is propr for Liberty raen nnd the Liberty party to oppoee Native AmerieonJern beoause k h one of lite íneansoriginurcd by the Slavc Power for the purpose of ite ovn nteesls by weakering the politie! frnnchi.se of the North. - Tiie bond of Union among liberty men 6honld be opposiüon to slavery in ail its attempts to encronch pon the iiberties of the people of tbis nation, whether it be by the extensión of Black slnveiy at the South, or the establish ment of White serfdoin at the North. Under liiis boud, let all lovers of liberty of every nation and tongue. unite, each determinad to bring in no disturbing question, and all work togelher until slavery ahall have rcce'rcd its deatb blow, and liberty i-hall rcign triurnphant.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News