WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1855
151
In my boyish days, before manhood had hardened my thews and muscles, I received balls and arrows in this body, in defense of suffering humanity, particularly women and children, against the Indians; a~d I aided in claiming the brightest spot of the South-Alabama. When I remember that, in those early days; I assisted in rescuing females and children from the relentless tomahawk and scalping-knife, it seems to me that the charge that I have stooped to court favor by the expression of my senti- ments on this question, is one which falls harmless at my feet. I hardly know what to think of the gentlem!l.n's remarks as to my catering for the presidency. I hardly know what to say! about the extraneous subjects which he has introduced. I sup- pose the shortest way of naming what he intended to allude to is by the term "Know-Nothing." Now, of the Know-Nothings I know nothing [laughter]; and of them I care nothing. But if the principles which I see charged to them in many instances are the principles which they seek to carry out, I can say to gentlemen that I concur in many of them. If their object is to resist the encroachments of one religion or sect upon another, I am with them. I say, resist all such encroachments, and leave all religion uncontaminated by the perversion of power that might accidentally result in proscription and the inquisition. "I'll none of it" ; I am opposed to and would prevent such a result. I admit that we are all descended from foreigners, because, originally, there were no natives here who were white men. Many of those foreigners who originally came here were baptised in the blood of the Revolution; but they were not such men as are now coming to our shores, and should not be named in con- nection with those who are spewed loathingly from the prisons of England, and from the pauper houses of Europe. Such men are not to be compared to our ancestry, or to the immigration which, until recently, has come to our shores from foreign coun- tries. If the object of those to whom the Senator from Iowa has referred, be to prevent men of infamous character and pau- pers from coming here, I agree with them. I would say, establish a law requiring every person from abroad, before being received here, to bring an indorsement from one of our consuls abroad, and produce evidence of good character from the place where he emigrates, so that, when he comes here, we may receive him into full communion with all the rights guaranteed to him by the laws which may exist at the time of his immigration. But, sir, to say that a felon, who left his prison the day he sailed for this
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