The Writings of Sam Houston, Volume VI

197

WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1855

the American order was the proscription of Catholics and for- eigners. This I deny! The threats and denunciations came from Catholic journals, which gave the alarm to Protestants and Americans. The design of the American order is not to put down the Catholics, but to prevent Catholics putting down Protestants. The members of the order would not, nor do they intend to inter- fere with the Catholic religion or their mode of worship; but at the same time we are not willing to place power in the hands of those who acknowledge, or owe temporal allegiance to any foreign prince, king, or potentate. Again it is said the prin- ciples of the American order proscribe foreigners and are in- tended to extend the period of naturalization. I do not regard this principle as proscriptive. I understand that foreigners are to be protected in the enjoyment of all their civil rights and of exercising whatever religious opinions, or mode of worship, they may prefer. No one wishes to abridge those privileges. The possession and exercise of political rights are distinct mat- ters. Females and minors possess and enjoy civil rights, yet they are not capable of exercising the political right of suffrage. This is a constitutional right; to those who are not natives it is a matter of grace and favor of the Congress and of the constitu- tion. Congress has the power to invest foreigners with the right upon such conditions as may be thought proper and expedient for the well being of the republic. The teachers of the modern school, who claim to be the only Democrats or patriots in the country, admit "that some modifi- cation of the naturalization laws might be well enough." They take care not to say how far they are willing to go. Are they willing to extend the period of probation to twenty-one years? If they are not, I am. If such laws were passed they could not effect those who are already naturalized, and who enjoy the full benefits of our institutions. Nor would it prejudice the claims of those who might have reached the American soil at the time of the passage, or going into operation of such laws. Such a measure, I should think, ought to be hailed by naturalized for- eigners, and those whose claims to naturalization have com- menced, with as much joy as if they were native Americans. If not on their own account, they should at least hail it on account of their children. The foreigners who have been naturalized in our country are generally of a class who would feel it a poor compliment paid them to place convicts and paupers on a footing

Powered by