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No. V.
The great mass of Emigrants necessarily under the control of Catholic priests.--Mr. Jefferson's warning against the dangers of Foreign Emigration.--The evils he predicted now occurring.--O'Connell interfering in the American Slavery question.
I HAVE shown what are the Foreign materials imported into the country, with which the Jesuits can work to accomplish their designs. Let us examine this point a little more minutely. These materials are the varieties of Foreigners of the same Creed, the Roman Catholic, over all whom the Bishops or Vicars General hold, as a matter of course, ecclesiastical rule; and we well know what is the nature of Roman Catholic ecclesiastical rule,--it is the double refined spirit of despotism, which, after arrogating to itself the prerogatives of Deity, and so claiming to bind or loose the soul eternally, makes it, in the comparison, but a mere trifle to exercise absolute sway in all that relates to the body. The notorious ignorance in which the great mass of these emigrants have been all their lives sunk, until their minds are dead, makes them but senseless machines; they obey orders mechanically, for it is the habit of their education, in the despotic countries of their birth. And can it be for a moment supposed by any one that by the act of coming to this country, and being naturalized, their darkened intellects can suddenly be illuminated to discern the nice boundary where their ecclesiastical obedience to their priests ends, and their civil independence of them begins? The very supposition is absurd. They obey their priests as demigods, from the habit of their whole lives; they have been taught from infancy that their priests are infallible in the greatest matters, and can they, by mere importation to this country, be suddenly imbued with the knowledge that in teh civil matters their priests may err, and that they are not in these also their infallible guides? Who will teach them this? Will their priests? Let common sense answer this question. Must not the priests, as a matter almost of certainty, control the opinions of their ignorant flock in civil as well as religious matters? and do they not do it?Mr. Jefferson, with that deep sagacity and foresight which distinguished him as a politician, foresaw, predicted, and issued his warning, on the great danger to the country of this introduction of foreigners. He doubted its policy, even when the advantages seemed to be greatest. He says, "The present desire of America, (in 1781,) is to produce rapid populatin by as great importations of foreigners as possible. But is this founded in policy?" * * * "Are there no inconveniences to be thrown into the scale against the advantage expected from a multiplication of numbers by the importation of foreigners? It is for eh happiness of those united in society to harmonize as much as possible in matter which they must ofnecessity transact together.
"Civil government being the sole object of forming societies, its administration must be conducted by common consent. Every species of government has its specific principles. Ours, perhaps, are more peculiar than those of any other in the universe. It is a composition of the freest principles of the English constitution, with others derived from natural right, and natural reason. To these nothing can be more opposed than the maxims of absolute monarchies. Yet, from such, we are to expect the greatest number of emigrants. They will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed int heir early youth; or, if able to throw them off, it will be in exchange for and unbounded licentiousness, passing, as is usual, from one extreme to another. It would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the point of temperate liberty. These principles, with their language, they will transmit to the children. In proportion to their numbers, they will share with us the legislation. They will infuse into it their spirit, warp and bias its directions, and render it a heterogeneous, incoherent, distracted mass."
"I may appeal to experience, for a verification of these conjectures. But if they be not certain in event, are they not possible, are they not probable? Is it not safer to wait with patience--for the attainment of any degree of population desired or expected? May not our government be more homgeneous, more peaceable, more durable?" He askes what would be the condition of France if 20 millions of Americans were suddenly imported into that kingdom? and adds--"If it would be more turbulent, less happy, less strong, we may believe that the addition of half a million of foreigners would produce a similar effect here."
So long an extract in point from Mr. Jefferson, needs no apology. The fears of that great statesman were prophetic, and we of these days are experiencing the fruits partly of our own folly, partly of Foreign Conspiracy taking advantage of this folly.
What was dimly seen by the prophetic eye of Jefferson, is actually passing under our own eyes. Already have foreigners increased in the country to such a degree, that they justly give us alarm. They feel themselves so strong, as to organize themselves even as foreigners into foreign bands, and this for the purpose of influencing our elections. But a bolder step has been hazarded within a few weeks. A portion of foreigners have had the audacity to attempt the formation of themselves into a separate MILITARY CORPS, and at this moment to take the name of a foreigner who, whatever qualities he may possess to make him admired in his own country and among his own religious sect, has very few points, if any, in common with Americans, and has lately denounced a vengeance on this whole nation, to which Americans when they are inclined to cry peace to themselves, would do well to turn their thoughts, especially when they connect the facts, that he who has denounced the South especially, and thrown a firebrand into the Slavery question, is the great Agitator, so called, that he is an Irishman and a Roman Catholic, that the great mass of the foreigners in this country of the same sect are from Ireland. That they are men who having professed to become Americans, by accepting our terms of naturalization, do yet, in direct contradiction to the their professions, clan together as a separate interest, and retain their foreign appellation [Our note: this happens today. It is as if many remain foreigners and band together for their interests]; that it is with such a separate foreign interest, organizing in the midst of us, that Jesuits in the pay of foreign powers are tampering; that it is this foreign corps of religionists that Americans of both parties have been for years in the habit of basely and traitorously encouraging to erect into an umpire of our political divisions, thus virtually surrendering the government into the hands of Despotic powers. In view of these facts, which every day's experience proves to be facts, is it not time, high time, that a true American spirit were roused to resist this alarming inroad of foreign influence upon our institutions, to aver dangers to which we hav hitherto shut our eyes, and which if not remedied, and that immediately, will inevitably change the whole character of our government. I repeat which I first said, this is no party question, it concerns native Americans of all parties.
Our Notes and Table of Contents for
"Imminent Dangers to the Free Institutions of the United States
through Foreign Immigrations, and the Present State of the Naturalization Laws,
by Samuel Finley Breese Morse, 1835
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