http://www.hsp.org/files/muirletter.pdfThe Nativist Press, 1854
THE KNOW-NOTHING: AND AMERICAN CRUSADER
15 July 1854
AMERICAN PLATFORMS
1.—Repeal of all Naturalization Laws.
2.—None but NATIVE AMERICANS for Office.
3.—A pure American Common School System.
4.—War to the hilt, on Romanism.
5.—Opposition, first and last, to the formation of Military Companies
composed of foreigners.
6.—The advocacy of a sound, healthy, and safe Nationality.
7.—Hostility to all Papal Influences, in whatever form, and under
whatever name.
8.—American Institutions and American Sentiments.
9.—More stringent and effective Emigration Laws.
10.—The amplest Protection to Protestant Interests.
11.—The doctrines of the revered WASHINGTON and his compatriots.
12.—The sending back of all Foreign Paupers landed on our shores.
13.—The formation of Societies to protect all American Interests.
14.—Eternal enmity to all who attempts to carry out the principles of a
foreign Church or State.
15.—Our Country, our whole Country, and nothing but our country.
16.—And finally,—American Laws and American Legislation, and Death
to all Foreign Influences, whether in high places or low!
Naturalization Laws
This is our point: ENTIRE AND UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL.
Nothing short of this must be advocated or listened to by Native
Americans. Half and half doctrines are fatal. Milk-and-water
compromises will never do. We must plant ourselves on solid,
massive, immovable ground. 'REPEAL' must be written in gigantic
letters on all our banners. It is what we owe to our country to do.
There is no dodging the issue. The Naturalization Laws must be
repealed.
Some one—some man who lacks patriotism, nationality, and all that is
great and good as an American—asks, perhaps, why? We answer,
Exploring Diversity in Pennsylvania History
www.hsp.org 1st. Because we cannot preserve our nationality without it. When the
hordes of other lands are permitted to come here, as is the case daily;
when ignorance, poverty, crime is allowed to land upon our shores and
be transformed, hardly without ceremony, and with no time to learn
the nature of our institutions, into what is called the 'American'
citizens—when these things are done, it is time that good men lifted
their arms and sounded their voices against the abomination.
2nd. Because it is unjust to the Republic. No man has a right to
perform an act of injustice to a nation. We care not whether the
offense is defined in a written law, or not. There is a right and a
wrong in this as in other matters. Every man of intelligence must
understand it. Making citizens of such stuff as too often seeks our
land is an injustice, the grossness of which can hardly be described. It
should no longer be tolerated. The laws which permit the crime should
at once be abolished.
3rd. Because it is every day weakening the strength, and destroying
the character of the country. America can only be America by keeping
it American. Its halls of legislation must reflect American sentiment,
uttered by American tongues. There is no avoiding this position.
Americans must fill our offices, great and small. To do this we must
cut off all change of foreigners getting such. How? By repealing
Naturalization Laws—by saying to foreigners, 'Gentlemen, you are
welcome to live in our country if you conduct yourself in a worthy
manner, but you must have no offices. This is our land. We own it.
We mean to take care of it. If you don't like things as you find them,
you can leave. We only demand in this country what we should expect
in yours.'
4th. Because these laws have already produced an immense amount
of evil, political, social, moral and religious. Had we never had
Naturalization laws—and no country should ever have them—our
country would have possessed a hundred-fold the strength, efficiency,
political pursuits and symmetrical stature it now does. It has been the
deadliest, most sad and ruinous course that has ever afflicted the
nation. It has opened the flood-gates of poison, and through its
moral and political St. Lawrences, Aroostooks, Potomacs, Ohios,
Mississippis and Rio Grandes is spreading disease and death in every
direction. Never, never can this be stopped—never can the nation
become healthy and strong—until the means which permits this
greatest and most gigantic of misfortunes is done away with. The
stream at the fountain must be made pure, or the branches will run
pollution.
Exploring Diversity in Pennsylvania History
www.hsp.org 5th. Because it is an immense wrong to have such laws. Even
allowing that the tide of emigration to this country was made up
mostly of intelligent, decent, patriotic men and women, the case would
not be changed. To grant such full citizenship—to clothe them with
the full power of the American—would be a gross wrong, a violation of
all common sense and common justice. How much more is the case
when ignorance, crime, poverty, all manner of baseness—when
traitors, ruffians, moral, political, civil murderers—are granted this
same citizenship, which is done by the fifties and hundreds every day
in this city of Boston, and in almost every part of the land. The first
path that is trodden from the ship's deck is often to the office where
this legalized crime, in the shape of Naturalization, is performed. Do
any wonder why Americans desire these enormities to be abolished?
Do any wonder why a just patriotism and a lofty principle execrates
the monsters who are engaged in this crime?
6th. Because we are false to the Republic if we fail to effect this
repeal. We must either go for it, and be on the side of the Republic, or
go against it and oppose the Republic. The point is clear as sunlight.
No man can sustain the present Naturalization laws and be a friend of
the Republic. It is an impossible thing. It is only by still more
Americanizing America—Americanizing its sentiment, institutions,
genius, native masses—that our mission and destiny can be achieved.
Depend upon it that the initial step to this is a THOROUGH,
UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL OF ALL NATURALIZATION LAWS.
