If I did argue. as I did. from the acknowledged right. as I think it is now admitted even by the Senator from Massachusetts. of the Government of the United States to fix a period for the naturalization of foreigners. I deduce from that the right of the United States to fix that period at ten thousand years if the United States think it is well for the people of the United States to do that thing. and I say also that under the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. which I still believe in. it is withiu the competence of Congress. as it has exercised italhvays to decide upon receiving into this country as one of its people anybody. to require a te8t of opinion. as extreme as that may be. because the first naturalization law and the last naturalization law all the time requires that a candidate for admission into the body of the people of this country shall have certain opinions that that law dultcs. These opinions are required to be. very wisely I tiink. republican. that they shall believe in republican government as against the domination of emperors and kings. Where do we get the right to tesWt the admission of anybody into this country on the ground of ]tis opinions? Wo got it if. we get it at alland I am quito clear that we have iton the fundamental principle I have endeavored so often to state. and which my friend from Massachusetts. I do not understand except by the course of his argument plainly to deny. that it is the right of every government if it be a government to determine what persons shall come into it from outside of it and be a part of it. If we have not that right. then we have not anyrightto make a naturalization law at all. then the moment any foreigner. be he good or bad. be he a saint or a sinner. sets his foot upon the shores of this American Republic he has the sanie rights iu every respect that the Senator from Massachusetts and I have. I deny the proposition. All civilized laws everywhere in the whole course of history have denied i t because they have recognized that it was essential to the existence of a government. if you had any government at all. that that government like a family or a partnership must receive into it only those persons whom it was willing to receive.
Keywords matched
naturalization