instances, and the power to appoint ad interim in
many of the most important
To do this usefully, he should know well the
character of those who are to be selected. A
fitness for some of these high offices, is not to be
evidenced but by a course of life and conduct
passing over many years. The very language of
our Constitution, pays respects to this principle,
by requiring a given age as a qualification. The
man who has passed his life amongst us, knows
the character, and has observed the course of
life, of his prominent fellow citizens.
Has the foreigner the same advantage? Can
the man who is here but since yesterday, be pos-
sibly able to exercise an equally sound judgment,
inselecting persons for office? Is the State as
likely to be well served in the various depart-
ments, which his appointees are to fill?
It must be obvious, that in executing such a
trust, he must either act without sufficient infor-
mation, or he must be the locum tenens for some
party favorite, whose opinions govern the Go-
vernor.
If,, however, these arguments were not conclu-
sive, he had one more question to propound.
Why, if no distinction should be made—
why require any residence at all ? Why not ad-
mit the foreigner to hold office just so soon as he
is a naturalized citizen? The argument is aban-
doned, and the whole principle surrendered, by
ashort time. as effectually by a longer time. We
have natives enough, and are likely always to
have enough, to preside over us; let us not inti-
mate a fear, or a doubt, of their ability to fulfil
this high trust, without calling in the aid of
foreigners.
Mr. SPENCER said, the section, if amended, as
proposed, would discriminate between foreigners
and the native-born In order to prevent this,
he would submit a modification, which would ef-
fect all that the committee had in view. Whilst
it required a proper residence, it made no dis-
crimination between the classes of citizens. It
put all on the same footing.
Mr. DORSEY stated that he did not regard the al-
lusion of the gentleman from Kent as having reference
to him. He believed himself discharging
his duties as independently of all views to popu-
larity as any member in this Convention. He
certainly desired to retain and deserve the good
opinion of his fellow citizens. But he would
never swerve from that course pointed out by a
sense of duty, to win popular favor. It was said
that this proposition is an invitation to foreigners
to occupy the gubernatorial chair of the State
He did not so regard it. But suppose it were so to
be regarded. That invitation assumes as a condition
precedent to its acceptance, that the accepted
must be eminently distinguished for his patriot-
ism, intellectual acquirements and many other
virtues which should adorn the station. He had
not the slightest objection to extend the same invitation
to every qualified citizen of the State
whether native-born or naturalised.
He referred to the old constitution of 1776, to
show that in the choice of Governor, there was
no express requisition of citizenship—it contained
no restriction of this kind. The foreigner is |
there placed on an equality with the native.
And no inconvenience has heretofore ever result-
ed from that equality. We have never had a
foreigner in the gubernatorial chair. But if, at
any time hereafter, some eminently qualified for-
eigner should reside among us, who, in a time of
war, should save our State from conquest and
desolation, rendering it services above all price,
by successfully leading the sons of Maryland in
the field of battle, and who should be as pure and
patriotic as Lafayette, and he residing five years
among us after being naturalised, and being emi-
nently possessed of every valuable and intellectu-
al acquirement, beloved and trusted by the peo-
ple, were proposed by them as a candidate for
Governor, would you shut the doors of office
against him ? He would impose no such restric-
tion when no danger would result from its non-
existence—no benefit follow its imposition. He
would leave the people to elect him who was the
object of their choice.
He was disposed to say, that the same resi-
dence of five years after naturalization, should
be required of a native citizen of another State,
to qualify him to fiill the office of Governor of
Maryland It had been said that five years was
not a sufficient time to enable a foreigner to ob-
tain that knowledge of the interests of the State
which is necessary. He appealed to gentlemen
whether a naturalized foreigner whom the peo-
ple would be willing to select, might not be as like-
ly to be qualified within that period, as many of
own own aspirant citizens now are ? We ought to
put all on an equal footing.
Mr. D here read the clause from the old Constitution,
relating to this subject, and said that he
had lived seventy-five years under this Constitu-
tion, which interposes no barrier between for-
eigners and the gubernatorial chair, yet no for-
eigner had ever occupied that chair. Still, he
thought, it was an omission in that Constitution,
and he was therefore willing to impose a restric-
tion to a residence of five years after naturaliza-
tion. If we take the amendment of the gentle-
man from Baltimore county, [Mr, Buchanan,]
and place foreigners on a footing with the citi-
zens of the other States of the Union, it would be
amply sufficient. He thought that the office of
Governor was not the only important branch of
our government. The Legislature is quite as
much so; and if we inlend to be consistent in our
cousre here, we ought to have required a some-
what similar restriction as to residence, in rela-
tion to members of that body, as we now require
in the case of the Governor. Yet this had not
been done. He would not propose such an
amendment, because he thought it was unneces-
sary. He referred to a naturalized foreigner
with whom he was acquainted, who was worthy
and intelligent, and who, with himself, had once
represented the city of Baltimore in the Legislature,
and no inconvenience had resulted from it.
He stated that a foreigner was not disqualified to
hold the highest station in the courts of the United
States or of this State, and as both the Legislature
and the judiciary were left open to naturalized
foreigners, as well as natives, why was it
thought necessary to raise this excessive distinc- |
