reached us in a much more aggravated state of
inflammation, than was found to exist in the ex
cited imaginations of his recently adopted polit-
ical friends. And he appears to have exceeded
them in the violence of his efforts to hold up to
popular execration his former, professedly high-
ly valued political friends. He, [Mr. D.,] not-
withstanding the denunciations of his friend
from Prince George's was quite as sincere a
friend to naturalized citizens as he was; and if
judged by his acts in this connection, he thought
decidedly more so. The only evidence relied
on, as showing the contrary, was his vote for
delaying the right of acting for a short time
after naturalization, to purify the ballot box,
and enhance the value of the elective franchise.
In this the naturalized and native, both citizens
had each an unequal interest.
But the gentleman from Prince George's, (Mr.
Bowie,) has said that he, (Mr. Dorsey,) was
wholly "inconsistent, being before, the opponent
of naturalized citizens, and now their advocate,
as in fact, taking the other track." For this as-
sertion there was not the alightest foundation.
It would give him much pleasure if a like charge
of inconsistency could be repelled by the gentle-
man from Prince George's with equal truth.
But that, in his opinion, was impossible, and he
believed be would be able to show it. The gen-
tleman from Prince George's, appears to think
that the right to vote is of such an inviolable, in-
appreciable value, that its suspension, even for
five days, is an injury so irreparable, that it ad-
mits of no atonement; even though the suspension
would accomplish an object of the greatest moral
and political importance to the community. To
elevate the elective franchise into a treasure so
incalculably valuable, his friend from Prince
George's must have given to it, a compound
value, resulting first to him who should cast the
vote for his friend and favorite; and secondly to
the friend who, by its means might obtain
an office of honor and distinction, and what the
friend might not wholly overlook, as an object
unworthy of notice, that there was ahigh salary
attached to it. My friend will, with his usual
candor, I am sure admit that the right of casting
his vote for another is not the only political im-
munity, which a citizen desires, or on which he
sets a value. The privilege of receiving the
votes of others, and thus perhaps obtaining a
high and lucrative office, is regarded as a right,
as dear and inestimable to a freeman of the pre-
sent day, as the privilege of casting his vote for
another. What then,said (Mr. D.) is the differ-
ence between the gentleman from Prince George's
and himself? Why, the one (Mr. D.) sought to
postpone the right of voting in a naturalized citi-
zen for a few months or even five days, to effect
an important public object, as beneficial to the
naturalized as native born citizen; but leaving
the foreigner, after naturalization, having the
qualification as to residence equally required of
all citizens—both native and naturalized, equal
right with every other citizen of the State, of
being elected by his fellow-citizens to any office |
to which his fellow-citizens might see fit to ele-
vate him.
Whilst the other [Mr. Bowie] although he
would not postpone for five days, though for the
accomplished of the greatest public good, bene-
ficial alike to all citizens, native and naturaliz-
ed, the power of voting for others; yet he seeks
to rob the naturalized citizen of the privilege
of being voted for to fill any office until five years
after his naturalization, although be might have
resided in Maryland during the preceding twen-
ty years. During this five years he Mr. [Bowie]
would leave the naturalized citizen the uncon-
trolled power of voting others into office, but
would deny to him the power of being voted
for by others, for a like purpose. This odious
discrimination between citizens, being wholly
uncalled for, with a view to any public good;
he [Mr, Dorsey] regarded it, as impolitic, un-
just and inexpedient.
If you wish to attach naturalised citizens to
your country and its institutions, as unquestiona-
bly you ought to do, admit them to citizenship
upon terms of perfect equality with their fellow
citizens; casting upon them no offensive insinua-
tions; imposing upon them no restrictions which
the public welfare does not require. From the
adoption of our Constitution in 1776, down to the
present day, no such discrimination ever existed,
and no inconvenience has ever been experienced
from the want of it. Why, then, should the gen-
tleman from Prince George's seek to insert such
an obnoxious feature in the Constitution of Ma-
ryland—proverbially, the land, of toleration, of
civil and religious liberty, from its first settle-
ment to the day of the meeting of this Convention.
His, (Mr. D's.,) desire was to place foreigners
who settled in our State and afterwards were
naturalised, in respect to residence, upon the
same platform as regards elegibility to office,
with citizens of another State, thus settling
amongst us. If a foreigner immigrated to this
State, and after residing amongst us the requisite
period, (five years,) was naturalised; he desired
to see him equally eligible to office with the citi-
zen of another of the United States) who had re-
sided amongst us for five years. Such could not
be the desire of the gentleman from Prince
George's, (Mr. Bowie.) By the principle he
sought to engraft upon the Constitution, if a for-
eigner had resided in our midst for thirty years
and was then naturalised, and a citizen of anoth-
er State had resided here for five years; the lat-
ter would be capable of election to any office in
the gift of the people, whilst the former must
continue to reside with us five years more, after
naturalisation, (thus having a residence of thirty-
five years,) before he could acquire such eligi-
bility. Whether, under this fair statement of
the case, he, (Mr. Bowie,) or he, (Mr. Dorsey,)
was the opponent of naturalised citizens, or guil-
ty of inconsistency in regard to them were ques-
tions which, he, (Mr. Dorsey,) was willing to
submit to the decision of this Convention, with-
out uttering another word upon the subject, ex-
cept the single remark, that were he, from what
he had seen and heard as well in this Convention |
