AN APPEAL TO ALIENS

[ September 2, 1846]

BARK RIVER, WAUKESHA Co., W. T. SIR: As a member of the Democratic party I feel in duty bound to express my feelings on a momentous question that is agitating the public mind, and which is dear to every lover of his country, and a question which is of the greatest interest to the people of the state of Wisconsin in the formation of our state constitution, viz: the right of suffrage. The Democratic creed is universal suffrage, equal rights, equal privileges, and equal protection to all-no distinction as to nativity or religious principles. On the other hand, the Whigs are opposed to those principles, particularly to the right of suffrage, which is the most dear to every lover of his country. But at the county convention in this county, Waukesha, held by the Whigs on the twenty-second inst., I discover they have taken an entire [ly] new tack. Resolutions were passed all at once in favor of negro suffrage. Now, sir, to this I have not the least objection, but it seems strange to me that such a resolution should have passed unanimously as is stated by the proceedings of that convention, for to my certain knowledge there were delegates in that convention who have always advocated the doctrine of a property qualification, allowing no person to vote or to hold office unless he was a freeholder. And it appears also that those very men to whom I allude in particular are nominated to the constitutional convention. Such is the inconsistency, so glaring in its nature, that I can't see for the life of me how such men can claim the confidence of any man, much more claim his vote. But, sir, the object is too plain to be misunderstood by any common sense man: it is to try and catch votes from the Liberty party, but in this they will find the viper has gnawed the file. True men of the Liberty party cannot be duped in that way; they have made a nomination which they will truly support.

But suppose the Liberty party did not support their own ticket-they had better support the Democratic party than the Whig party, because they have the best evidence that the former is the true friend of universal suffrage without distinction as to color. [In] the legislature last winter, when the bill was on its passage providing for the formation of a state government, a motion was made to strike out the word white so as to allow all male persons to vote for delegates, etc. Ten Democrats voted in the affirmative, and every Whig in the house voted in the negative. One of the Whigs, when his name was called, not being satisfied with saying "No!" exclaimed at the top of his voice, "No! Never!" Four of the Milwaukee County members voted in the affirmative-one of whom is now a Democratic nominee in the county of Waukesha to the constitutional convention.

Here we have the evidence recorded of the fact that a large portion of the Democratic party have done what the Whigs of this county (a few of them) pretend they will do if elected. But my motto is not to trust them until after election. Now let us look at the next resolution. After they let the negroes vote they resolve themselves into their old track again and confine the right of suffrage to citizens only, thus depriving about one-half of our enterprising white population and taxpayers of the right of suffrage a long time. The English, Scotch, Germans, and Irishmen must stop five years before they can have a choice in their rulers. Is this republicanism? Is this equality? No, sir! It's nothing more or less than downright old federal whiggery; and it is an example that will not be set by the framers of the constitution for the Eldorado of the West if the voters are true to their interests and elect Democrats to the convention. For example I will illustrate a case in point which I lay down as a rule in contrasting the difference between the Whig and Democratic parties on the question of universal suffrage. One of the Whig nominees is a resident of this town; he has repeatedly and for years past advocated the property qualification; he has stated, as can be proved by a number of

persons, that no person ought to vote or hold an office unless he was possessed of a freehold estate and also that a foreigner ought not to vote even then, unless he was a citizen, and had become enlightened enough to understand the constitution and laws of our country, because, says he, he is so ignorant that he don't know how he does vote. On the other hand, one of the Democratic nominees is also one of our townsmen, and has always advocated the right of universal suffrage. In the legislature last winter he supported universal suffrage without respect to color, birthright, or otherwise. I select those two persons out from the rest for no other purpose only [than] to contrast plainly the difference between the two parties; the one follows the creed of his party by supporting universal suffrage, the other follows the creed of his party by depriving about one-half of our taxpayers of this sacred right until they have been in the state five years, and would extend the time to twenty-one years if they only had the power. The extension of the time has been advocated by the great soul and body of the Whig party. It is obvious that, by extending the time to twentyone years, the foreigner never could enjoy the right of suffrage, for the aggregate foreign population have come to middle age when they arrive in this country; keep them twenty-one years longer and their time is no more.

One of the main arguments of the Whigs against foreigners voting as quick as they get their first paper (which is the Democratic creed) is this: They say that if you let them vote as quick as they get their first paper they never will complete their naturalization; hence they are not liable to be called out in defense of their country in cases of invasion or insurrection, etc. To some extent this is true and has created great prejudice against the foreigner; and it is due the foreigner as well as the country that such a state of things should not exist. I see it is advocated by some that our constitution should be framed making the foreigner a citizen in one year. It's true they can be citizens of our state in one year, but this will not make them citizens of the United

States; therefore, I would propose to remedy the evil in a different shape. I propose that the following article be engrafted in our constitution, viz:

Section 1. All male citizens of the age of twenty-one years or upwards, who shall have resided in this state six months, shall be allowed to enjoy the rights of suffrage, and shall be eligible to any office in said state prescribed by this constitution or the laws of said state.

Section 2. Any male alien of the age of twenty-one years or upwards, who shall have resided in this state six months, and who shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States according to the acts of Congress on the subject of naturalization, shall be allowed to enjoy the right of suffrage, and shall be eligible to any office in this state. Provided, That after an alien shall have resided within the limits of the United States a sufficient length of time to have become a citizen, and who shall have refused or neglected to become a citizen of the United States, shall thereafter be debarred of the right of suffrage, and shall be ineligible to any office in this state, until he shall have become a citizen of the United States according to the acts of Congress on the subject of naturalization.

I think that such an article and proviso engrafted into our constitution would be the proper ones to prompt aliens to become citizens as quick as the acts of Congress would permit them. I think [neither] the alien nor the citizen can object to such a proviso; the alien could not vote until he had been here time enough to have become a citizen, which is now five years. Should Congress shorten the time, well; should they lengthen the time, it would be all the same. And if the alien would not become a citizen when he has the privilege he could blame no one but himself for losing his right to vote or hold office. I think such a provision is the most salutary one that can be engrafted into our constitution.

Democrats of Waukesha County, I have given you the issue between the two great parties of the day so far as re

gards the right of suffrage; and you have Democratic nominees before you that you may well feel proud of, county and legislative inclusive, and, depend upon it, they will prove as true to their creed as the needle to the pole. Democratic aliens, on the first Monday of September comes the tug of war, for [on] the choice of men on that day depends the welfare of you and your posterity. English, Scotch, and Irishmen of Lisbon, remember on the one side your enemies are set in battle array against you some of whom have declared that no man ought to vote unless he was a freeholder. Remember it has been told to your face that you ought to be deprived of this sacred right. Remember it was told to your face by Whigs in that stone schoolhouse that a state government ought not to be formed until the clause in the law allowing aliens to vote for delegates was repealed. Now is your time to brand with political infamy all who will allow themselves to dabble in such dirty water. Those of you that have not got your first papers, go to the nearest clerk of the court and get them, and vote your friends into the constitutional convention; once you lose this chance and let whiggery gain the ascendency, all our future exertions will be in vain, the constitution will be formed, and your liberty blasted forever. Democrats of Menominee, your enemy is close to your doors-remember the man that said the d-d foreigners never ought to have a vote. Remember the Democratic nominee of your town who has always been as true as steel. In fact remember all your own nominees and go the ticket, the whole ticket, and nothing but the ticket. Democratic foreigners, I myself am an adopted citizen, and I know whiggery so well that again I say get your papers and do your duty, and on the first Monday in September we can put a veto onto whiggery with a two-thirds vote.

Yours truly,

D.