DO NOT ENTER!

Davis, Garrett "America Should Discourage Immigration (1849)." Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Mary Williams. Greenhaven Press, 2004. 25-31. Print.

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In 1849 Garrett Davis delivered a speech promoting America to discourage immigration. In his opinion immigrants endanger America. “It is because the mighty tides of immigration, each succeeding one increasing in volume, bring to us not only different languages, opinions, customs, and principles, but hostile races, religions, and interests, and the traditionary prejudices of generations with a large amount of the turbulence, disorganizing theories, pauperism and demoralization of Europe in her redundant population thrown to us.” He admits that among masses of immigrants there are men of noble intellect and great moral worth, “but the number is lamentably small.” He states that there is no way to distinguish the noble from the vicious. Davis mentions a problem in the government with the German and Slavonic races and how they attempted to elect candidates of their own blood to congress. “This is the beginning of the conflict of races on a large scale.” Davis says he has anxiety for the future of America and that, “No well-informed and observant man can look abroad over this widespread and blessed country without feeling that way.”

Davis’ opinion is very important because his main concern is the safety of Americans. He has evidence that nationalism has become a threat to the government and his fear comes out in his writing. He also questions the nobility of the immigrants and their loyalty to the country. By purposing that immigration is a threat to American’s safety he challenges his audience to consider agreeing with his point of view in order to fix this so called problem. Davis stresses that immigration is and always will be a problem and as far as fixing it, “the sooner the better.” Davis writes very convincingly, “If they are more vicious, they will corrupt; if less industrious, they will promote idleness; if they have different ideas of government, they will contend; if the same, they will intrigue and interfere.” Davis’ fear of the future comes out in his writing, which can potentially strike fear in his readers. He makes a believable argument that is very enticing for readers that feel that immigrants possible pose a threat to the safety of American citizens.