The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short

This is an excerpt from the chapter entitled "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor..."

The problem is that Franklin only envisioned the promises of the “New World” being obtained by the inhabitants of the “Old World,” Europe. I have poured over Franklin’s writings, and nowhere can I find any evidence that his vision of a great America included anyone other than Europeans...

Franklin’s vision was not the great American “melting pot.” Indeed, he had a moderate degree of difficulty in accepting the immigration of other non-British immigrants. He expressed the same type of sentiments towards German and Irish immigrants that we hear expressed toward Mexican and other non-European immigrants today.

“GERMANS, Early Immigrants to Pennsylvania. As few English understand the German language, and so cannot address them either from the press or the pulpit, it is almost impossible to remove any prejudices they may entertain… Few of their children in the country learn English… The signs in our streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only German. They begin of late to make all their bonds and legal instruments in their own language, which (though I think it ought not be) are allowed in our good courts… In short, unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so outnumber us that all the advantages we have will not, in my opinion be able to preserve our language, and even our government will become precarious… Yet I am not entirely for refusing to admit them into our colonies. All that seems to me necessary is to distribute them more equally, mix them with the English, establish English schools where they are now too thickly settled… I say I am not against the Germans in general, for they have their virtues. Their industry and frugality are exemplary. (1753)

IRISH, Political Influence Through Mass Migration. It is a fact that the Irish emigrants and their children are now in possession of the government in Pennsylvania, by their majority in the Assembly as well as a of a great part of the territory; and I remember well the first ship that brought many of them over.” (Allison, 1982)

            Their children aren’t learning our language. The signs in their neighborhoods aren’t in English. Soon they might outnumber us and take over our government. I’m not saying we should refuse to let any of them into the country; we need to spread them out among other English-speaking neighborhoods. I’m not against them in general; they have their virtues. They are hard workers!

            These are the words of Benjamin Franklin about the Irish and the Germans! The fear of losing “what’s ours” has existed since the beginning of our nation. This fear drives us often to villainize others and results in division, discord, and racism. It was not God’s vision of America that its vast wealth and resources be limited to a few nor that the virtues that its Founders sought to achieve be only spread to a few.

To his credit, Franklin did come to a broader view that sounds more in line with “bring me your poor, your tired, homeless,” etc.:

“IRELAND, Poverty in. Ireland is itself a poor country;… the appearances of general extreme poverty among the lower people are amazing. They live in wretched hovels of mud and straw, are clothed in rags, and subsist chiefly on potatoes…

IRISH, Desire to Migrate to America. I received some time since a letter from a person at Belfast, informing me that a great number of people in those parts were desirous of going to America, if passports could be obtained for them and their effects, and referring me to you for further information…

IRISH, Deprived of Rights by English. I admire the spirit with which I see the Irish are at length determined to claim some share of that freedom of commerce which is the right of all mankind, but which they have so long been deprived by the abominable selfishness of their fellow subjects. To enjoy all the advantages of the climate, soil and situation in which God and nature have placed us is as clear a right as that of breathing, and can never be justly taken from men but as a punishment for some atrocious crime. The English have long seemed to think it a right which none could have but themselves. Their injustice has already cost them dear, and, if persisted in will be their ruin.” (Allison, 1982)

            Franklin saw the impoverished people of Ireland and declared that it was the right of these impoverished people, indeed “the right of all mankind” to “enjoy all the advantages of the climate, soil and situation” that God had provided in America. (Allison, 1982) He further considered the English abominably “selfish” for thinking living in America “was a right which none could have but themselves.” (Allison, 1982) I believe this view is closer to what God originally planned for America and is more closely aligned with Scripture:

LUKE 12:48 (NKJV) “… For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (KJV) “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

James 1:27 (NKJV) “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

I believe God’s vision for a great America is closer to what Franklin expressed in the quote below. In this quote, Franklin talks about an America that is altruistic and aware that in every nation we all are human beings and are interconnected and bound to mutually assist each other for the good of all:

“NEW ZEALAND, Proposed Voyage to Colonize. Many voyages have been undertaken with views of profit or plunder, or to gratify resentment; to procure some advantage to ourselves, or do some mischief to others. But a voyage is now proposed, to visit a distant people on the other side [of] the globe; not to cheat them, not to rob them, not to seize their lands, or to enslave their persons; but merely to do them good, and make them, as far as in our power lies, to live as comfortably as ourselves. It seems a laudable wish, that all the nations of the earth were connected by a knowledge of each other, and a mutual exchange of benefits… We may therefore hope, in the undertaking, to be of some service to our country as well as to those poor people who, however distant from us, and whose interests do, in some degree, concern everyone who can say, Homo sum, etc." (Allison, 1982)