Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/184

156 sum is insignificant when expended for such an object; but every cent spent from the national treasury for the immigrant can only injure his condition and the proper appreciation of his value. Again, we all know the tendency of originally small public expenditures to grow into large ones. While one million might suffice at first, many millions would be required in the end. One of the worst consequences would be that immigration would speedily become a political question, and as such the subject of strife among demagogues, and that cry against the "importation of foreign paupers" would doubtless soon be raised by which the condition of the immigrants would be deeply affected. Again, it is not clear to me how the United States can establish hospitals and houses of refuge for the small percentage of sick and destitute among immigrants, unless the fundamental law of the country is changed. This difficulty would, in all probability, lead to a division of the duties for the protection of the immigrant between the General and State governments, so that the several States would be charged with the duty of nursing the sick and supporting the destitute. Whether they would or could do this, is a matter about which I have considerable doubt.

There is another weighty objection to a transfer of the control of immigration to the General Government. The proper care of the immigrant requires a staff of efficient officers, having well-trained employees acting under them. Experience has shown that even the best organized minds require months and years to master this task.

The best and most efficient agents of the Commissioners of Emigration have served under them from May 5, 1847, that is, from the birth of the Commission. They have educated themselves and others to a proper comprehension and discharge of their duties. They are familiar with all the minutiae of the service, and are consequently able to perform their work more speedily and efficiently than inexperienced new-comers. The uniformity and stability of the system, the undisturbed march of progress and reform, the absence of sudden changes, form an indisposition to try new experiments, constitute, indeed, the main reasons of the success of the New York Commission of Emigration, which would never have been attained if, with the advent of every