Equally great and good men in our
history have taken one or the other side of this question, from the
extreme of open gates to that of prohibition, while the people generally
have gone on about their business with the comfortable feeling that
matters come out pretty well if they are not too much interfered with.
[Sidenote: First State Law in 1824]
While statesmen were theorizing and differing, conditions made the need
of some actual regulations and restrictions felt as early as 1824,
although the total immigration of that year was only 7,912, or less than
that of a single day at present. The first law resulted from abuse of
free admission. It was found that some foreign governments were shipping
their paupers, diseased persons, and criminals to America as the easiest
and most economical way to get rid of them. This it undoubtedly was for
them; but the people of New York did not see where the ease and economy
came in on their side of the ledger, and in self-defense, therefore, the
state passed the first law, with intent to shut out undesirables.[21]
This state legislation was the genesis of national enactment. The
history of federal laws concerning aliens is covered compactly by Mr.
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