The native American., 1838-05-05

the Union, and form a constitution, and demant
admission as a State into the Union If tn,
principle of this bill be conceded, it renders tina
i provision in the federal constitution which au
thorizes Congress ssto establish uniform rules .
naturalization wholly inoperative. The framer,
| of the Constitution looked forward to the t;mt
/ when the great influx Of foreigners into our coun
'itry might jeopardize the peace and security q
our citizens, and disturb theorganization of polit
! cal power among the seyerals States, through the
representative principle upon the ratio of popula-
ton: to guard against such ain evil, this provision
was incorporated. New York is well situated
with view to the ingress of foreigners and
if she should desire TO increase her political power
sanction the principle Of this BILL and, in a popu.
| Iation more liable to temptation than New York
| this consideration might form an inducement to
| invite even an unwholesome population. But.
sir, l hold that all polificals power must be de-
| rived from the people-dle true source, in our
country, of all power; and that the exercise OF
| the right Of suffrage is apoificm right, which
none but citizens can rightfhly enjoy; and thai
the right of determining what foreigner may ex
excise that poaoer has been delegated to Congress
| by the people, through that provision in the
federal constitution which authorizes Congress
''to establish uniform rule of naturalization. y
the right Of suffrage is derived by such as are
not native-born citizens. The right of suffrage
in England is a franchise, or peculiar privilege,
conferred by the King; but it is not so in the
United States. 1t is here, since the revolution,
the birtt-right of our people; and though the ex-
ercise of It may be regulated by law, and subject
to various qualifications, yet the qualification of
citizenship must aiaOays be one. BY our revo-
luton, that royal prerogative was arrested from
the Crown and Vesfcd in the people who co-ope-
rated in establishing our independence; and by
that people the power to admit others, not native
born, to participation of it, has been conferred
erclusively on Congress- The "people' of the
United States are to elect their representatives.
Who, sir, are the epeople" to make this choice
but those "citizens' of each State 'swho are en-
titled to all privileges and immunities of citizens
in the several States?" (See sec. 2 of art. of
Con. of U. 81 Now. sir, no one, | presume,
will insist that these newborn citizens of Michi-
gan are g entitled to all privileges and immunities
of citizens in the several States;" and yet they
are allowed, by a proceeding which this bill sane
tions to exercise the most important political right
which citizen can enjoy. An alien, direct
from Ireland, or any other foreign country, who
arrived in Michigan on the 23d June, 1885, by
the provision under consideration is authorized
to vote at any election to be holden there, upon
equal footing with the native citizens; and that
right, by this bill, we called upon to crafty
and confirm" Now, if this same alien had emf
grated TO the State Of New Y York, or any other
State in this Union, on the same day, he could
not have exercised the right of suffrage there short
of five years actual residence, and Of having SUBJ
mitted to the process of naturalization; but in
Michigan, one days residence is deemed sufficient
to qualify him ileMgentIy to exercise this inn
portant privilege. Can this, sir, be carrying out
the provision in your Constitution, which requires
a uniform rule of naturalization throughout the
United States2
But, sir, were the measures which this bill seeks
to establish to be submitted to the test of erpe-
diency alone, would you be willing to adopt
them as the settled policy Of your country! No,
sir; evils too complicated and great would be the
issue of such policy to be acceptable to the
American people. Sir, if the time shall ever come
when, by la,O, you shall authorize aliens who
have not undergone the scrutinizing and sitting
process of naturalization to exercise the right Of
suffrage, from that period the future historian,
in recording the destiny Of this republic, will date
the period of its having been betrayed to the
keeping of its enemies. Sir, sentiment full of
instruction to the American people, uttered by an
American statesman and soldier, demands at this
crisis a response from the people of the United
States. Sir, it is this: That the people of the
United States, to preserve their liberties, must
do their own Uoting and their own fighting"
Sir, it is sentiment worthy of its distinguished
auhor-of an American soldier, an American
statesman and patriot. Will this bill, if enacted
into law, give to that sentiment the response
desired by the American people! Without hesi-
tation, and unqual6edly. sir, answer no! No,
sir, no. Our fathers, sir, were not unmindful
Of the importance of submitting our institutions
to the guardianship of native American statesmen.
BY the provisions Of the federal constitution, the
President and Tice President of the United
States are required to be nativc-born citizens,
and the President is required to cause the laws of
the Union to be executed These high places Of
power, it was then thought, could not, with safe
ty to the American people, be occupied by any
but natural born citizens. The rise, the pro
gress, and the final destiny of the republics of
other times were full of instruction to the trainers
of the Constitution; and against the fatal effects
of degraded mercenary foreign influence, as
well as the, ambitious designs of rival foreign
Powers, this provision was deemed efiectual
Sir let the spirit of that ordinance be observed
and carried out in practice by the constituted au-
thorities of your Government and your citizens,
,nd ne r,ornetr;tx, will rem1iu an eudurnp mOu,-