The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-02-18

physically nable to defend cur Liberties, We
might indeed hold ont Inducements 10 for.
eIguers TO bring TO our assistance the pro.
lection Of Their physical force. But has
II come 10 this: that we are obliged TO in-
vte foreigners to assist us in the defence OF
our heritage Of liberty To bring amongst
us Tie arts Of civilization TO enhance
our pow er, either moral or physical! Can
any one believe that We are reduced to me-
cessIty Ike this No, sir. The friends of
the measure would cas-; back such taunt
with scotn and indignation. What then
Can any one doubt that this bill is the first
step towards the squandegi0g and wasting
the public domain, SO far as the old States
are concerned! That the new States feel
as ieter, that gals their over excited sen.
s5llity, the claim If the old States to land
within their limits To- get nd Of this, and
to make the destruction os the rights Of the
old States sudden aBd complete, il Is propos-
cd to invest with the highest privilege OF
American tIoemen, foreigners not natural
lz3d. 10 give to aleu siruDgefs, who will
come aud take, what indisputabiy belongs
~ OIL tHS A-tatGS ~ LuHIlOb' Abo thiS ~
assuase painful sensibiliiy, an over
wrought pride, tia, viii concede nothing to
those who have given them every thing. As
If not content with Inc dissertation Of our
rights Of property, ii is contended that these
favored ellens shall also exercise the rights
oil suliage-the highest rights Of freemeu,
aud be endowed BY these States With the
elective franchise, IL disregard to Congress
aud ell the co States.
mean no, (said Mr.. u. to go into the
arsumen. Of this incidental question, mo.
monIous and alarming as II would be, did
we not feel confident that 1t will ever be met
By the real people Of the United States with
Stern aud incorporating resistance.
The doctrine is anti national; II Is lncom-
pa,bIe with the very conception of politi.
cal community endowed with the power of
/ perpetudt!ng Its Institutions. Ne nation
/ THAI know OF, that had risen to the dignI.
4 ~ OF an independent community, ever toll
Grated the lndiscr,minaio admission of 70.
reisners and alien influences to full par
! Iclpatlon in It's elections and its govern.
taent. What IS our casel Who effected
our revolution? The people Of the respec
live states. They had formed independent
political communities. These states, be-
fore the adoption Of lac federal constitution,
did Of Tighs exercise the power of deter.
mining who should be considered citizens
and entitled to all the privileges and immuni.
ties ofcnlzens. They further righiiully reg.
uated the terms and conditions upon which
aliens might be adopted IN the community,
with all the rights and privileges of free
citizens Who did, and might rightfulIy
Do, all this The people Of the states
Who could geinsayn! Gould The English.
nan, the Hollander, the Italian, or the
Pole PROFESSIONALLY not. Who then !
None but the people Of the states
by the adoption Of the Constitution, each
state conferred upon the general govern.
menI as q common agent, all those powers
which il could better exercise for the bena.
ct Of tho whole than could the states re.
s7ecively for themselves; reserved TO the
states such az could be best exercised by
and for themselves. This common agent
had 10 charge ell our foreign relations, and
bad the regulation Of all our intercourse
wilh foreign powers. This federal govern.
mepi and these state governments we're
madv by and for Toe people Of the United
Statss and their poslerity. The power of
passing uniform laws of naturalization of
foreigners was conferred on the common
agent--the federal government. This grant
passed tho whole power. Such was the
opinion of the enlightened and able contem-
poraueous wsileEs 10 the Federalist; such
has been the uniform opinion of every re.
spectacle writer on constitutional law, as
far as | know such has been the exposI.
ton 10 a majority Of the States, as | sup
pose certainly such has been the exposi.
ton IN North Carolina by all It's authorl.
ties, judicial and legislative. The distri.
button of political power 10 the states, as
well as the general government, rests upon
right enumeration of the people of the
respective States. Our whole political
scheme rests upon IT, Ii was provident
therefore, that, in a matter so Immediately
affecting the relative power Of the states,
there should be some uniform rule regua-
ting accessions from abroad Of aliens, with
habits, feelings, and principles often alien,
not TO say hostile, to the genius and spirit
of our institutions. Such a provision is
conformabie TO the general sense of man
kind 10 all ages in well.regulated political
communities. Hence regard the prcvi-
sion iu the constitution Of Illinois, as 10 con.
djct with the Constitution of the United
States, and Of course void, and that per.
sIStenCe ID the enumeration Of aliens as
citizens, so as to affect the relations of 20.
tlcaI power between her and the other
states, and the permitting of them to exer-
else the elective franchise so as TO affect
the action Of the government common TO all
the states, would be 10 bad faith and clear.
ly ylolatory of their common bond.
The question is not whether Congress
can prescribe the qualifications which shall
constitute q voter IN the States. No one
contends for any such thing. The States
can each prescribe for itselfin every respect,