Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-01-15


voT1Nc-The New York correspondent
of the National Intelligencer--a whig--
| in one of his recent letters, speaks Of the
views of our correspondent ssSarach,' on
these subjects, as having been "before uD-
held, and, in one instance, by distinguish.
ed whig."
The position, by whomsoever taken or
upheld, is no doubt sound, that Congress-
has no power TO control the qualifications
of voters in the States, through its nat,ra.
lization laws, exceptin so far as the States
choose 10 make citizenship qualification
for voting. It~isa position which rests
upon the clear provisions oil the constitu-
ton of the United States; and the position
of lis advocates, as regards the two par
ties, cannon alter its plain Common sense.
But the writer in question goes on to
assail the position, indirectly to be sure.
but unequivocally, BY an effort tobrinp il
TO the test Of q redutio 0d absurdun.
He says:
1t sound, it shows the utter futility of
any attempt to amend the naturalization
laws by any action of Congress. 1t shows,
IN fact, that the clause .inthe federal con-
stitution which authorizes Congress to es-
tablish uniform rule of naturalization is
not of any binding efficacy as regards the
States, and Is, therefore, impertinent and
superJtuous. If it depends upon State &C.
ton alone to fix the qualifications Of vo.
ters, what possible use or potency can
there be in federal legislation upon the
subject2 | would like to know what the
advocates of this principle suppose that
the trainers of the constitution meant by
the term naturalization %
This exhibits very hasty glance at
the subject, and the conclusions based up.
on il could scarcely fail to be wrong. The
writer errs in sufposing, to begin with,
! that the sole object of uniform naturaliza-
! ton laws was TO establish uniform qualii.
{ cations for voting in the several States
So far from that being the sole object, it
{ does not appear to have been even one of
the objects of the trainers of the consti-
tuition. For the constitution expressly
leaves the subject of the qualifications OF
voters to the several States, TO be regulat-
ed as they, through their constitutions and
laws, should see fit. And hence it is that
these qualifications vary essentially in the
States-some requiring citizenship as a
sine qua non, and others not.
A glance at the qualification of mem
bers of Congress and senators of the u.
States, would have given the writer an in.
! sight into one of the reasons why Con
gress was authorized to pass uniform nat
uralizaiion laws. There is at least one
u aspect in which such laws are neither
"impertinento nor superfuous; but abso
{ lutely essential to carry out the provision;
Il of the constitution. For instance: the
}. constitution requires that members of Con
u gress shall have been, among other things
n seven years citizens of The United States
g and that senators shall have been min,
g years citizens, &c.
e Of course these provisions would be il
n measure nugatory, if Congress had no
d. the power, and had not exercised it, o
e prescribing the time and the mode of OBJ
o tanning naturalization or citizenship; AM
g if each State had the power to prescrib,
J its own period of probation. Here is rea
II son enough, without looking further, 70
e the provision alluded to, authorizing Con
y gress to pass uniform naturalization laws
IS And here, too, will be found the secret o
:, the fact that the qualifications of voter
q FOR members of Congress, and for presi
Dental electors, were left to the States. :
. For so long as none but citizens of sever
$ years standing can be members of th
u House of Representatives, and none but
native citizen can be President of the U
: States, of what importance is or was
Z who the States might authorize to vote 70
II thema
"a But we have already extended this art
y Gle further than we designed, or than
le necessary. The whole question lies in
q nutshell.-[AlbGny Argus.
rs MISSISSIPPI JUsTIcE.--We invite the a
O. tention of our brethren of the press, men
es bers of the bar, and officers, to the fac
til that there is, at present, no comper
II dunn or manual under the laws of tn
re State, for the use of the Justices Of III
lis Peace The want of work of this kin
of is constantly experienced, not only b
in magistrates and other officers, but by
v. large portion of the business men of tt
ed country. In order to supply this deficiel
of lev, we propose, If sufficient encourag
ed ment should be offered, to publish in (
er cheap but substantial form, upon good pi
o. per and type, manual or guide for mi
Oh gistrates, comprising all the statutes no
n, in force, in relation TO the powers and dl
in ties of Justices of the Peace, coroner
nd constabes &c, with references to the u
its cisions of the high court Of errors and d
Be-. meals upon such statues--with a full an