Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-07-23

GEN. SCOTS COMMUNICATION TO THE Ma.
TIONAL iNTELLlGENCEi.
The following communication, written By Gen. Sco:r, is
copied from ,hY Washington .Ttiionni h:sHige6eeT, aat Is
published Us it al. carcd in that paper:
From Ito National In'eli-cncer. Dec. Il, l>ii!
COMMUNICATES.
NOTES on THE ADHESION OF ALIENS TO CITIZENSHIP.
.Tg. Congress shall have prw,g" TO establish = Uniform RUE Of
n1:u.aaaa,l,a :. Constitution L, S.ar'. l.tcs. -.t!'a-cii
Ga his p1v,r. 90 on all citizens who ma: b" adopted un'
der any .-;a5i.sArd rule nittc rarsuart 10 the power, the
Constitution Itself, IN u:1cr p1!iS, imposes hour limitations
or restrictions:
" 20 person shall he q Representative who sinai no. have I"c
been wen .r,Ts i c.al"n OF ;he United sofss "-Ch'& !. sec. =
,n. rs .tIizsa "f The lHir,i ; a,ss art 1, SEE. 3. clause %
, 50 irEson. cAcrpt a .-,na! a|n ci,%.., % citizen u lg
rr eligible t, the o.Glco rrssiie!.'-Cs II. .e;. !. ci"''ss ~
A. u person c,ns,:,r:i,al y i~nej,rhic to the oGfcr Of rresi1ert
-Nai { sil-IDl, :, Ial a. VI" irc.lieni ni re '"iiei Hiites' :
Amendments. ~, L, ctans" II srt. -
inner the power and the restrictions here sc"craiy quo
ted, Congress nIY lrgisI.ir 90 lois sn'Jec'' IN 'le soni" 81
y Uniform rulr-,nar IL, !. rUic the same Tor Tie time BENZ
Throughout TIC ~toie urio: and us territories.
II Is seen, i!.rn. tut ln" constitution iiStlf. IN f"SI''t ~
G,,.Iuacrs. coa,e,nrarcs ar establishes many distHici 6f"rlt
OF cirIzcasUtn, besides a4c, sex and residence. -, '"@''S''
,odrr IN. c..r1a;ad nap..r. might. by a uniform rule, confer
~ all ai!cus. iurlt liaitly on arrirai-insicai .. y NE :ha o'
er. y.lrs. a. ~ present : iha Fight Dt nuii!n: ana transmit
INC nruueriy vi every description; The H&ht OF ""'ii's Io'
p,cs;!raf. Wee Pfr-it'n', nn1 members oi Congress he
risll of voting and 5tlng voted tor ~ respect 10 al S'i'G
offices and trusts, aii the right OF holding al! federal Offices,
with the exceptions which :oilaw. Yet az al f'G-,E'.
2j. No such adopted ciiiz"n woul! BE eligible 10 a seal IL
Tho House of Il representatives., nor until seven years ailei
tati;r the oath; nor, 81, To a sat IN the Senate, uniit tWu
yeafs more, making MIN; nor. iii, Ever 10 the Presidency
ar Vice Presidency whilst, 9th, There are yet anon" NJ
some foreigners 5v birth, VINO, having been here rti"f 70 inc
,dcuiicn %: the constitution, are eligible 10 the fIcSid:hc!
and Vice Presidency, and enjoying every other itIht "i ma
,rr,i born citiz ms. Behold, then, al this moment, within
N. bosom Of oar country, foreigners holding, by nliNraIzl-
lion. FIRE several grades OF citizenship: besides, ON, a most
Of o,her foreigners, all personally un:er the protection u our
law. with the right 10 acquire, 10 hold ana 10 transmit pro,
ncria. Including, IN several States. lands and houses anu AL
hnsirs) again, 10 different stages OF enhancement lo"aT1s
the acquisition Of tne po!t;ea! rights under the trst lont
h,aI above. l. is, !iIci c!u!c, shown that me consiitutva,
hr ~ uniform rule OF naturalization" cid not mean Il rule
i,ndr7 which Mi rights whatsoever OF nat!Se born cltiz'ns
sh,:lG be coui-rTct on aliens Subsequently, arriving IN u"
c,uir;1 y al; once, and in a lump. OGc light tthc second above
the :lnsti,utirn wilhh1idsinr seven years alter Naturalization;
another unc iniril Tor nine years, and The ionrth forever. !
ve ! iinw strictly eiynlglouical. meaning. IL would DC d ""
70 9 mat Congress can, BY a rul. OF naturalization, make Il
foreigner a natural born citizen. NATURALIZATION u d 'ecii'
nicaI terri, borrowed by our nStluti0n from EhgHsh law
ius; u. lsrying lar, orcr. de. Of treason, &c, "er. borrowed
bv The same instrument from the same source. &c nhu me
LEGAL meaning of either term, we have always been Obliged
IN look 10 that fountain rather Than TO dic'lonarle.. NO
Thing is more natural or common Than sncA technical refer
enct. r
in,Ir rare 10 find that aliens have been admitted - ell the
rights o! a born subject. In Ea.lart they have been almost
universally. By the Terms c!a!opiicu, d!siaai!1ed from hold
irp office, &c.
With US. Congress may Establish 4 uniform rule OF natu-
raliza:ioa," o. rcpea! the present rule and have nonc-Ius! as
u = have twice had and have twice repealed, "unl!orm laws
IN the subject ui bankruptcies" q subject over which Con-
press has unlimited power under (5E the way the same
clause or the constitution.
As then, Congress might originally have legisl1ted or not
on naturalization, and may now repeal the existing establish.
ed rule, and s5stiiute no other, so Ciiy Congress, al is good
pleasure in view OF national policy and expediency, alter
or modify the existing rule.
The, motives for change are many and powerful. They