Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-02-05
What Constitutes Citizenship Z

We arc reminded of 4 declared intention or
our part, to present sume views on the sub
ject whether colored persons arc citizen:
within the meaning of the clause, "The citi
zens of each State shall be entitled to equal
privileges and immunities of citizens of the
several States"
At the time of the adoption of the Con
sttution, there were various classes Of per.
sons-whites, Indians, slavcs-each of whi:
was recognized as distinct. In the Consti.
tuition they are designated respectively as
"citizens," free persons" "Indians," and
"otfcr persons"
From this speciality and difference in des-
ignation it is perfectly evident that the fra
mcrs Of The Constitution intended to confnc
the term citizen TO portion only of those
inhabitants of the United States. 1t will be
further evident, from con.emporancous Acts
Of Congress, and from the language of
various State Constitutions, that colorcd per-
sons and Indians were intended to be en-
cludcd from the designation. The first legis-
lation under the clause of the Constitution
which directs Congress to establish uni
form rule of naturalization" took place in
l79O. This language is used in the Act
ANY alien: being free white person, may
become u citizen, by complying with the re-
quiremcnts hereinafter named" In the law
of 1895, it is declared "a free white person
may become citizen" The Acts of 1898,
1902, 1913, and 1924, continue the same
phraseology. Although any white person
coming from abroad can be made citizen
BY the process of naturalization, 4 black one
cannot--a distinction founded wholly on
color.
The laws relating to the transportation Of
the mail, and the management of the post
Offices, exclude blacks from the right to par
tcipate in this privileges a distinction of The
same character.
-'Staf5s Of tKis Union, maintained The same
distinction. Delaware, Maryland, Connecti-
cut, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, Louis
lana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Indiana,
and Rhode Island, each had clauses confining
the privilege Of the franchise, or Of being
representatives, to whites. New York in
her Constitution, makes a distinction between
whites and blacks, but in n different FORM
In the recent Constitution of Indiana. blacks
are excluded from the right to settle within
her limits. A distinction equally evident
and severe, is maintained in Acts of the Leg
islaturc of various States, forbidding inter-
marriages between the two classes, and pre-
venting the enjoyment Of various "privlcgcs
and immunitics' on the part of coored per-
sons, which are common 10 the whites. These
proceedings on the part of States, and these
Acts of Congress and of Legislatures, con-
s,itu.c most imposing Interpretation of the
meaning of the clause referred to; but yet it
is contcndcd that 4 native born colored per-
son is citizen, although born of colorcd
foreign parents who could not. under our
laws, become naturalizcd. If this is So all
these clauses Of Stale constitutions and
these several acts arc void. In 4 previous
article the decision made by the highest legal
tribunal in this State, that Indians were not
citizens, was referred to. They stand on
the same g,ound as free colored persons; !;
with This difference, that they have always
been free, whereas the blacks were imported
from Africa as slaves, and at the time Of the
adoption of the Constitution they existed as
such in twelve of the then thirteen States of
this Union. Like decisions have been made
in other States, and the Courts of Tcnnes-
sec have decided that free blacks are not
citizens. The State of Connecticut, in the
celebrated case brought by her against Pru-
dencc Crandall, made, through the Supreme
Court, like decision. Indeed all the judi
cial decisions are in perfect harmony with
the grave and conclusive interpretations pre-
scntcd in the action of Congress, of States,
and of Legislatures. They justify the de-
claration that free colorcd persons were not
intended to be designated under the term
Citizen, title which embraces, only whites.
and was substituted for that of subject, rs
shown by our correspondent, when we threw
of our allegiance to the British Crown.
In constituting the Constitution Of the
United States, the circumstances existing at
the time, the preceding history, and the con-
temporaneous construction put On it BY its
authors, are all TO be considered. They are
conclusive against the extraordinary claim
but recently made in relation to the citizen
ship of blacks. The action of nearly every
State in The Union has been equally conclu.
sivc. That action has been uniform and
constant in a direction against their claim.
The friends of the claim involve themselves
in this dilemma; that the trainers of the
Constitution, who limited to citizens the
right to become President of the United
States, or Senator in Congress-yet in
tended that the office should be held by one
Who under Statn laws was dehorrad from