The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-12
SUMMARY.

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Somebody in the National Intsliigeneer, un
dertaking to correct an error into which he
supposed that paper had fallen, In relation u
the laws of South Carolina imprisoning free
colored persons, commits blunder himself
He says there is "great fallacy in assuming
that free negroes are citizens Of the United
States, and entitled to the protection Of the
second section of the fourth article of the Con
sttution;" ne says they are not citizens OF the
United States, therefore not citizens OF any
State, therefore not entitled TO said protection
The guarantee referred to does not specify cit
liens of the United States" it embraces only
the Gcitizens of each State" A State has
perfect right to determine for itself what shall
constitute citizenship within her limits. Tc
deny this is federalism of the worst stamp.
Massachusetts, has made negroes, citizens
They are taxed, they vote, they are eligible to
Office, they may sit on juries in all respects, SO
far as legal and political rights are concerned
they stand on level with white citizens. The
United States have no power to divest them OF
these citizen attributes. Massachusetts makes
them citizens, and the Constitution then makes
them citizens Of the United States by the very
guarantee in dispute-"the citizens of each
State shall be entitled to all the privileges and
immunities of citizens IN the several States"
The attempt to eyade the force of this guar
antee by an assertion of the right of State to
prescribe absolutely what persons shall come
within its limits, involves fragrant repudia-
ton Of it; and the assumption that negroes
are not citizens of Massachusetts,, and therefore
not entitled to the benefit of this guarantee, be-
cause not citizens of the United States involves
the assumptioa of power in the Government of
the United States to determine who shall be
the citizens of each State An assumption
directly at war with the sovereignty of the
States. Away with all quibbling. Let South
Carolina have the boldness to say 1--WE acknowl-
edge that the guarantee does embrace colored
people who may be citizens of any of the States,
but We apprehend danger from their presence
among our slaves and therefore We deliberate
ly disregard it, and are willing to abide the
consequences" This as her position-why skulk
behind pettilogging bubbles!
The Wing papers in Washington continue
to smile upon the President 1t is difficult to
say which manifests, 30 far, the greatest COM
placency, the Republic, Union, or Intsihgencer
Happy man
The Aqueduct bill, giving the assent of the
Legislature of Maryland to such plan as the
President of the United States may adopt for
supplying Washington with water from the
Potomac, has finally passed that body and is
now law, 30 that the work may begin.
Preparations for a magnificent exhibition at
the Crystal Palace in New York are rapidly
advancing. Intelligence has been received
that Sardinia, and, in fact, all Italy, will be
better represented at New York than they were
at London. A Sandman barque is now on its
way from Geneva, with some fifty tons of the
finest specimens of Sandman art and industry;
and another vessel is being freighted with a
still richer cargo,
Rumors sre abroad again of the encroach-
ments of the French in the Sandwich islands
and of a project by Napoleon to take possession
Of them. They may be groundless, but Napo-
leon has faculty for sudden achievements.
Our Government would do well to DO on its
guard. Those islands cannot be so important
to any other Power as they are to us
The Union is growing more and more con-
sentative 1t is losing its sympathy with the
aspirations Of Young America. We predicted
that the Administration would prove strictly
conservative one, and the tone of the Union,
which, of course, seeks to represent its views,
verifes our prediction. 1t rejoices that there
is no sectional strife no prospect of rupture
with foreign nations, no material for excite
ment that the newspaper press is furnishing
for lack of news; that the action of the Gov
eminent is silent, unseen, unfelt;" that all is
still and calm. AS in duty bound, it admon-
ishes US that to the wisdom of General Pierce
the People are indebted for this charming state
of things. What wonderful man our Presi.
dent must be!
The Delaware Constitutional Convention has
adjourned, having finished its work of reform,
1t is nothing to make new Constitution now
a-days. We grow so rapidly that it is ncces-
sary to get new governments every year or
two. The Delaware Convention has decided
that Judges shall hereafter be chosen by the
People that no clergyman, while o'hciating as
IL okan ho ,hoSnn IN nnltlcai OffCe :.
that no bank charter shall hereafter be grant
cd by the Legislature, until after three months
notice of application, in at least three Della
ware newspapers that the Legislature shall
not emancipate slaves without the consent OF
the owners that free persons Of color shall not
be allowed TO come into tho State, and remain
therein longer than ten days; that contracts
with such persons coming into the State con-
trary to law, shall be null and void, and any
person hiring them shall be subject to fine OF
not less than ten or more than one hundred
dollars II will be observed that the spirit oil
humanity is not confined alone to Illinois and
Indiana, but is spreading also in Delaware
Who says we do not live in an age of progress
Since the foregoing was written, we have
seen q statement to the effect that all these
provisions in relation to colored people have
been stricken out.-Ed Era.
Tables have begun to tip and dance in Ger
many, and the People are all agog Robert
Owen, the famous schcmer and reformer In,
become CONVEX. to spiritualism in England
The learned continue to sheer at and bewail the
infatuation of the masses, and they will persis
in their incredulity, just as they have done il
relation to phrenology and animal magnetism
till the conviction of tho truth of the new phe
nomena become general. Phrenology ha
given us mental nomenclature, which has be
come part of our vernacular; animal magnet
=. :. - al-aak ,,,,;porsallv admitted "a