Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-11-15
AN ADDRESS

Missouri Ndtipe Ameriedn association, pre-
seated BY Hespasian Ellis, Esq, President
Of the association, and Chairman of the
Special Committee appointed to prepare
Me same, and adopted ia a general meet
ang Of said association, February o, 1S4l,
CONCLUDED.
But, connected with the question now under
consideration, we will advert to the recently
avowed constitutional power of State to con-
Ter tho right Of suffrage upon unnaturalized
foreigners. We arc at loss TO imagine the
grounds upon which the assumed power rests.
we have discussed the point, and we hope
placed it beyond all cavil that the power to
natllralize foreigners dwells only in Congress.
The right of free suffrage is the most ex-
altcd privilege Of citizenship. In almost all
civilized countries, alien friends are permitted
TO hold property. In some countries this per-
mission or allowance is more, i'm others less
limited In most Of the States of this Union
property may be held and transmitted by aliens
This permission by State to aliens does not
affect the rights or interests of other States
No objection can with propriety be made by
any State, or by Congress- to whatever provis-
ions the legislatures Of other States NAV enact
ON this subject Free negroes and mulattoes
transient persons females, criminals, all are
allowed the privilege Of holding and enjoying
property in every State in the Union nor can
Congress abridge this right, for it has no juris-
diction over such internal regulations Of any
State as do not interfere with the exercise Of
the powers grantedto Congress. Whilst, there
fore, by naturalizing foreigners, Congress (if
no conditions are annexed) places them on foot
ing with native citizens, it cannot control the ex-
ercisc of privileges granted by State to for
eigners, not naturalized, which do not fall with
in the scope Of its delegated powers.
But we have already seen that the main
reason which operated to induce the grant of
exclusive power to Congress over the question
OF naturalization, was, that each State had the
power to transform aliens into citizens of all
the States without the consent of those States,
and thus give them political power in any
State wherein they might choose to reside
This evil was intended to be remedied by con-
ferring this exclusive power of naturalization
upon Congress. But If the right to make
voters of those foreigners who have not been
made citizens be allowed to an individual State
of what use is this congressional power Of
naturalization-to what purposes can it be
applied-and how does it affect the original
evil The most important right of citizenship,
and one whose exercise affects the whole
Union, would be conferred by one State
Congressional legislation would be of no avail
as it regards the exclusion of the political in
fuence Of foreigners. The original evil, then,
would not be remcdicd. Suppose, for exam
pie, that Illinois should Gas in fact she does)
admit all foreigners to the polls upon six
months residence, without regard to the con-
gressional rule Of naturalization, whilst the
other States confined the right of suffrage to
native and naturalizcd citizens? IL the elect
oral vote of all the other States for President
and Vice President should be equally divided
between two rival candidates, would not the
alien votes Of Illinois elect those officers Sup
pose the votes of the native and naturalized
citizens of that State to be equally divided be-
tween rival candidates for Congress? would
not the votes Of aliens send members to Con-
grcss to lcgislate for the United States Sup
pose the same division of the votes of native
and naturalizcd citizens to exist in the different
counties Of that State in the election of mem
bers to the State Legislature, would not the Lc-
gslature be composed Of the representatives
Of alienss And would not Senators to Con-
gress from Illinois be indirectly elected by
aliensa Have not all the States Of this Union
a direct interest in this question? Is not this
in substance the identical evil intended to be
remcdicd by comforting on Congress the exclu-
sive power Of naturalizing forcigncrsg
Will any man, who is not utterly reckless Of
his reputation as constitutional lawyer, pre-
tend for one moment TO sanction so prcpostcr-
GUS claim as that Of State to make voters of
alicnsg Who are citizens, and who are voters /?
Citizens are all frccmen born in the United
States, and all foreigners naturalized by our
congressional laws voters arc those portions
OF citizens who by the constitutions Of the re-
spectivc States participate In the exercise Of
sovereignty A citizen Of any one State is en-
titled to the rights Of citizen in all the United
States; but voter in one State is not ipso
tacto entitled to be voter in another State.
All voters must necessarily be citizens, because
the right of suffrage is the highest right Of a
citizen but all citizens are not therefore voters,
because particular qualifications are required
in citizens for the exercise Of this exalted prvi-
legc
The ordinary rights of citizenship do not
therefore necessarily include the right Of suf
flage, though the exercise Of the right of SUI.
frage implies unqualified citizenship. Ifa Vir-
ginian or Kentuckian removes TO Missouri, he
becomes citizen Of Missouri the first moment
he settles himself on our soil but he is not a
voter till after one years residence. If a
Georgian crosses the line and settles himself in
South Carolina, he at once becomes citizen Of
that State, but he is not voter till he has re-
sided there two years Yet for all other pur-
poses he has all the rights of citizenship He
can hold and transmit property, sue and be
sued, and is protected by the laws in his per-
son and liberty. The difference between citi-
zens and voters is made still more manifest,
and the propriety Of the distinctions we have
stated more apparent by reference to the diff
ferent qualifications required in the different
States, to constitute voters An examination
OF the several State constitutions will exhibit
this question in its proper light In some Of
the States the citizen must have resided within
their limits one year, and in others two years
to be voter. In some Of them he must pos
scss a specified amount Of property, and in
others he must have paid tax, and in some
few States he must have all these qualifications
to entitle him TO vote.
II 1t should be pretended that because the
terms Inhabitants" and persons" arc some
times used in the State constitutions, instead
Of citizens" there is an argument dcduciblc
from this fact in favor Of the power we arc
combating, we answer, that no matter which
Of these terms is used, it is perfectly clear and
incontestable that no persons whatever, save
natIvpg eau claim nr eptov o,v ,,ol;t,o,l rn,uor