Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-11-13
From he Nsv York Courier.

ration required We commend the subject to
the consideration Of our readers.
From The New York Courier.
The only positive work which the constitution
does In regard TO foreigners Is TO PRESCRIBE. The
constitution has but five clauses touching the sub
ject: four Of them are prohiJitory, and the other
simply peraissive. There is no guarantying clause
whatever. We must be pardoned for recalling the
very language Of the constitution for this progress
siye generation Is fist losing sight OF even the
painest features Of that document:
Section 5, article ii, Of the constitution says
mo person, except a NATURAL dorm CITIZEN, or a
citizen of the United States at the time of the
adoption Of this constitution, shall be eligible to
the Office of President" That is prescription.
Section 3, article NIL of the constitution, says .
"No person consttutionally ineligible to the Office
of President shah be eligible 10 that of Vice Pres
ident of the United States' That is prescription
Section 3, article !, says: mo person shall be
a senator who shall not have attained the age of
thirty years, and been NINE YEARS CITIZEN of
these United States That il proscription
Section 2, article ], says "No person shall be
representative who shall not have attained the
age Of twenty-five years, and been SEVEN YEARS
CITIZEN" That is prescription.
These are disabilities imposed upon foreigners
after they have been made citizens. But, more
than this, tho constitution leaves il discretionary
whether TO make them citizens at all. II simply
confers the power, simply permits.
Section 8, article ], says: Congress shaH hare
poicer to establish uniform rule of naturalization,
and uniform laws on the subject OF bankruptcies
throughout the United States"
Nothing whatever obliges Congress to exercise
this power or restricts its range in either direc-
ton when it il exercised Congress may require
two years previous residence as was required by
the act of 1900; or five years. as by the acts Of
l795 and 1902; or fourteen years, AZ by the act OF
1898; or twenty-one years, as now demanded; or II
may withhold naturalization entirely. The ques-
ton is purely one of expectancy. IL il true TINT
after the naturalization has been conferred il call-
not be retractcd. Congress has no power TO make
ca post facto laws, and therefore power to UNI
make citizens who have become such by its own
acts. But nobody proposes this
But there Is blunder in supposing that naturali-
cation confers the right OF voting. IL does no
such thing. II has nothing to do with voting one
way or the other. There are naturalizcd people
who cannot vote there are non-naturalized peo-
pie who can vote Foreigners in many Of the
western States vote after years or half years
stay in the country, though stay of five years is
necessary for naturalization. In some of the
southern States property qualification is neces-
say to the right Of voting, and no person, whether
natural born or naturalzcd can vote without it.
Congress can naturaize, but Congress cannot con-
fer the power of voting. That power is conferred
by the States alone, and by each according to its
own sole discretion in the way defined by itself in
its own State constitution Each State is sovereign
in that respect It bcsto@s the power of voting
according to its own view of its own interests.
There is no such thing as natural right to vote.
They who talk Of it show themselves Ignorant Of
the very elements of civil government. The cleo
ton franchise is franchise, and the very defni-
ton of franchise is right granted in distinction
from right inherent. In respect to suffrage, the
right is granted by the constitution, and as this
grant changes the right changes. There is not
State in the Union In which the grant is not
qualified one. 1t is extended only to those of a
certain age; women are excluded from il in most
of the States colored men and paupers are cx-
cluled from it; In some of the States those who
do not own certain amount of property or a GER
tain description of property arc excluded from it.
Each State through its constitution, controls the
matter as it likes. 1t can extend this franchise
curtail it as it chooses; and this power is inscpa-
rabic from the State sovereignty.
But, again, there is yet another bunder in sup
posing that the Constitution of the United States
guarantees the liberty Of conscience. II does no
such thing. Ii simply interdicts the making "a
religious test the qualification to any Office of pub
lie trust under the United States and epons that
Congress shall make no law respecting the cstab-
islment of religion prohibiting the free exercise
thereof" The constitution imposes no restrictions
upon the States in this respect, though in many
other matters it expressly does; and there ID not
religious denomination in the country, be 1t Pres
bytcrian, Episcopalan, Roman Catholic or any
other, which the State may not disffanchise pro-
scribe without violating the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States The guarantees Of the liberty of con-
science are not to be found in the federal constitu
tion but in the state constitutions and though all
these constitutions do secure liberty circumstances In
lis proper sense 1t ID undeniabc that in one Of them
atlcast--we mean that of New Hampshire-relgious
tests are not only recognised but actually imposed.
Now, none can respect liberty of conscience more
than we. OF all liberties it is the very which
we deem tho most sacred, and we viii yield 10 none
in determination TO uphold the third section OF the
first article Of state constitution which secures
it, but, IN proportion as we respect this great right
Of free conscience, desire that its positive guar
antecs should not be misplaced or misunderstood.
They lodged in the state constitution, and IL Is
there that every friend Of religious liberty must see
that they arc firmly Incorporated and preserved in
violate
Boston CRIMINAL STATIsncs-Thc quarterly
report of Robert Taylor, chief Of police, has