Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-02-28
A Palpable Dissection.

WE are inrlehlrd TO our immcdaI. Congressional
Representative for newspaper con aiming lung let.
Ter br Hon. WILEY p. HARRIS of iS,issippi. on The
trnels If the New Party III no icing one of the
the prominent features Of Kunw Nmhingisn-its ad-
vucacy Of all exclusion of foreigners "m the ee, live
franchise bv Congressional lrgisuiiun-llc writer
poses its deformiiy in n manner which must satisfy
every true disciple Of tine States Rights school. We
copy below this portion Of his argument, and ask GER
tain Southern c. tenn orares, whom we regret to find
in open advocacy Of this dangerous political order.
how they can once themselves TO 50 absurd Il
blu der as is here disseced:
Citizenship and the right 10 vote ire distinct. One
is regulated Ivy the rational COVER men, and the other
left by te constitution TO he regulated by the States
a uaII NAV b citizen uf the United STATES aud Yet
nut entitled Ia in any Stale # this unnn. He
may lie cZen ul the United States, aud yet the
right 10 ole my be conferred upon him by any Stale
Ui Tie Union. In vain may know nothing patlU: ms
proclaim tie duclrne that Stale has no right 10
regulate the elective franchise respects foreigners.
Tie propositions have just laid down are incoLlro.
vcrIihu. 'rh constitution has nowhere granted 10
the federal government the power 10 prescribe the
qualification Of voters in the several States, and has
nuwhee placed any restriction upon The exercise ol
this puwrr by the States The effect of naurazimg
foreigner ssmpy establish certain relaIiuns between
him and The federal government. 1t entities him 10
its protection against other governments, and gives
him the right 10 hold certain Offices in the federal
government. His social relations and dulles reg
ulaled by Stale law. and can only he regulated by
Stale law. 4 State may confer upon him The right TO
acqu re- proper V, tU hold it, and 10 transmit it 10 his
desce dans. ) ate laws provide for him the
of protect ny his life, his liberty aud his properly, and
State laws confer upon him The right TO VOTE lfhe
should select Massachusetts, for his home when the
election he does not look To the constitution
and laws ol the United States to ascer ain whether lie
vue, but to the constitution and laws of Massa-
chliSets. A. to elections 10 Stale Offices ii cannot
be pretended that Congress can interfere without Ut
erly destroying every wstige of State sovereignty;
and !he constitution has expressly declared That the
qualifications for electors members of lie House of
Representatives. shall ne H. the qualifications
Of electors of li most numerous branch of tie Stale
legislatures, and these qualifications only be fixed
by tile States What Congr SIS cannot do directly it
mot do indirectly. The ccciun of senators is
fded to he State ! gislutnrrs, however composed
The qualifications of the members of these legislatures
can, uf course, be fixed by the States only The re
suit is, that lessla by Congress on the subject Of
naturalization laws will touch The influence Of
foreigner in elections. Their influence in the pres
dental elecuns Is most loudly complained of, and
Yet the constitution has civen, in express words,
the Stale legislatures, unlimited discretion in deter
mining who shall choose the electors. They may
cunier the power to appo ut electors exclusively on
native Americans if they think proper. They can
confer it upon one man, or ten meo, or upon all the
inhabitants Of the State collectively.
As 10 foreign aupers and convics, il is in the pow
er of the States 10 prevent their being landed their
shor $, or to exel them after they landed. There
seems 10 be doubt minds us 10 the effect of
q decision Of the Supreme Court question grow
ing out of foreign emigrao;. the decision was made
in the weIl-knnwn nssenger cases of Boston and
New York Both the majority and minority the
court, which was divided the main q eslon in
Sc cases, which was the right Of the States to
passengers in essrs cunning from foreign ports con-
Cured in the opinion llrnr, raupers, ronvics,
aud criminals, the States had full puwer to prohibit
their iulroducton. Mr. Chief Justice Taney, in an
o. nior remarkable for cearnsss and force of reason.
in. goes further and says that the States can prohib.
il the landing of foreigners if they think them danger