Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-02-21
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Ernn, t,e 1Kaabinalon Union.

From tie Washington Union. 81
Che Right of Suffrage to Adopted Citi"
zen not Matter for Congressional,
but State Action.
The idea which the leaders of the new
secret order hold out to those who are not
willing to approve their bigoted crusade
against the liberty Of conscience in It's re-
laLions to religion, and yet who are Nn1-
'ious tb see the naturalization laws modid
ed and reduced, is. that the only way to-
secure ;his result is to ndtWrdlize the know
nothin0S, and to control a majority In Con
oress. Many sensible men. who indig
nantIy repudiate the clandestine meetings
and relentless proscri ptions Of an oath
bound order. allow themselves to be mis-
led by this speciOus appeal. But when
the citizens examine the case with even
ordinary care, they will find that the right
Of suffrage is controlled by the States, in
their sovereign capacity, Independent of
Congress; and that in effect, the natural
ization laws, Of which go many have deem
ed it necessary to complain, secure to the
adopted citizen certain civil advantages
but the States control the right Of suffrage,
and decide upon what terms and rcs:rlc~
lions it shall be exercised. In the nRtu-
ralizstion laws, passed by Congress in
pursuance Of the constitution, there is not
a word that implies any control of the
right to vote. The rights secured to the
adopted citizens under these laws have
never been aud never can be complained
Of, because they are rights in which all
are Interested, native and foreign tUrn.-
=; oil
lion Of person and property against all
foreign powers tie right to Inheritance ;
the right 10 sue and be sued, &c. What
native American or knOw-nOthing can
comulain that those ''mmunities" are eX-
tended 10 All adopted citizen lis true,
there are certain { satellites enumerated;
and the very fact that these arc cnumera-
ted and defined in the constitution and
TIE laws Of Congress. and that the impOr-
tant right Of suffrage is not defined in eli
ther, shows that the latter was Intended
to be left to tho States. und that the term
OF five wears before foreigner could be-
come a citizen" was intended to be a
condition to certain civU and political I'M
munilies. These disabilities are, that no
one but ga natural bonn citizen, or citi-
o
adoption Of this constitution, shall be eli,
gible to the Office Of President"
And also:
mo person shall be a representative
lin Cong1ess) who shall not have attain
ed the aye of twenty tivc years, and been
asven years citizen Of the United States
and who shall not, wien elected. be an
inhabitant Of the States in which he shall
be chosen"
And again:
mo person shall be q senator who shall
not have attained the age of thirty years.
and been nine years a citizen of the Uni
ted States, and who shall not, when cleo
ted be an inhabitant Of that State for which
he shall be chosen
1t will be seen how carefully the subject
Of suffrage is avoided in the constitution
IS matter for congressional actiun.-
70 make this clearer, we ask attention TO
the second section of the first article OF the
constitution, in which the subject is di-
rectly and in terms referred to the States:
. 1.-The House of Repre> cntGtves OF the
United: States shall be composed OF mem
bers chosen every second year by the
people of the several States, and the Cle:
tors IN each State shall hure tie qa"tiG.0
TONS requisite for electors IF tile most nu-
snerous 6rdncA Of Tie >t0ie legislature"
In other words, The citizen who can vote
for members OF the popular branch Of
of Con -,ress. Need we ask the QUESTION.
Can the citizen who votes Tor IL member
Of Congress be- restricted from voting Tor
President Uf HE United STATES?
Sllcss had been Land upon the second
section OF the fourth article of the cOn>ti-
tuition as implying general rule Tor vo-
ting, or Il DENIAL OF the State control oyer
suffrage:
The citizens Of each State shall be en-
titled to all privileges and immunitics Of
citizens in the several States
But this alludv> undoubtedly to the CT
vii right set for in the naturalization and
other laws. This is proved by the uni
form section of the States in yielding to
the laws of Congress on the subject Of
these civil rights. and il their taking the
control Of the rights of suffrage into their
own hands. It's true, that, in some OF The
States, the naturalization term OF five
years residence is established as nrcr>sl-
~ to secure a vote to an I" adopted CHI
ZEN" and in so far the act Of Congress
may have suggested the action OF the
States but in other States a much les,
term is provided , and in som" States NO
dilIerence is made between the natives
born and the adopted citizen, whether in
State or presidential elections. Mr.. Jcl>
ferson, ia the 7,h volume Of his writings,
defines this principle clearly:
Then comes the INV OF Congress, de-
claring that what is the law in any State
shall be the rule Of decision in their courts,
as to matters arising within that State e.
ceDs whtn controlled by their otrn statutes -
BUT THIS LAW OF CoNGREss HAS BEEN CON.