Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-07-19

! IA expressed By the words: male citizen" In
Maryland. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and
Texas, by the words; " El.its male person. In
South Carolina, and Tennessee, by tho words;
| :. free DAits man In Vermont, Louisiana, and
Georgia, the language il peculiar In Maine, Rhode
Island, New Jersey, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas,
Iowa, and California, by the words "iehife Dsals
cifi=ss o. the United States" which Is similar to
the Charter.
In these last the being or person Is the citizen
of the United States In those State constitutions
| in which other language Is employed, citizenship
of the United States is constitutional qualihca-
ton Of the male citizen the '.whte male per
SON." or the (" free white man" as the case may
| be. 1t is evident that the "mae citizen" the
f" white male person" or the free white man"
| must possess all the constitutional quaiucations
enjoined upon him before he exercise tbs cleo
tive franchise These qualifications are for the
most part, a residence for specified time, and the
attainment of the age Of twenty-one years. Then,
sir, Is it not equally as evident that the !" male
citizen ofthe United States" must possess the con-
stitutionI qualifications enjoined upon him. before
exercising the right of suffrage; these, for the
most part, are residence for specified time, and
the attainment Of the age OF twenty-one years
| Is not the comparison just one Substitute tor
| the words male citizen Of the United States il
| the Charter, the words male either" "whte male
| person. or free white man, and viii not this
I" male citizen, " pjsits male person." or !" free
white man." as the case may be, be required to
have residence of one year in this city, before he
can vote Undoubtedly. Then, cir, the finale citi-
| zen OF the United States must fulfil the same
constitutional requirement, But, let ~ study the
] grammatical construction more closely will take
the constitutions Of those States, in which the
being or person is expressed by the words, "1iGte
citise, of the United States" ALI prescribe GER
tain qualifications which the 'citizen of the United
Statesn must possess The qualification respecting
age is the same in ALL All prescribe residence
| qualification, though the time varies. The resi-
dcnce qualification is indicated or expressed in the
respective State constitutions, as follows:
In Maine, by the word shaving" residence.
New Jersey. Ohio, and Iowa. by the words I" who
shall have been resident"
Arkansas" who shall have been citzen.---
Rhode Island-"w has had residence" Mis-
southland shall have resided" (sipilar to our
Charter) What does the words hdving' and
shall hare" when studied in connection with the
words presided" or "residence" indicate? Ger
tainly that residence must have been commenced
at time sufficiently anterior, SO as to have been
finished and completed at the time Of or prior to
some subsequent action, which subsequent action
is dependant upon the completion Of a prescribed
| residence. Fearing the gentleman making the
minority report (Dr Mner) may be afflicted with
treacherous memory or that he may never have
learned the plain and simple rules OF grammar,
have brought with me two old grammars, which
studied years ago (Smith's and Murray . for the
purpose Of giving the gentleman lesson. IA
'iShaIl have" Is q verb. What is the tense
Smith says it is the sign Of the second future
tense" What is meant by the second future
tensesD The second future tense (says smith,
:" expresses what will have taken place at or be-,
/ fore some future time mentioned" What is the
future time mentioned in the Chatter? The day
of election. What is it that "will have taken
L nc. lav ev The an
| residence.
| What does Murray say?
"The second future intimates that She action
will be FULLY accomplished on or before the time OF
another future action or event"
! Apply this to the Charter. What action 10 II
that win be fully accomplished The residence
on or before the time OF another future action or
event" The future action Or event is the act OF
voting. Then il is clear that the residence must
be fully accomplished" "at or before" the act
of voting. This is brief lesson, and II have
failed to impress upon the gentleman this lesson
have here at least mentioned the names OF the
books from which he can, during his moments OF
| leisure, obtain correct information.
have instituted comparison between certain
State constitutions and the Charter, and have made
certain deductions from this comparison There
remains one other point in this connexion to which
l wish to aude. Does the words male citizen
VI Tue IIllLcu DEilCs, dilu WIZ in"Ao
zen," or "free white man" or :" male person"
mean one and the same thing? Certainly not;
for we find in many of the State constitutions,
where these latter words are employed, that the
being person so expressed is required IN express
terms TO be citizen of the United States whereas
this qualification is omitted in those in which the
being or person is expressed by the words mate
citizen Of Ms United States" Again, wherever
the citizenship of the United States is merely a
qualification of the being person, no other time
is specified at or prior 10 which the qualification
must be fulfilled than the day OF election. For
instance, the constitution Of Maryland is rs follows
EVERY free white male persoh, Of 81 years OF
age, who shail have been one year, next preceding
the election, resident Of the State
and being at the tiBse of the election citizen OF
the United States shall be entitled 10 vote, is the
language of our Charter, which Is totally different
| from this quotation from the constitution OF the
State of Maryland susceptible OF precisely the
| same Interpretation or meaning as this u. IL the
| Charter had been intended TO mean the same as
the Maryland constitution, why was different Lam
guage employed? The language OF the Maryland
constitution is very simple and plain, and seems
to me to be the precise words which any one would
have employed to have conveyed the meaning
which the gentleman from the Second Ward tDr.
Miller) labors to attach to the languageof the
/ Charter OF the city Of Washington.
| Again, sir, permit me to call your attention to
one or two articles of the Constitution OF the Uni
| ted States
Sec. 2, Art. /. "No person shall be Represen-
tave who shall not have attained the age OF TWEEN
ty-fve years, and been years citizen OF tho
| United States"
| Sec. 3, Art l. "No person shall be q Senator
who shall not have attained the age Of thirty yeare
| and been nine years citizen Of the United States
win the gentleman (Dr. Miller) undertake 70
construe this language to mean that any person
can be Senator who is thirty years old and who
has resided In the United States nine years. Doubt
less his sympathies would induce him 10 TO con-
strue IL; but we MI know that in the case OF Cen
eral Shields, the Senate construed Il 10 mean that
the person must be naturalized, and then have
/ residence nine years ms n citizen. Is that an in
fingement OF the rights ofthese American citizens,
manufactured to order and Tor special purpose
Time will not permit me 20 pursue this subject
any farther. There one or two other points TO
which had intended to call the attention OF mem
bers. think have fully sustained the action OF
the committee, and shown, conclusively, the rightof
1 - IA. ~.