Daily American organ., 1856-03-29

imply the right to vote, and that citizensbip
may b enjoyed though the privilege Of suf-
fage Be denied. 1t follows from the premises,
a. logical certainty, that the privilege Of suf-
| ffage-may be burdened with conditions, limit
ations, and restrictions, and that the fact Of
withholding it for stated period after the
completion Of naturalization, is only such a
condition as the Legislative power possesses the
perfect right to prescribe. $500 f
Acquiescencein in the proposition that citizen
ship does not ca "a termini, carry the right to
vote, but, on the contrary, that conditions and
limitations may be imposed on the privilege of
suffrage without invading the right Of citizen
ship, does not imply consent to another propo-
sition advanced in that debate, apparently like
the foregoing, to wit !: that the right TO vote
may be given here or in the States and Terri
tories ioithout citizcnship 1t was the opinion
Of some of our most able statesmen and jurists
that suffrage could not be extended to an alien
without doing violence to the very essence Of
the State, and without violating the spirit Of
the Constitution Of the United States
We do not doubt that this last point will at
tract the most serious attention of every mem
Der, when Congress- shall engage in the consid-
GRAFTON of the bill to amend the existing natu-
ralization laws The practice Of some of the
States, and the consequences to flow from the
participation Of aliens in the management Of
this government challenge the attention of the
whole country 1t is not requisite to our pre-
sent purpose to extend the inquiry, now, 50
far. We think that the argument proves that
there is no deficiency Of power in Congress to
pass the proposed amendment, because Of its
violation either of the letter or spirit of the
constitution. Conceding the power, is it expe-
dent to adopt the proposition Of Mr. Marshall
heexisting law and the bill of the Committee on
Elections demand years residence in the city,
citizenship Of the United States, and payment
Of the school tax, as conditions for the privi-
lege of suffrage. Why are these acquisitions
made2 The answer is, that proper guards may
be interposed TO insure interest in and fidelity
to the municipal affairs of this Metropolis, and
intelligence to direct that fidelity advantageous
ly for community.
The amendment has just this practical effect
and no more, to-wit that in counting resi-
dsace under the. law, the residence of the for.
eigner pending has alienage shaH not 6o taken
into tho computation. If you require that
the native citizen Of Maryland or of Alexan-
dria, who moves into this city, shall reside
here whole year in order to give the proper
evidence of his intention to abide permanently,
and to learn properly the duties which he may
be called on to discharge as member Of the
Corporation, it affords him just ground Of COM
plant that you shall accept Immediately the
allen who throws off his allegiance to q foreign
potentate and sovereign only a few days prior
to the election. The alien who resides here
does not necessarily acquire any knowledge of
the duties Of an American citizen. He is not
expected to practice them, because his proper
study is obedience to the laws Of that allegi-
glance to which he looks for protection. He
should have at least as long probation under
his neso relation to government as is required
of the native citizen who may have moved into
the town from only three or four miles in the
country, and who has practised allegiance to
the Union through his whole lifetime. The law
does not demand Of the alien any duty: it
does not recognise him. Is it not strange,
then, that, under the law, we would COUNT
BACK for him through period when he could
not be fairly supposed to be undergoing the
probation before the law which is demanded by
it of all? ssFl Tytg
He may be a resident of the city, but at the
same time he is . subject of foreign Prince,
and during the whole of that year he may be
night and day plotting to destroy the prosper
| ity of this country, insulting the honor, plan
ming an invasion of the territorial rights of the
United States, or he may be violating their
statute law. Peradventure he may have de-
clared his intention to become citizen Of the
United States twenty years since, but has
never chosen heretofore to carry that intention
into effect; some point Of heavy interest may
arise, and he may step into the courtroom on
the morning of the election and complete his
title to citizenship, A native of the country,
and resident for ten months in this city, and
owning possibly hundred thousand dollars
worth Of real estate in the city may stand by
his side Is it sound policy, or the effect Of
wisdom to give him aparticipation in the gov
ernment which you deny to the nativef Should
he not be required to live here as a citizen as
long ms the native American is required to live
here as citizens Indeed, is not that essen
| tial to our equality before the law?"
Americanism i'm Congress.
The debate in the House of Representatives
on the Suffrage Bib, has shown greater ex-
tent Of American feeling and sentiment in that
body than many had believed to exist 1t is