Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-05-25

In comforting this power the frlmers of the Cor
stituiion nusI b We had two rts in view to
pTerent competition betceen the States IN hold
ing out Inducements for the emigration OF for
etgners, and the other to prerent their i'nProP-
eT influence 0per the General Government,
through such States as might Raturalize for
esgners. and could confer them Ihe right OF sX-
ereising the ell Give franchise, before thy coui
o. Sufficiently Informed of the nature of our insti
,nions, or were int std 10 their preservation
Both OF these on iecis would be defeated, if tn
States may confer on aliens the right OF voting and
the other privileges belonging to citizens. On that
suppos Tor, it would be almost impossible to con
ceise what good conld he obtained. o-evil pr vent
Ell oy comforting the power on Congress- The
power world DE- p rfrclly nugatory. State mi1bt
hold out very improper inducement TO emigr ton
a. freely as il the power oi not exist: and might
confer on the alien all the political rig t. and priv
Ieges belonging TO naIiVe-nOrn citizen; not only
to tie great injury of the government OF the State
but 10 an imprep. control Of the Government of
the Urion. TO hltstrate phot hare siid-Sup-
pose the dominant party in .N'eto York, find
ing political pOtcer about TO depart from them
should, to maintain their ascendency, ertend
the right Of suffrage to the thousands Of aliens
of eUeTy language and from eUery portion of
the u0rtd that annually pour into her great
enlpOrtum--h0ao deeply might the destiny of the
tchoie Union be affected By such measure. II
might, in fret, place the control Over the Gene
raj Government in the hands Of those ichO
ka0tc nothing of our institutions and are
indifferent as to the interests of the country.
New York CIV about sixth OF the electoral
votes in the choice of President and Vice Pres
dent; and il is we'll known that h,r polite nsti-
tutions keep the State nearly quA " divided into
two great poll ica parties. The addition of a few
thousand votes either might turn the scale, and
the electors might ~ Iacr, owe their election, on
the superstition, &c the v0t 8 OF unnaturrlized FIR
eign r.. The Presidential election might depend
on the electoral vote Of the Stat and President
he chosen in reality by them; that is, they might
give us a king-lor. under the usurpations of the
present Chhf Magistrate the Pr, 81 :rnt is in fact
king ask nv Colleague it W. ought Willingly 10
yield our assent TO principle that would lead 10
such resuts-and il there be any danger on the
81 lie for which contend, comparable to those witch
| have stateG? know how sincere he is in the
truth OF the position for which he contends, and
that lis opinion founded anterl, this discus
ion. We have rarely differed in our views Oh the
questions which have come before the Senate aud
| de- ply rrgrrt, IS | am sure he does, that We
should differ on this highly impOr ant sutj CT.
Ny colleague cites the example Of Louisiana
which a1mittei Into the Union without reguir-
ing the Inhabitants at the timt to conform TO the
act OF naturaliz ,tiOD. must think the instance Is
not in point. That a case If the Incorporation
of foreign community which had been acquired
by treaty, as Il mem of our COutedeTacy. At
the time OF the acquisition they were sutj cts OF
France and owed their IL glance to that govern
meht. Tie treaty transferred their allegiance TO
the United States; and the difficulty OF incorporat-
Ing Loul-ana into the Union, arose, not under the
act OF naturalization, bat the right Of acquiring
foreign possessions by purchase, and the rghi IL
cooperating such possessions into the Union.
These we're felt, at tue time, to be estiOus OF
great difficulty Mr.. Jcfferson himself unstr WI, ss
administration the purcua-e made dOuted lie
right, and suggested the ce,slty o All alteration
ol the CONSTITUTIONS TO meet the use; and il the a.
-UpIe O the admission is 70 be u-rd to estaL-
! lin the principle that State may confer ciuz.i-
snip Oh alien, we may al hSs to regret that the
consultation Was not am nued according To tn SUI
/ gestlon. My colleague insists that, 10 deny the
hit tOr which be Contends, wouI be o. CO Ter OF
| Congress the right OF prescribing who snouli or
should not be enuted to vote ia the State aud tx
ercisc the other privileges belonging 10 ciuz Us !;
ard portrayed in strong language TIE danger u
the rights OF the States from such authority. II
| bis views are correct in this respect, the Danger
would, md ed, be imminent; but cannot cOLcui In
tneir CORRECTNESS Under the view which 1 nave
taken, tue authority OF Congress is limited to the
sample point oil passing uI liorm laws OF uaturLz--
ton, or, as have shown, SIMPLY TO remove alleI-
age. 10 this extent &c may cleariy 90, under the
constitutions; aud il is no less clear Tat II ciuuOt
| go all inch bey ond without lpduly TRANSFORMING
Its powers, an 'iJldtiug the constitution. Every
otAer privilege except those which Necessarily How
from TIE remoVl OF aienage, must be coul,rred
by the CONSTITUTION and the authority OF the STAT
| Ny r,muks ar, OF course, confined 10 the Stat
Tor "ithu the Ternton ), the authority of Con ress
as mplet in this Respect thit OF Tie States
withIa Ihelr respective lHits WITH the ptiOn OF
slcn limitations the ordnance to which have
| re err. d may Impose.
But to pass to the question Immediately before
| Us. This, as | have stated does not involve tlv
question Shetner state make all alIeH d CIt!-
u; Out Sheth,r COugres mas right TO PRESCRIBE
Tue quanhcIuous TO De poss ,sseI b. those wuO
IN ii vote Tor me mOers If "a cOhvehtlon 10 form a
co 'sitIti1u tor Michigan. h. sou aud proceed ut
cI"eur. nat Congress has the r5ht. Il mas, as
nave stat u, Oeeu rcIsvd Ia every similar case.
ii Tue right does not exist IN Congress, lt exists
no"hefe. Territory, uu IL II 0ecUmes St,ta, rs
dependent community, abd pos ess,s no pOiitic Il
rights 1ut what are Cerlved irum the GU umuuIty
0n "nth II depends. Who shall or $ ali not exer
else poiIlca pOWeTs? and what SHALL De the quahnc
tlons possessed them! AMI how The shall DC =
p"inttd! are all questions 10 be determined by
TIE pAramO Int Community aud in t Z cas- uud, /
|
"hich has tie right, under ,ne couet tuition, to
prescr'bs all necessary rIl for the gov rumrnt Of
1ne Territories not Inconsistent with tn proviiOus
oI the constitution. rnis very bill, IN c., admits
| The right. II prrscro that the peopl OF Mic j.
gan sua vote for the convention TO turn H. eOl.-
sthuton, on becoming State II it belongs 10
tue / rntory OF Michigan (sbe is rot vt a otttr)
" usteT'niue who shell vJte To- the members Of
we convention, thls auempt on part 70 d sig
La hfaa hall gk
sututlonal Interference with her right and ou- ht
10 De objected TO, as such, by those opposed to
our 'le"s But If, on the Other hand, the view
take Dc correct that the right b, longs To Congress-
aud not to the Territory, the oos, vague, aud ill.,
definite manner 10 which the vot rs are d, scTlbed
III The bi lhords De cisive rrasOn for ITS recom-
misment. ask, who sre the people OF Michigan!
Taken IN the ordinary sense it means every body,
of every age. OF every sen, OF every complexion,
white, black, or RED, aliens as well as cittzeus -
Regarded in this hight, to pass Itis till, would
sanction the principle that Congr 81 may author
ize an alien to votc or conf that high privilege
on the ruuaw y slaves from Kentucky, Virginia
or elsewhtrf; and thus elevate them to the con-
ditioh of citizens enjoying under the constitution
ail the rights and privileges in the States Of the
Uoion which appertain to citizenship. But my
colleague says that this must aCquI, sc,d 10,
such shoGlI be the case. az it res uiis ron the
principles OF the constitution know SRI
bound to submit to whaievrI are tie provisions OF
that in'irum snt; but surely my colleague will
sgree Sih me. that the dhger Of such pre-
eedent you'll be great; that the principles on
which i Is justified ought to be IL ar aud free
irom all doubt; and trust have, at least, SHOWN
that such u not the fact 10 tAis casa.
Bot, We are tole, that the people OF Michigan
means, ia this case, the qualified voters. VI
! then, was il not expires ~ Why was vague
aud general iangus used, when more certain
and precise Germs might have bsen employrdf
| But, you'd ask, VINO are tue qlali6ed yotrrs.
Are they those authorize 70 vote uadvr tie
Ing laws establish'd tor the government Of tbe
TtrritoT! or arc they tho-e Who und, The ins.ra-