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

SPEECH OF ZION. JOHN c. CALHOUN
OFsOJIH CARO- INA.
Delivered 10 the Senate Of the United States, April
81, 1885, on the motion Of Senator PORTER. OF
Louisiana, to recommit the bill to establish the
Northern Boundary Of Ohio, and for the adms-
sion Of Michigan into the Union.
This speech will be found vol %. Of the Works
of Nr. Calhoun page 49sto SOC. TWAS not pub
lished in the Congressional debates, but was
tanned for revision by Mr.. Calhoun, aud o,ly pub
Iished in bis works, edited by n. Crslle, in 1883
Mr.. CALHOUN said:
regret that my colleague has thought proper
TO raise the question, whether State has ri BIT
| to make an alien cit zen of the State. The qnes-
| ton is one OF great magnitude-prrs nted for The
| fret time-snd claiming a more full and deliberate
confederation than can be b. slowed on il now. IL
is not necessarily involved In the pr sent question
The point BOW at issue is, not whether a State or
Territory has right to make an alien citizen;
but whether Congress has right to prescribe the
qualifications of the YoterS for numbers Of the con-
vention to form constitution preparatory to the
admission of Territory into the Union. l pre-
sumo, that even my colleague will not DEW tat
Congress has tie right Tie constitution confers
on Congress the po'OeT to gogtrh the IerT1toft s;
and, OF course to prescribe the quail nc Ilons al W.
trrs within them-Si bout any restricton-unl' 81,
NAV enforce "a power that expr only ma Ter
/ ri o'y btcpmes st te. The practice OF the gov
eminent has been 10 conformity with these views;
and there is not an instance OF the admission OF
| Territory into the Union. in which Congress- has
not prescribed the qualifications OF the voters Tor
members OF the State, on 8 admir- sion The pow
| er hich Congress has thus invariably ex rcised,
| We claim to exert ise on the present occasionally
prescribing who shall b. the to form the
attutiOn for the governm Mt of Michigan, when az
mitt,d into the Uaion. Michigan is not yet a S at
Her constitution is not { rmed. 1t is at best,
but in an il cipient state-~hich can only be con-
summstrd by complying with the conditions which
! we may prescribe for her mission. A convention
is b. called under this BILL agree these
ditions. On motion OF the Senator from New York,
(Mr. Wrght) provision was introduced into the
BILL giving the right to the people of the Territory
at arge-Wilhout Limitation, restriction, TO age
sex, color, or citiz nship-tO vote for the men bsrs
| If the Convention. TIE Senator from Kentucky
| (Mr Claw while the amendment Of the 5 nator
IRON New York was pending, NOV to amend the
snt Bdment by sfrking out propl and ms ring
tree white male citizens of twenty years OF age
thus restricting the voters to the FREE white citi
zrns of the ULited States, in conformity with what
has been usual on such occasions.
Believing that Congress bad the uDquestonabe
right to prescribe the qualifications of voters, as
proposed by the Senator from Kentucky, aud that
the exeIcise of such night does not involve in any
desre the quest on whether State has a right to
| confer alien the rights OF citizenship must
repeat the expr, ssion of my regret, that my col
league has felt it to be his duty to raise question
novel and important, when have so little is
| ure for bestowing on it the attention which il de-
serves But since he considers its decision as nec-
essariy involved in the question before us feel it
to be my duty TO state the reasons why cannot
concur with him in opinion.
DO not deem it necessary to follow my colleague
aud the Senator from Kentucky in their attempt
to define describe citizen. Nothing is more
difficult than the d, 6nion, description Of
so complex az idea; ana hence, all argum, Its
iug on one dt hniton in such cases, almost nrces-
sari lead to uncertainty aud dou't But though
wr mug not b. able to say Nth precision, ,rhat a
citze, as ue may say, Witt the utmost certainty uhot
he as not. H. IS not alien Atiert and citizen
correiatUe terms, and stand IN cOHtradiStnc tion
to eoeh other. They, of course, cH,nOt cOeriSt.
They ar, III fact, 50 opposite IN th n nature. that
We conceive Of the one bat in contradisiuction to
the ether. Thus far, all must sgIeed ny next
step is not less certain.
The constitution conf rs on Congress the author
ity TO pass uniform aNs OF nsturaz alton This will
not be questioned; nor will b., that the tfsct Of
naturalization Is to aiie'toge. am not
t.in that the word is legitimate one.
| Mr.. Preston said, in a low tone, it was
My col eague Gays it is. His authority il high
on such question s; and with it, feel myself at Ito
er the VOID. TO remove alient-e is sim, ,ly
to put tn fOrei- ncr in the condition of native
bOru To this ext Mt the act OF naturalization
goes, and no further
The next position l assume is no J. 50 certain;
that tUAen Congress his exercised its authority BY
possi q 'ojE rm ,dO of nat,s 6zailo" (ls It has
IL excludes tie right of erercisa smit r author
'ty Tie part Of tie Site. To suppose that tue
States coul pass naturalization acts of their own,
after Congress had passed An uniform law of nAtu-
rdZ alton, would be 10 make the provision OF the
constitution nugatory 10 not deem it necessary
TO dwell on tbs point, as IN ierstooi NY colleague
acq lie. cling in it, corr, ctness.
am now prepared TO deri1e tn question W ich
nv league has rtis d. Ihave SLowa that cjti
zen az no. an alien, and tn ajiesage is an i"sep
abte bIr Ter til rcmoVed to ctize"ship; and that 1t
car, only be remoUed bg cOmpiyi Q Nth the act Of
% greSS IL JoHOus, fcOnrSe that State cannot
Of us authority, make alien a citizen uith at
such compliance. 10 suppose a iHUoiU's. i1t
my opinion, confasao1 OF ideas phich must lead
to iaHuntrab d6atrRties aud contributions.
propose TO notice bat few. Ia fact, the discus
sion has come on Unexpectedly, aud has been
urged on prec pi'atey, through the force OF par
" discipline that little leisure has been afforded to
trace TO their conse quences the many novel aud
dang, rOus principles involved in the bill |, in
particular, have not bad due time for rh ction,
which exceedingly regret. Attendance on the
lex bed of friend drew off ny att, ntion till yes
Tday; when for the first time, turned my
lhou. hts on its provisions. Toe numerous obiec-
ions which Il presented, aud the may and impor-
t,ut amendmen which were moved to correct
them IN rapid succession, until late hour OF the
right allowed but little time for reflection. See
ing that the majority had predetermined 10 pass
lhr bil with oil Us faults retired, when found
my presence cOul no longer be. of any service,
aud remained ignorant that the Srnate had rescIn-
DID the order 10 a, journ over I'LL Monlsy, until
short time b, fore It's me- ting this morning; that
came here wnoly unprepared 10 discuss this sud
the other Important qu, stions involved in the bill
Under such circumstances, il must not be supposed
that in pointing out the few instances OF what sp-
pear to me the absGrdities and contradictions nee
ess-rily resulting from the principle against hich
contend, there are not many Others, equally stTik-
ing | but suggest those which first accurred to
me.
Whatever dTeredce of opinion there mey be as
to what other rights appertsin to citizen, all must
least agree, that he has the right TO petition, ard
also to 81 i'm the protection OF lis government.
These belong TO him rs member OF body the pol
tic-and the possession OF them, is what separates
liz ms OF e lowest condition fro aliens and slaves.
To suppOss hot STATE can rake alien citizen
Of he State or TO present the question speei
dily can confer on him the rtght o. rotiag ,ootid
@00ttf "t "Pe"f"ssg ~ yt't"g"efs % utf'te ht-
mediate cOstol The 0ef,Oas OF tie Genera Cor
eminent. IRON rAiet he has right &, eiais, tie
prafectioa and 20 heb he has right 10 2reseat
petition That the iul iorce Of the ab-urdisy may
be i,lt, il must be born, 10 mind that every de-
psrIment OF the Gen.rsl Government il either d.
" or indirectly under the control OF The vos rs
ia tue several States. The constitution wisely pro
vides that the voters for the numerous bFaBch
OF the Legislatures in the several States shall vote
tor the III, morrs of the House Of representative
and, the members Of tbs body are chosen by
the l. gisla,uF.s Of the States, Presidential