The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-08-29
The Work of Misrepresentation.

DREp ScorT DECLARED TO BE MAN II
MAINE.-The Supreme Court of Maine has
declared that free colored persons OF Afri
can descent are authorized, upon complying
with the same laws that qualify white men
under the provisions of the constitution o.
the State, to be electors for Governor, Sena
tors and Representatives. The decision O
the court was rendered in compliance with
joint resolution of the Legislature, passed
last winter. The decision is in direct con
flict with the opinion of the United States
Court in the bred scott decision.
Both the Chicago Press and Tribune pub
fish the above paragraph as editorial, and
we have seen the same statement, with very
slight variation in language, in dozen other
black republican papers. Now that this
Maine decision is not ''in direct conflict with
the opinion of the U. S. Court in the bred
Scott decision was as we'll known to these
editors as that any dec,sion was made in the
case alluded to, for both the Press and 7ri-
5une themselves have published Judge Ia
ney's decision. What object then, can
they have in publishing such a palpable
falsehoode -
The following paragraph, which We cut
from Judge Taney.s decision, shows that
the Maine decision so far from conflicting
with, is in exact accordance with the deci-
sion of the U. S. Supreme Court: Says
Judge Taney,- .sr-.- .f-s -r-e
In discussing this question, we must not
confound the rights Of citizenship which
- ito md
the rights of citizenship as member of the
Union. IL does not by any means follow,
because he has all the rights and privileges
of citizen of State, that he must be a
citizen of the United States. lie may have
all the rights and privileges of the citizen of
a State, and yet not be entitled to the rights
and privileges of citizen in any other State.
For, previous to the adoption of the Consti-
tuition of the United States, every State had
the undoubtcd right to confer on whomso-
ever il pleased the character Of citizen, and
70 endOw him with all its rights. But this
character of course was confined to the
boundaries of the State, and gave him no
rights or privileges in other States beyond
hose secured to him by the laws OF nations
md the comfy of States. Nor have the
several States surrendered the power OF con-
erring these rights and privileges by adopt
ng the Constitution of the United States
Zach State may still confer them upon an
lien, or any one it thinks proper, or upon |
ny class or description of persons; yet he !
roUld nos - j CITIZEN in the sense in which :
hat word IS u 4 in tie Constitution of the /
intel Stats. nor entitled TO sue as such in T;
ne Of its counts, nor TO the privileges and I,
of ciiiZgn i'll the other States. I
he rights which he would acquire would /
e restricted to the State which gave them
he Constitution has conferred on Congress
he right to establish an uniform rule Of ma
lralization, and this right is evidently ex-
lusive, and has always been held by this
ourt to be so. Consequently, no State,
nce the adoption Of the Constitution, can
y natu-alizing an alien invest him with the
ghts and privileges secured to a citizen of
state under the Federal Government, al
rough, so far as the State alone was con-
erned, he would undoubtedly be entitled
, the rights Of citizen, and clothed with
\ the rights and immunities which the
constitution and laws of the State attached
that character.