The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-21
ARE NEGROES OITIzENsf
!, the Albany Argus

We cut the following from the Albany Argus:
WILLIAM Wars oPIsIos-Whsn and by whom was the
doctrine that colored citizens frat officially de-
cded Not during the present month by the Supreme
Court in bred Scots Not in 1888 by the supreme
court of Tennessee 10 the of The State Loyeace
indeed in 1884 by Chief Justice Daggstt in Prudence
CrandaPs II had earlier origin. 1t first OIL
ciaIly announced by Wiam Writ in 1871, when ATTORNEY
General Of the United States and lest the ALBANY Eve
nng) Journals recollection should be at fault In relation to
that learned aud distinguished uris and Christian gentle
man, add he is the William Writ whom the EsniAg
Journal oer~ards in 1882 supported &S anti Masonic
caaddote tho presidency We proceed to state the views
which Mr.. Writ put forth on this subject.
The navigation laws of the United States required that
masters of vessels should be citizens Under this statute
question in the Treasury Department whether free
negro of Virginia citizen of the United States and
therefore entitled to be placed in command of vessel The
point referred by the then Secretary of the Treasury
Attorney General of the United States in the following
form Whether tree of color are in Virginia ci
the United States within the intent and meaning
the regulating foreign and cosstng trade,
qualified to command vessels ~
To this query Mr.. Writ gave official reply in letter
to the Secretary the Treasury dated November T. 1891
from which we make the following extracts:
Choking the constitution the standard meaning
manifest that 10 included In the
scrpton Of citizen of the United States who has the
rights OF citizen in the State Of his residence Among
other proofs Of this 1t will be sufficient to advert to the
stutiona provision that the citizens Of each State shall
entitled all the privileges and mmunes of citizens the
4 III
gnia but possessing Of the high prov
IONS Of citizen of the State, nevertheless citizen Of Viz
gnia in the OF the constitution them his
another State, he acquires all the immunes and pry
leges of citizen of that State although he
of them in the State of his nativity consequence which
certainly could not have been in the contemplation the
convention Again the only qualification required by the
constitution to render person eligible President senator
or the United States u.s. that he shall DO
ciizen of the United States of given age and residence
Free and mulaoes satisfy the acquisitions
and residence well the white and nativity,
dence, and allegiance combined without the rights and
privileges of white man. sufficient make him citi-
then negroes and mulatoes eligible those high
Offices and may command the purse and sword the na.
| ton"
Mr. Attorney General Writ, after further discussing the
subject, states his conclusion in the following Words
"Upon the WHOLE OF the opinion that free persons
the intent and meaning Of the acts regulating foreign
coasting trade, to be qualified to command vesse
The Eastern (Maine) Argus gives later illustration of
this opinion in the action of the eeSate who voted
| for the Topeka constitution
Moreover the republicans themselves have very
y endorsed the doctrine applied in Kansas The
Topeka constitution, for refusing which the
cratic party in Congress in for large share of abuse
expressly confers the right of suffrage EVERY civilized
male Indian who had adopted the habit of the white
| but refuses that right to negroes muattoes."