Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-04-24


Efay~ Some democrats, fearing that the
decision of the Supreme Court, in the
bred Scott case, may put an extinguisher
upon the slavery agitation the food upon
which their party has subsisted for twenty
ycars-are endeavoring to make capital
out of that decision by contending that it
affirms the entire doctrine of the Nebraska
bin. 1t is true--and every American en-
dorsos it--that the decision does affirm, to
the fullest extent, the doctrine Of non
intervention, and the unconstitutionality
of the Missouri Compromise. But be it
remembered, neither of those points in the
bill, constitutes the grand obje ,tion to it,
on the part of those who woulN Ameri-
caaiac the government Squatter Sovereign
ty and alien suffrage are the features which
violate the Constitution and PROSTATE the
rights Of the natives at the feet of for
cigncrs.
Vow, if any democrat can show that the
decision, in question, affirms either of these
most odious features of the Nebraska bill,
lie can show that which has never yet been
published. 1t seems to us that no man of
ordinary sense and fairness, can read that
clause of the Constitution which declares
that Congress shall have power to pass a
uniform system Of naturalization laws,
Misunderstanding it to be one of the powers
conceded by the States; and being sur
rendered, the States can not exercise it, or
make citizens. They may qualify citizen
ship by laws, regulating period of residence,
or amount Of property; but to contend
that they can make citizens of the United
States, is an absurdity. And if they can
not do this, neither can they make citizens
whose rights and immunities shall be con.
fined within the limits Of given State,
because the Constitution declares, in ex
press terms, against any such citizenship
and because every such citizen of State
must, If he exercise the right of stfrage
act in federal capacity, and in the face
of the authority delegated, without reser.
vation, to Congress.
9ut IL is not less clear that the States
can not make citizens, than that Congress-
can not do it, but an uniform manner, with
out vioationg the Constitution. The
mode prescribed, to wit-declaration o.
intention md five years residence-car
not be departed from without an usurpa'
ton Of power not dole lel and the Ne
braska bill. hlgiyias aliens the right t.
vote in the territorics whilst they have nj
such rights in the States directly violates
he Constitution, and she egislative actor
If the torritoriesais vitiated by such un
constitutional proceeding. These point
arc settled by the decision, in the bred
Scott case, directly against the Nebraska
bill, and every officer, in the Territories
who has taken an oath to support the Cou
stitntion, perfumes him. # when he suffer
an alien to vote, or gives his official sane
ton to any legislative enactment that af
fcets slavory-pro or con- Such is tn
Constitution, and such the decision of tn
SupsOme Court, from which there is n
appeal.
Tho doctrine of nou-interveution, a Sc
forth in the Nebraska bill, is right, whe
divesisd Of is squater sovereignty con
eomitant; but the latter feature has eve
been repudiated by every true-heartc
southerner.' And now thao the Suprcnl
Court has decided that CONGRESS- has n
power TO lcgislate upon the the subject
slavery, and can not confer that right upo
the people of Territory pwhilst actin
in a pHroly territorial capacity, lis to