The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-03-19
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-. c.na.a.,es 70, INC ssycsal ioNnship o6ces
= ~ Al. a.. the Apfii election ian ktsaasnes |
! re0ueNed. ~ ans
d orsss a The TowIsAip cea,rsicea.
A. 4. McLoSKEg, CAn'n.
~ 0tissasAip sf celsrsa fsapis
a city contemporary thinks that scarcely
anywhere in the Unioa has am other Pf'n.
chile been recog nized, than that e'iolsa
ueoc,e are mt citizens; and it ailudes with
r.n..h susto 10 the fact that the Supreme
Court 81 Connee ticut decided more than
quarter Of century ago thai negroes were
n, caixeps. and the dccision has never esea
rever,si. The courts Of other States de
c;8ed BE- fore thai time and havedecided since'
thu, negroes are citizens. Any State can
..ae il own laws on .he SUBJECT Inc
same contemporary nakes The broad ssssf
,ioa that colored people shave never been
considered citizens Of the Uaited States"
Probably she best way Of replying 70 ihis'
il " g;sias an abstract Of those portions o.
The decisions Of Judges Curtis and AcLean
which relate to This particular branch Of the
subject discussed.
sJoase cuRrIs, ia giving his reason Tor
dissenting from the majority OF the Court.
said the question 10, whether person 81
African deacon, can be citizen OF tss
United States The Constitution uses the
Language. esiisens Of the United States y
The time OF the adoption u that instra-
ment--reierying - those ~he we're c'sssens
uaasr she Confederation. u msy. therefore,
be safely sad. the citizens OF the several
sts,t. uaaer the Confederation were oiti,
xens Of the United States under the Con-
situation. liza fact that all ,hs free ma
i've born subjects Of New Hampshire, Mss
,.chsse,ta, New York and North Caroline.
descended IRON the African race. we're not
QUIZ ritiEens. bu, possessed the franchise
Of electors on eqasi terms with other OF
white citizens, Those colorsd persons
were not enly included with the body o.
white persons in the adoption Of the Con
s,itu,ion, bot he'd the power to and did ss
IN us ADOPTION. Under the Constitution
ever, nee peseon barn On the soil OF
Safe. and made citizen By force of IL
constitution and laws, is citizen of The
limited States. Having stated the ground
OF hi. opinion, and explained the provisions
Of the Constitution, he said that every eli.
zen At the time Of the adoption Of that in.
.trumen, was 60 recognized, sad no power
vss conferred 10 discriminate between col
or, or deprive any one Of bis franchise. II
10 not true, in point Of fact, that the Con-
s,i,usion uss mace exclusively BY and foi
white people. TIE preamble openly de-
clares thai the Consiituli.n vas formed in
order to secure 10 the people Of the United
States snd her Pos,eTiiy The bisssinRs Of
liberty and as for the colored citizens, in
I've Of the States they wsie snoag those
for whom the consiiiaiioa MS ordained and
established. Color, IL The opinion Of The
trainers Oh the Constitution As not neces'
.sry to constitute Citizenship under The
Constitution Of the Unitea States and j
mishi be added. that the power 10 make
colored persons citizens has been actednPor
in repeated iasisnces-in the treaties will
tbs Choctsws. the Cherokees. and that o
Guadslspe Hissigo, in ls+5, And he ar
rived A the following conclusions:
4. That the free native born citizens Of
each State, al the formation Of the Constr
tution, became citizens of the United States.
z. That free colored citizens born with
in some of the States, and c,lizens OF those
States, we're also ci,iIens If the Unite
States.
8. That every such CITIZEN. residing il
any State, has the right 10 cue and be sued
in the Federal Court OF the State 10 which
he resides.
4. As the plea 10 jurisdiction in this case
Shove no fact excep, IS to African descent
and As this fact 10 not inconsistent with cit.
xenship of The United States, the decision
Of the Circuit Court Of Missouri was incor.
rect
He therefore disseRted frem the opinion
OF the msjoriiy Of the. Court, tina, . person
OF the African race esBnu, be eitizer o
the Unised States. He did no, believe the
opinion Of II eCsurf on question not iegili
maiely before i. to be bindisg. He beiies.
%, however, tba, the Cont has Jurisdiction
in this case, and maintained that, under tbs
law Of Missouri, Dred saa;t and hi. family
we're free ptrsoas On their return to thai
State.
relative % the subject. said that The pies q,
to jurisdiction il radically detective. IL hst
never been held Necessary ihst TO eoasti
tuts q citizen. . nan shsosd have The quail
fsstion Of an eiecior. Frtaales aud n,inors
may sue in the federal coarfs. and e. msy
an individuals sho has bis domicll in the
State 10 which he may sue The most gen
ersl definition Of . citizes 10 freeman. -
The piss does not shsS Dred Eeott to be 9
slave. II does not f2l!os man il not Tree
whose ancestors were Slaves. 80 Es9sg
II wss said ceiosed citizen. are not agree.
abIe members Of society I'D, this was more
Q matte. Of taste than Of isS. Several Of
the States have admitted such persons To
the right Of suffrage, and recognized them
as sitizens; and this has b zen done In slave
~ well a. an free States On the subject
of citizenship we have set been very fas-
tidious Under the late u sty with Mexico.
We have made citizens Of Ill grades, CON-
binstiohs and eolors. I same was done
In the cases Of Louisiana md Florida No
one ever doubted, nor {, 4rt held, that the
inhabitants did not beeon ci,izens under
the treaties. They haS become citizens
without being nsturslized
James Robiason, the youthful circus
rider, has been offered b., northern circus