Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-03-27

rights Of the white man. The black republi-
cans, on the contrary, seem to ignore the
whites and devote all their efforts to pro-
mote the interests Of the blacks. Thus the
former is cmphatcally the white mans party,
while the latter is the black mans party
The black republicans are constantly concoct-
ing schemes to deprive white men Of the right
Of suffrage, or to Curtail and cmbarrass them
in the exercise Of that right; and at the same
time they labor with equal zeal to enlarge the
rights and privileges of the blacks. Thus
they favor laws which would practically pre-
vent foreign white men from becoming citi-
zens, while they favor laws allowing foreign
negroes to enjoy all the rights Of citizenship.
They also favor laws to deprive white men Of
the right Of suffrage because they may be so
unfortunate as not to be able to read and at
the same time they pass laws which allow
black men who never saw q letter Of the al
phabet, to become voters These things have
been done or attempted by the black republic
cans Of this State, in their action and lcgis-
lation in regard to naturalizcd citizens and flu
gitive slaves, and in Gov. IIaie's rccommen-
dation to deprive of the right of suffrage the
unfortunate white men (natve as well as for.
eign) who cannot read. And it is the same in
other States where black republicans rule
In the Massachusetts Legislature, last week,
this matter was under consideration, in the
form of proposition to amend the Constitu-
ton with view to cur tail the rights Of for
eign citizens. There the blacks 60 for deny
ing to foreign white men the rights Of citizen
ship, while they would extend them freely to
black, yellow and red of all countries! In re.
ply to some of this kind of republican talk,
Gen. Caleb Gushing made the following elo-
quent and excellent iemsrks:--
Mr.. Spcakcr:-I must indeed say that am
astOniShed at the extent Of an error which
seems now to be so prevalent as to have in-
fected so learned member Of the bar and SO
esteemed q member of this House as the gen.
tleman from Greenfield, when he suppoScS
that it remains for the Supreme Court Of the
United States to decide that the privilege Of
naturalization in this country belongs only to
white men. For that is determined not only
by every tradition of our policy, but in con-
fOrmity with the uninterrupted legislation Of
these United States. That act is distinct and
clear. 1t expressly confines naturalization to
white men. White men, and white men alone,
can be naturalizcd by act Of Congress Of the
United States.
So, sir, it is no novelty, no paradox, no mon
strous assertion of mine. to say that do not
accept the equality either Of the yellow man
Of China or Of the black man Of Africa. do
not forcshadow the laws. 1t is already
the established law Of my country that these
inferior races have no equality with U.S. They
cannot be natu"alized in these United States
| say the yellow man cannot be; | say the
red man cannot be; say the black man can
not be.
Now, sir, the gentleman in the next place,
says that, contrary to the settled laws Of the
United States, the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States has deprived black men of citizen.
ship. That, Mr. Speaker, utterly deny. 1t
was the settled law Of the United States, long
before that opinion Of the Supreme Court was
given, that these persons cannot DO citizens
Of the United Statesmen only that they can
not be naturalizcd by the act of Congress,
but that they are not otherwise. They are
not in fact, citizens of the United States.
aver, and If it were material to occupy the at
tenton Of the House with the proof, can
prove that that contcmncd-most falsely con-
tcmned, and most enormously construed
opinion Of the Supreme Court, instead Of in.
novating on prc-cXisting law, did but conform
thereto. 1t but accepts and ailirms the exist.
ing law-that law which has been uniformly
received in the practice Of the government,
and which it was never deemed Necessary
to doubt, until it came before the Supreme
Court
Now, sir, so far as to the African Now as
to the Indian Mr.. Speaker, marvel that it
should be necessary to refer to the notorious
fact that the Indians Of the United States are
not citizens of the United States. laver that
as rule Of law and as rule Of fact, that they
are but domestic subjects of the United States;
not citizens, either by any standing law or by
any policy Of the government.
They may be citizens, not under an act G0f
the naturalization of foreigners, but they can
be so in one way only, and that is by treaty,
or especial act Of Congress. Examples occur
of treaties in which it has been stipulated that
the Indians, parties to that treaty, might be-
come citizens Of the United States. Exam.
pies occur of special acts of Congress to this
effect. For example the Stockbridgc tribe of
Indians, who removed from Massachusetts to
the western part Of the State Of New York, and
then to the Mississippi, and thence to Wiscon.
sin, they, by special act Of Congress, were
admitted to naturalization.
Thus also the Creeks, the Choctaws and
tho Chcrokees, though partially civalized, not
by natural qualities, but by intcrmarriagcs
with that white blood which raises them above
their previous level, and without which they
would not have reached the first elements Of
an alphabet as an instrument Of the express
sion Of thought.
Mr. Speaker as they arc not citizens Of the
United States, they cannot own a ship, and
especially they cannot sue in the circuit court
of the United States, and this is the same as
the much talked of disability Of Africans. In
no respect are they citizens Of tho United
States. Sir, need not foreshadow any dc.
csion of the Supreme Court. do but &C.
ccpt that fact recorded in tho law Of the land,
as notorious as that the light Of the sun shone
on the face of the earth The gentleman from
Greenfield thinks it monstrous in me to cx-
press doubt whether tho coolies Of Asia
should be admitted to political equality with
myself.
Who first uttered that thought in the Com.
monwealth of Massachusetts? Not !, nor the
Supreme court Of the United States Should
that tribunal have thus to decide that ques-
ton, as it may, on an appeal from the State Of