The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-05-20


enemy at the moment of casting the vote.
power TO determine questions OF peace and
war power TO determine questions relating
to treaties with foreign powers power
TO determine every question that may bc IT.
krred to this House or to the Senate for
their determination. II she have the righ,
under the constitution, 81 govern my con
stituents by alien votes, then, whether il be
wise or unwise whether it be neighbcrly OF
not 4; whether il he treating the other States
of the Coniederacy rightly or wrongly, is II
subject upon which my mouth is scaled, If
She have not the right. then il is my bounden
duty here 10 express my opinion upon IT, and
TO give tia, opinion the sanction of II vote ;
and IT is that which am prepared here this
day TO do.
Mr.. Speaker, when the question of sub.
hitting the constitution Of Michigan on the
point OF boundaries to the people was pend
ing, Mr.. Calhoun made an argument ON this
question aud he there expressed the opin
ion that no state had the RICH, 10 confer on
unna,uralzcd foreigners II right 10 vote,
lie deducci that from his idea that the right
TO vote IL an incident connected with the
right OF citizenship, not that NIL citizens
were entitled TO vote but that none but cit
liens could I've entitled TO vote. Ills argu.
ment was in the nature of reiuc'i0 dd db-
.todum lie argued il at length tie did
not trace il up to that clause of the consti
tuition which to my Judgment is decisive
upon the point, but his arguments showing
the difficulties that were involved in al OPP
posite hypothesis were, in the absence Of
any other clause OF the constitution than
that touching naturalization enough TO show
that ii could not be II constitutional right.
] shall not presume 10 weaken that argu.
ment 10y attempting Ia repeat II. merely
mean to add reference 10 II clause of the
Constitution Of the United States. which IN
my judgment, is decisive
The first words of thu constitution ARE "a
mliar To everybody; ave, The people ot
The Iaa,d States in order to form more
perfect Union Ne, ordain the following
constitution IN point of law. ! supposed
there had been no doubt IA to the meaning
OF the words people ofthc United States,
SO far as this question is concerned, /, is
plain that at tina, day the word people was
regarded rs meaning any one, the poi'ijeai
people OF the United States. IL did not re-.
fer To the foreigners residing ~ our midst.
IL did not refer 10 mere transitory residents
any more than il referred 10 slaves IN the
southern States. Ii referred 10 persons who
had voice in determining that cons'itu.
ton, who constituted the body polite as
contradistInguished from the inhabitants OF
the United States. And tina, such was the
opinion prevailing at that day is apparent
by that other clause which provides the rule
OF direct TAXATION, which Is 10 bc determined
by The numbers Of persona.
Let u read the words defining the body
ofpeople " ho ARE Ia elect this House The
House OF Representatives shall b. composed
ot members chosen every second year
Chosen by whoml Net by the lnhabiantc
Of the various States, but chosen by the
people OF the several States. The ony qucs-
ton, then, IL, wlmt does the word people
in that connection nyaD Dncs II mean all
persons incidentally within the limits OF the
Staiey Do,r IL mean ncre ~ the residents 81
the States II II means that. then 1t will go
10 the extent Of allowing "a slave 10 be oue
oi the people OF IA STATE Tor the purpose OF
voting and that IL the ,oiuCiio al dbsUdum
Of the Objection. !, would 90 pot merely TO
the extent Of allowing the unnaiurallzed for
cigner who had declared his intention Of be
coming citizeD, but it would allow any
person, merely there lor day, To be one Of
the people Of the state. New York could
import her voters from Canada Ia the morn
ing and carry them back in the evening.
submit that the word "pcople" there must
have the same meaning which II has above
10 the phrase people Of the United States.
as used in the fint clause Of Tie preaBbie OF
the Constitution Of The United States. IL
rcisrs, unquestionabIy, to The L0dypotaie.
And under tLese words every Iarsou is ex-
Guided who is not In the meaning Of that
clause, IA member Of the bo'ly polite.
What ia tie meaning Of The word, "poopl'
of the United States :" suppose that i,
includes only prsons who ARE ciiizeig oi The
United States. think that there will be
80 controversy in this ilou-, thu, that IL tie
Only legal meaning ot the word. That
opnIou has been expressed ~ language "a
explicit IA any can u.s., aud greatly more
authofl,atiyely, 10y the Chief Justice Of the
Ib0b '7tahN. mt 'iahrf bti7 b''it tbit'
slrued a. definitely NJ any clause has ever
i"rn construct. And without proloDgiDg the
afgunent upon this point ] will merely read
the language Of the Chief Justice. may
be- permitted 10 say that ] do no, regard the
dec,sion Of the Supreme Court as binding
upon th.s llouse on any political question.
Our Jadgm' ut is suhjec, 10 10 review by any
tribunal. Yet, sir, this has b'rn made to
soroe extent. a judicial question. and one
which has passed ubder review by the high.
est J.dIcial tribunal Of the United -iat,z I;
and will accord 10 that tribunal very grca,
weight 40 guiding my own judgment aud
i i in that view sball clos with VIA;
have said On this subjec, by reading the
words Of the Chief Justice 10 which have
reerreJ
" The words, people Of IA. United hiates
and ciiizsns, are syRonymoG. terms. as1
mean the same hing. They both descfbs the
poiiiiesl body, who. according 10 orr repshii
can insiiiu,ions. form the sovsrs,gnty, aud VINO